Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event. The greatest botany rivalry in history! It's Vavilov vs. Lysenko for the fate of the Soviet Union.  In the 1920s and '30s, Nikolai Vavilov was a big deal. He was studying seed genetics and learning how to prevent famines. Everyone wanted to work with him. Including a young kid named Trofim Lysenko.   Lysenko studied with Vavilov. They were friends. But years later, Lysenko turned on his mentor, and turned against science. This became a problem, because Lysenko was good buddies with Stalin. The feud would bring the Soviet Union to its knees. And it would force Vavilov to make a fateful choice: one between the truth … or his life.   * Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Jonathan WashingtonMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editor is Josh FisherResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas ReillyVoice Actors: Tom Antonellis, Zaron Burnett, Josh Fisher, and Chris ChildsOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Hear Also...Noble Blood: Catherine the Great and Her Husband the MediocreNoble Blood: The Ice QueenRidiculous Crime: Dope Floats: The Uncrashable Gary Betzner Further Reading...Check out two excellent sources: Peter Pringle's great book on Vavilov, and the essential Where Our Food Comes From by Gary Nabhan. Thanks for listening!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.