The Continent Nobody Owns — But Everyone Benefits From

Antarctica is a frozen continent at the bottom of the world that no country owns. Yet scientists, researchers, and even store managers have lived and worked there. In the final episode of Planet Money Summer School 2026, host Robert Smith takes listeners on a journey to Antarctica to explore its surprising economic history. The episode is packed with stories, listener ideas, and even an interview with a penguin.

The episode starts with a trip back to the late 1970s, when NPR was a young and growing radio network. Science reporter Ira Flatow traveled all the way to the South Pole to report on life in one of the harshest places on Earth. His reporting helped put NPR on the map in the news world. Listeners get to hear a clip from that trip, including a one-of-a-kind interview with Antarctic wildlife — yes, a penguin.

Next, the show takes a look inside McMurdo Station, the largest human settlement in Antarctica. McMurdo is a research base where hundreds of scientists and workers live for months at a time. A listener who managed the station's store in the 1980s shares what shopping was like down there. As you might guess, the normal rules of retail don't quite apply when you're living on a sheet of ice at the end of the world.

The episode also features an economist who has tried to put a dollar value on Antarctica. That might sound strange — why would anyone price a place where almost no one lives? Her answer is that Antarctica provides huge benefits to the entire planet, like keeping global temperatures stable and supporting ocean life. She argues that we should think of nature's benefits as a service, the same way we think about services like electricity or clean water.

Other big ideas pop up in the episode too. Listeners from around the world wrote in with their favorite economic concepts, and the show highlights the best ones. These include consórcios, a savings system popular in Brazil where groups of people pool money together to help each member make a big purchase. Social housing — homes built and managed by the government to keep prices affordable — is another idea that listeners praised.

The episode wraps up like a real graduation. Listeners who completed Planet Money Summer School 2026 are celebrated as part of the 'class of 2026.' They can even earn a diploma — described as 'totally real, but not legal' — by taking a short online quiz. The series encourages students and curious listeners of all ages to keep exploring economics in everyday life. Past seasons of Summer School are available to catch up on anytime.