Category: Science

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Closing the Loop:  Back to Ushuaia

Smooth seas, blue skies and sunshine welcome us to our last full day on the Seaventure on this beautiful Saturday morning in the Southern Ocean on our way back to our port of origin in Argentina.

Three weeks or so ago we wandered the Alvear Art Hotel in Buenos Aires and saw strangers.  Three weeks later we wander the decks of the Seaventure and see familiar faces and new friends.

There have been disappointments along the way.  Missing out on the site of the old whaling station on South Georgia where Ernest Shackleton and his rescue team found relief for the rest of his Endurance crew left behind on Elephant Island.  A foggy morning on Eclipse Day after a valiant effort by Captain Tino, Wilderness Travel and Polar Latitudes to find us an opening on the eastern horizon to see this celestial spectacle.  The extra time on the ship left us feeling a bit housebound.  Not seeing the rock Hopper or Macaroni penguins would have been nice.

 Leaving the disappointments behind, I see images of tens and hundreds of thousands of King Penguins.  Fur and elephant seals in abundance, sometimes too much abundance for us to get on shore and get closer to this most unique and special collection of bio-mass.

Then there was the Science.  Deck 5 Bird Inventories with Lisa and Michael.  Cloud observations with Julia, contributing photos of whale flukes for identification by “Happy Whale.”  It was a very cool experience to be on the Science Zodiac as we gathered data on phytoplankton for two research projects.

The snow-capped peaks rising from the ocean floor, the glaciers making their slow and inexorable gravitational journey to the sea, the still waters of Paradise Cove (to the best of my recollection), the climb up to the high ground on Useful Island where whalers used the 360-degree vista to spot whales.  Porpoising penguins showing off their hydrodynamic bodies to dart and open up momentary holes on the glassy surface of the water.

The climb up to the high ground on Useful Island where whalers used the 360-degree vista to spot whales.  Porpoising penguins showing off their hydrodynamic bodies to dart and open up momentary holes on the glassy surface of the water.

The whales.  Humpbacks, Fins and Killers in the Gerlach Straits and the protected bays.  Up close and personal.  The photographs, the thousands taken, the hundreds kept, the dozens that will make the cut to share with family and friends.  The magic of Paradise Cove as it lived up to its name.

Alex, Conrad and Tim became much more than trip lecturers in Astronomy, Mountaineering and Environmental Science.  They became friends that you could sit down and chat with at dinner, at the bar or out on deck watching the latest natural wonder that we encountered together.  The life experiences and enthusiasm that you have for your respective interests has educated and inspired me to do more to understand our fragile, beautiful planet and how to make it a better place for all creatures great and small.

Leila, Rob and Jenny worked tirelessly and lovingly to provide us with the richest possible experiences.  I can’t say enough about the Polar Latitudes staff.  Their knowledge, their dedication to educating us about this beautiful, larger than life and ever so fragile ecosystems, their tireless efforts to prepare sites for us to visit while at the same time preserving the places so that we would take only pictures and leave only footprints.  Afterall, this is their home.  We are the transient visitors.

The Housekeeping and Dining Room staffs that kept us comfortable and ever so well fed even when the weather and sea conditions made their already challenging jobs even more difficult.  And they did their work with smiles and a sincere desire to be of service.  The birthday and anniversary songs at dinner showed the enthusiasm and joy that makes them human and so much more than staff.  Thanks to the unseen crew members who kept the ship operating and for their help getting into and out of the Zodiacs on our explorations off the ship.  And how can I almost forget the Polar Plunge, a baptismal Polar tradition.

And for anyone or group that I missed THANK YOU! too for sharing this experience with me and with us. 

This final full day on board is full of more lectures and activities as we continue bonding and wrapping up this experience.

Special thanks to Bob and Ellen for the opportunity to have this experience.  I am so very grateful.  Inviting me to be a part of this is a priceless gift.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hopefully I can squeeze in a couple more photos out of my remaining data. I got one!

Enjoy,

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

My internal clock is all screwed up.  First it was the three hours lost to travelling from the west coast of the U.S. to the east coast of the U.S.  Then there was the loss of another two hours between Ushuaia and South Georgia Island, then, I think, we gained one back somewhere along the course of changing longitude.

