News From Around the Solar System

If you've been reading here, you know that at the South Pole Station we recently marked the passing of solstice with a mid-winter celebration. This same occasion was observed by at least 18 other scientific research stations in Antarctica none of whom ate as well as we did! A few days later the Phoenix Mars Mission observed the solstice on Mars. A former South Pole winterover is a member of the Phoenix Mars Mission and he arranged a conference call between mission headquarters and the South Pole Station in honor of the mission's success and in observance of the two solstices (solsticii? [speel check says nyet]).

Antarctica's connection with the U.S. space program and space programs from elsewhere in the world is much broader than conference calls and celebratory exchanges of electronic messages. The Dry Valleys near McMurdo have been compared to the surface of Mars and NASA has taken great interest in the Dry Valleys and studies there have aided in the exploration of Mars.

Antarctica's vast ice sheets provide an ideal environment for collecting meteorites. NASA paid very close attention to the construction of the new elevated station at the South Pole as all construction materials had to be able to fit inside a military C-130 aircraft and flown to the site. NASA reckons they can use this as a model for constructing future space stations.

The European Space Agency hopes to glean experience and knowledge from research at the Concordia Research Station. The agency recognizes that a small team of people who are completely unreachable and must deal autonomously with any situation that arises can provide much insight in how similar situations would be dealt with in space. Environmental factors which are present at the research station are also present in space such as prolonged isolation and exposure to darkness and confinement.

I'm wondering when they'll start taking generator mechanics into space and where do I sign up!?

Polar T3 Syndrome

Locally, I make lots of jokes about "getting the dumb...must be the T3"...I use it as an excuse for just about everything. It's a great excuse for...well, just about everything really. But what is it? There really are no solid conclusions - the jury seems to be still out, maybe that's because someone can still see a way to milk money out of doing studies, or maybe the suspected causes don't have a large enough study group. Maybe there simply aren't enough people affected by it worldwide to be able to market some magic panacea so nobody is really interested in it beyond the occasional research grant.

The people who are supposed to know and understand things believe that Polar T3 syndrome is caused by the body's overconsumption of the T3 hormone (produced by the thyroid) in an attempt to keep warm. The muscles consume the hormone, the brain isn't left with any, or at least not enough to perform at its normal levels. Anyone who understands how hypothermia works knows that the body shifts to "keep core warm" mode at the first sign that a body is exposed to the cold, the core is kept warm at the expense of the extremities and the brain (confusion is a symptom of hypothermia). But does cold make you stupid or are you stupid to be in the cold in the first place?

Thyroid function is also closely related to the much wider known SAD or seasonal affective disorder. It is thought that light, or the lack of, has more to do with SAD than cold but it seems obvious that the two conditions are closely related and that notion is affirmed by the requirement of undergoing a psychiatric evaluation to be allowed to even spend a winter in Antarctica.

For my part...I notice that my speeling has gone all to hell, though I spend very little time exposed to the cold. People around me seem stupider than normal too...often pausing during conversation while they search for a word. Is it T3? SAD? Something undefined yet very common to most if not all Antarctic winterovers? Locally we just say "toasty" - a catch all phrase that might mean irritable, fatigued or bear reference to the 1000 yard stare. Myself, and the station as a whole however seem to be in pretty high spirits and I would not describe myself as toasty at least not at this point. Check back on me in August.

Rock 'n Pole!

In what will surely be yet another occasion of 59 wankers and me dressing up in silly costumes and will also probably involve ill placed bodily excrement of some kind, the mid winter celebration at The South Pole is fast approaching.

This Friday, June 20th, we will be marking the occasion of the (southern) winter solstice which also means only three months until sunrise and less than five months remaining until enjoying some much missed verdure.

We will be celebrating with what else - a meal that I'm sure I won't be able to shower with enough praise to do it justice. The second day of celebrations promises a concert of epic proportions. I haven't seen a list of the full line up yet, but at least one band that performed at Polestock will be performing for the mid winter concert and one debut guitar player will be showing us what he's learned since February when he first picked up a guitar.

One of the guys who makes electricity while I sleep, and is also wields a mean axe in the band ReTardis (among others?) is coordinating a live feed. You can get all the details at The Frozen Desert

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