[kitchen]

But Frost said the scientists were still in the early stages of puzzling out ... why they chose to live in such an inhospitable place.

Probably for the reasons people make the same decision today: to partially escape the tender mercies of an obtrusive overbearing central government.

[d4now]

to partially escape the tender mercies of an obtrusive overbearing central government.

Good deduction and very well said.