However many hours have passed since I left San Francisco, my internal clock, my Circadian rhythms, are all discombobulated.  I have stayed up until 0200 and awakened at 0400.  On Eclipse day, December 4,  I was awake for 20 hours.  What the hell time is it anyway?  I have only a fleeting clue.  My body seems to know when it needs sleep, when it needs food, when it needs a shower.  I listen to it and act accordingly.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, but travel does make a reason for adjusting one’s routine.  We’ve been abord the Seaventure since November 23 if I remember correctly.  Saturday became Sunday during the pair of flights from San Francisco to Miami and Miami to Buenos Aires and nothing in my perception of time has been the same since.

I can’t believe that we biological creatures who have been granted the ability to alter our physical environment were meant to stay put and not leave the place and time zone that we were born in, but you have to admit that there is something about changing your location on the globe that is downright unnatural.  The Sun rises and sets in 24 different human created “time zones” and it makes total sense astronomically that as the Earth rotates on it’s axis at a tilt of 23.5 degrees to the Ecliptic that the typical 24 hour daily cycle of the Earth’s rotation results in a staggering of lighted time and darkened time.

Try telling that to my body in it’s never-ending quest to adjust to global travel in a matter of hours.  I guess that ultimately it is a small price to pay for understanding other cultures, for scratching the itch to explore and experience new things and for expanding the limitless possibilities in life.  Maybe by the time I wake up and go substitute teach on Tuesday, December 14 at 0800 PST at Cabrillo Middle School in Santa Clara, California, my body will have figured out what my brain is unable to figure out.

But try telling that to my body as it continues its quest to eat, sleep and explore!  I didn’t get to food and other things this time around.  Oh well.  Maybe next time. (If I’ve already sent this photo, forgive me. I’ve lost all concept of time or space. I’ll make it up to you later.)

Cheers,

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

We were in Paradise Cove this morning, but I’d say that the whole trip has been a trip to Paradise.  I had a ticket and I was able to offer you a ticket, albeit vicariously through this Blog (unless you are reading this on the Seaventure), but a ticket to a mystical, magical, fragile and endangered place none-the-less.

We are underway towards Ushuaia, Argentina via what is known as the Drake Passage.  “The Drake” is known for rough sea conditions so Hannah has been bracing us for the challenges ahead on our voyage out of Paradise. 

There was an auction of goods and services this evening before dinner.  The beneficiaries were the South Georgia Heritage Trust and a whale conservation organization called Happy Whale.  I bid and won a chance to do announcements at some point during our return journey to Ushuaia, Argentina.  This is a charitable donation and can be written off of income tax.  I mention this because I know my wife will be reading this and I want to come clean so I don’t end up in the doghouse when she finds out that I donated $150!

Folks were VERY generous with their donations.  Items ranging from hand knitted mittens and doing an announcement from the bridge to an original art piece by Hannah, our cruise director, brought in thousands of dollars for two super causes.

Our three days of calm protected waters came to an end this evening as we entered the above-mentioned Drake Passage.  Writing this blog has become challenging as my upper torso swings forward and backward as I try to keep my fingers on the keyboard.

This last day in Antarctica included two hikes and boy did they feel good.  Nice vistas, Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins, Cormorants (Shags), Antarctic Terns and gentle snow fall made for a chance to learn more about this marvelous place and get a chance to get up close and personal with it.  Not to mention a chance to stretch out our legs and actually feel like I was burning at least as many calories as I was consuming.  It was a great way to say my “see ya’ laters” to Antarctica.

I only have a couple more of these to write as we arrive back in Ushuaia on Sunday.  It’s kind of a no brainer for me to write my experiences on this trip.  Part of it is that I want to have a record of this incredible experience for myself.  But the real reason is that I wanted to bring my friends and family along to share the journey with me.  That includes the new friends that I have made on the Seaventure and the marvelous people making sure that we arrive safe and healthy at our destinations, the folks at Wilderness Travel that but the trip together and the folks at Polar Latitudes that brought the continent and South Georgia Island to life for us.

