Modern Global Seed Vault Has Roots In World War II Russia

Next week, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway will open so scientists can add 60,000 new seeds to the collection. The vault serves as a kind of Noah's Ark for the globe's seed biodiversity, to have a backup of plant species in case of natural disaster or famine.

But this modern-day, futurist institution actually has its roots in Russia during World War II. Ben Brock Johnson (@TheBrockJohnson), host of the WBUR and Reddit podcast Endless Thread, has the story.