Thanks to all of you for this marvelous journey and my undying thanks to Mother Earth for making it all possible.

Enjoy the photo!

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

(Tomorrow evening we begin our trip back to Ushuaia, Argentina across the Drake Passage)

Polar Latitudes’ primary responsibility for nearly three weeks now has been to keep all passengers and crew of the Seaventure well fed, warm and dry.  So why I ask you would they then encourage you, or at least offer you the opportunity, to get dunked in the frigid Southern Ocean?

Enter the Polar Plunge into the lexicon of polar explorers, adventurers and visitors.  It qualifies as one of those experiences that serve as a right of passage of sorts or maybe a baptism of sorts.  It certainly isn’t for everybody, but everybody certainly thought about whether or not this is something that they were going to do.  Have you assessed the risks and the benefits before attempting something unknown?

Mountaineer and Climate Change Activist Conrad Anker knows about risk assessment.  Conrad is a very skilled climber, one of the best of his generation, perhaps ever.  Yet as technically skilled as Conrad is, he thinks rationally to consider whether or not it’s worth it to reach the summit.  In the documentary film, Meru, Conrad faced this decision when he was within 150 feet of summiting this peak.  He and his climbing partners turned around knowing that they were not prepared to spend another night on the mountain.  If they had had attained the summit, there is a good possibility that they would have died on the mountain.  They simply didn’t have enough food to stay out another night.

So, the polar plunge is a lesson in risk assessment.  For me, I considered my general health, the condition of my heart, my experiences jumping into extremely cold water and my desire to continue to conquer a lifelong fear of the water.  I decided to do it.  In fact, I was the first one to do it.  Some made the decision not to do it and that is perfectly ok.  Each person needs to do their own personal risk assessment on challenges like this.

Why does Polar Latitudes offer this opportunity?  After getting to know more about their staff and the staff of the tour organizers at Wilderness Travel, I think that this is an intentional way of offering their clients a chance to learn and grow. 

The Polar Plunge was at the end of this wonderful, snowy, cold, “science” day, 

We started the day loading into the now familiar zodiac craft and departing for a landing at the head of Neko Harbor.  I had made a pact with myself that I was going to participate in as many Citizen Science activities as I could squeeze in and today’s opportunity was yet another chance to further the cause of science.

Today’s project was a phytoplankton project in support of two doctoral projects.  We gathered a small sampling of water complete with water microorganisms were living in it and then ended their little lives…with a purpose.  That purpose was to record how much biomass that this sampling of water had in it at that moment in time.

Then we gathered a larger quantity of seawater by dragging a net attached to a plastic bottle and later separated it from the ice with a small hand pump.  I don’t remember exactly how that was going to be handled or used.  But it was done with a purpose.

And then came the cool part.  We lowered a wifi connected device that measures water temperature, salt content and chlorophyll to a depth of 70 meters and brought it slowly back up.  It gathered the data and instantaneously sent it to an app on an ipad and bingo, you have 1100 data points!  All very cool and it will help researchers assess the health of the phytoplankton population in the Antarctic.

We also measured the clarity of the water using a black and white dish shaped device called a Secchi disk.  You lower it into the water until you can no longer see it.  Ours disappeared at 9.7 meters.

When we finished our Citizen Science activities, we wound through the ice and climbed a designated path around a Gentoo penguin colony.  During the Citizen Science and the hike through the snow in a gently falling snow, you could hear loud cracks as ice was calving off of the glacier above the harbor.  I never saw where the ice was ending up, but it didn’t appear to make it to the harbor where it could cause tsunamis in the bay.  My thoughts quickly went to climate change and how it was affecting Antarctic glaciers.

It was a magical day in a magical place.  Enjoy this photo taken last night at around 2300.

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Wow, are we ever! A continent of land white with glaciers and snow surrounded by water.  We got our first taste of the place this morning on a fantastical zodiac ride featuring icebergs, bergy bits, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, glaciers and our first look at sea ice.

My boat was driven by the Citizen Science Coordinator of the trip, Julia, and we were able to do add a data point to the research being done on water clarity using what is known as a Secchi Disk.  I know the white disk from its use at Lake Tahoe in California.  The data point that we recorded was visibility down to 35 feet.  I signed up to be on a “Science Boat” tomorrow morning.  We will be working on a phytoplankton project.  There is a small Science lab down on Deck 3.  I believe that we will be gathering samples and looking at it under microscopes.  I’m not sure yet what the research involves, but it should be quite interesting.

Speaking of interesting, there is a wedding happening onshore this afternoon.  The party disembarked first and we are waiting to disembark.  We’re not sure who is getting married, but there is another couple that got engaged the morning of the Eclipse.  There is a reception this evening after dinner for the newlyweds.

It is white and bright!  Sunblock and polarizing sunglasses are big time in order while we are down here. 

I’ve learned a considerable amount from reading about the Antarctic Explorers of the so called Heroic Era which lasted from the 1860’s until the time of Ernest Shackleton’s death in 1922.   The hardships that they went through are the stuff of legends.

Speaking of legends, one of our speakers, mountaineer Conrad Anker, is a legendary climber.  He also lives a love story.  He showed us a movie, Torn, that was made by his son.  I’m not sure where you can see it, but you need to see it.

Here’s the second of two parts to this post.  The happy couple had a reception this evening with cake and adult beverage.  I left thinking that I would go back to the room and finish this blog post, process some whale photos. From this afternoon and go to bed, but I was drawn outside to take some sunset shots at about 2230.  As I was coming in, a fellow passenger said that I had to see what was on the other side of the ship.  And now I can’t find the photo that of the  most incredible lenticular cloud, so I’ll share this one instead as a consolation.

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

It’s that time of year and the spirit of Christmas is in the air even though we are about as far away from the North Pole as one could get, at least from our terrestrial perspective.  But still, “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” Antarctic style.

We recently spotted our second tabular (flat topped) iceberg of the trip.  Chuck estimated it at 300 feet tall from our vantage point a couple of nautical miles away.  Icebergs are snow white.  Cornwallis and Elephant islands were covered with snow- capped peaks and glaciers. We also figure to see a lot more of the white stuff for the next few days as we proceed in a southwesterly direction. 

It’s also feeling more like a traditional mid-latitudes Winter in certain parts of North America.  The recorded temperature this morning at 0600 was 2 degrees Celsius.  I’m estimating that the air temperature outside is still in the vicinity of 2 degrees Celsius.

I could wait for the Daily Briefing and tell you what our next destination is and when we will be there, but I don’t want to be up until midnight tonight writing this post.

I can tell you that Environmental Scientist and Explorer Tim Jarvis gave a data filled presentation about his take on Climate Change.  My take-a-way from the presentation is that Climate Change is a big topic.  It needs to be broken down into its component parts and dealt with in smaller chunks.  Thinking of Climate Change as a monolithic megalith won’t get the problem solved.   The messaging needs to change from what climate change is to how it affects each individual person.  We tend to listen and take things more seriously if we understand that they affect us personally.  When we break an issue into bite sized pieces, we are more liely to do something about it.

Polar Latitudes trip Ornithologist and Professional Photographer, Lisa LaPointe, gave a helpful session on how to compose good photographs.  You’ll see if I learned anything today from Lisa.

Right after the class, we went outside and did a bird inventory for the first time since we left South Georgia.  The weather and the seas have just not given us permission to do it.  Each session runs between 20-30 minutes and provides yet another data point for the scientist that requested this data.

We’re all ready to get back on land again.  We’ll get a better look at the wildlife and get a chance to stretch out our legs.  You might ask, “what are you doing for exercise?”  I’ll address that later in the week when we begin our return trip to Argentina.

Excitement is growing and hopes are high for fair and clear weather over the next three days.  Whatever happens for the rest of this third and final week of this trip is that it has been a wonderful experience on the human level as well as on the content level and visual levels.  It has been an extraordinary experience.

Thanks for following my journey,

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Tomorrow morning around 0600, we will do a cruise by of Elephant Island.  Elephant Island was part of the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-17 Expedition to cross the Antarctic continent from ocean to ocean.  He and his crew did not accomplish their mission, but the story of their survival and the heroic efforts of Shackleton and five other members of his crew to survive a treacherous return to South Georgia Island across 800 miles of the turbulent Southern Ocean in a 22-foot rescue boat and then cross a treacherous mountain range to reach a Whaling Station and help for the beleaguered crew is the stuff of legend.

It sounds like we will arrive on the Peninsula by tomorrow evening around 1900.  Yeah!  We are ready to touch solid ground again.  We’ve been hammered with 40 knot winds along with 10-20 foot swells and have been confined, almost, to quarters for the past three days, save for a brief opening to experience the Eclipse yesterday morning. 

We had a mandatory briefing about how to behave on the continent.  The Joint Antarctic Treaty is quite serious about keeping invasive species of plants and animals away from here.  We must have all of our external wear and gear certified seed free and get signed off before we can set foot on Antarctica.

Today’s lectures included one by our tour director Hannah Lawson on the history of women on the continent of Antarctica, a presentation called “Whaling Then and Conservation Now followed by a solid presentation on the science of Climate Change by tour physical science specialist and former high school Physics and Geology teacher, Michael Jackson.  Yes, THE Michael Jackson.

Conrad Anker showed a movie tonight called “Meru ,(2015)” an inspirational story of friendship, commitment, passion, grit, skill and humanity.  Oh, did I forget love?

Conrad is a humble introvert until he starts talking about climbing. Two weeks after we get back to Argentina, he comes down here again to lead a climb up Mt. Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak. Then he transforms into a dynamic and inspirational public speaker.  He’s a wonderful guy.  See this film.

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

(I had before, during and after photos that I was hoping to share today, but no such luck.)

The Deck 5 Lounge has become activity central since we left South Georgia.  It is near the stern of the ship and lower than the Deck 7 prime presentation room.  The Deck 7 room is near the bow and subject to the biggest swing in ups and downs in rough seas.  Deck 5 is where the Library is and where the Bar is also located.  Now, presentations are also being made there as well.  This brings up a story about an artificial plant, but I’ll save that tale for another day.

It is also where we have done wildlife (pelagic birds and whales) watching for fun and for citizen science.   There is a covered area on the bow complete with heat lamps and deck furniture when the seas are calmer and the temperatures are warmer.  Right now, all the deck furniture is strapped down.

Hannah made the wakeup call at 0300 this morning and, despite grey overcast skies and fog, a hail and hearty group of Umbraphiles gathered in the Deck 5 Lounge area proudly exhibiting there artfully made solar filter-based eclipse viewing creations.  There were some cameras out as well.  Those of us shutterbugs came modestly equipped to photograph whatever we could.  Look below to see the best shots that I could get on this particular day.  And, everyone that came to Deck 5 this morning had on their official Wilderness Travel Eclipse T-shirts.

Here was the Eclipse Schedule:

       0316  Eclipse start

     0403:42 Totality start

     0495:17  Totally ends

       O415  Eclipse ends.

So, just before the Eclipse started several people went outside to focus energy on parting the cloud cover.  We turned to the starboard side of the ship.  Joseph shared a real time image of what was happening somewhere over the rainbow and I snapped a few additional photos of the changing light conditions pointing in the direction that the Sun and Moon were putting on their show. 

Alex was broadcasting from up on the bridge.  Despite the fact that we were missing most of the show, Alex pointed out what was happening at certain phases of the Eclipse including Totality.  A large group cheer went up when he announced this phase.  This was the most dramatic visual event of the eclipse for us.  It grew noticeably darker for the approximately 1:32 seconds that the Totality lasted.  And as the Moon began to leave the Sun, as you might expect, more light returned to the Earth’s atmosphere and the fog filed skies began to brighten up again.  Brighten for us meant a return to the low visibility, foggy conditions that were present at 0315:59.  It was the visual highlight of the morning.

The announcement came that the deck was being closed, so we retreated inside from the reported 2 degree Celsius temperatures outside. The Seaventure then  turned back to the South destined for the Antarctic Peninsula. For some reason, I didn’t feel like it was that cold.  Maybe it was an adrenaline rush, but I thought it would feel much colder than it actually was.  Some folks enjoyed an early morning beer, Corona, of course and a passing group of whales added to the festivities.

For us wannabe Umbraphiles, it could have been a big let down to not actually see all of the amazing features of the clear sky version of a full-on solar eclipse, But that simply didn’t happen today.  This group of adventurous, well-travelled people took it in stride, enjoyed the camaraderie of each other and then went on with the day whether that be on to an earlier than usual breakfast or a return to bed.

Later this afternoon Alex will host a “How Was it For You?” event in, wherelse but the Deck 5 Lounge.  This evening after dinner is scheduled an Eclipse Party.  That figures to be a festive, musical, well lubricated event.

The ride has been bumpy at times, but as I look out at the sea and the relative smoothness of the ride, I marvel at the maritime skills of Captain Tino and his crew.  They are doing a marvelous job of getting us to our designated destinations.

Cheers!

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Note:  Today is a rare day in which I’m sending out two posts.  This is the second of the two.

We’re cruising southwestward toward the South Orkney Islands.  A fast-moving storm system is causing us to seek out shelter in a protected bay there and likely attempting to view the eclipse from there as well.  Instead of being smack dab in the middle of the Totality path, the Captain and the Polar Latitudes staff have decided to err on the side of caution and opt for perhaps a less spectacular look at the eclipse in a place out of the path of 13-foot swells, higher than those that we experienced today.

The boat will be fine.  The decision to seek shelter is more for the safety of the passengers and crew.  The pitching and rolling ship could result in falls and broken bones while walking around the ship to meals and activities.

Cruise Director Hannah Lawson while delivering news that all lectures and presentations will be moved from Deck 7 (bow) to the Lounge on Deck 5 (stern) and the elevators will be closed tomorrow morning, was hilarious.

She encouraged everyone to walk like a penguin and shuffle slowly from side-to-side.  In encouraging us not to let gravity get us going too fast, Hannah reminded us to remember that “every downhill has an uphill.”  In other words don’t jog the downhill when the ship tilts that way, but wait for the uphill before proceeding “up the hill.”

When she suggested crawling to the bathroom on all fours, the whole room burst into laughter when she suggested that there was no need to be stuck being bi-pedal!

There is a new quote each day on the shipboard TV.  Today’s was:  “I now belong to a cult of mortals, for now I have seen the Albatross.”

Bruce

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

It takes a while to get adjusted to life on a ship.  The Seaventure is the first ship that I have been on for longer than six hours (whale watching).  I’m finding life on a ship means a change in routines.

The first change in routine is that I’ve had to devote considerably more cognitive energy to the simple act of walking. The Southern Sea is likely not the best place to learn how to walk on water although the first two days of this trip across the notoriously roiled Drake’s Passage were really quite gentle. 

Then there are days like today as we sail in a southwesterly direction toward our eclipse viewing area near the South Orkney Islands, where I am learning to walk all over again.  On land, you can be reasonably sure that when you drop your foot downward that you will encounter a solid surface that is parallel with your other foot on said solid surface.

On a ship, that is sometimes not the case.  In the case of today it is mostly not the case.  This morning we encountered three- meter (10 foot) swells over at least a couple of hours.  Who said that gravity is a law?  When a foot comes down in the form of a step on a ship, it may or may not come down in the manner expected. Sometimes the solid ground that was underneath it when the foot lifted off the ground is simply not there anymore.

When this happens, the result can be comedic and possibly a bit painful.  When the previously mentioned lifted foot comes back down to what used to be solid ground and finds that all that remains there is air, the center of gravity shifts to a point where the person attached to the foot can no longer remain standing. 

This can be magnified significantly if one is walking down a flight of stairs or leaving the Conference room on Deck 7 at the front of the Seaventure.  Gravity seems to no longer function in the way that Sir Issac Newton theorized that it should and would behave.  The end consequence is also magnified significantly.

So, as Captain Tino says, “One hand is for you and the other hand is for the ship.”  A good lesson for this “land lubber.”

Update:  The swells have gone down for now.  The cloud above has settled down to the surface of the water and the visibility has dropped to around 30 feet.  Andy says that I should post a photo, so I’ll give it a shot.