Bruce's Singing Cyclist Musings

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.

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 didn’t exactly have a solid theme for today, but I’ve developed a routine of writing my Blog posts from he ship’s library which is right next door to the Lounge and Bar with evening entertainment. Randy just sang a song called “Simply the Best.”

That pretty well summarizes this experience.

We’re steaming in a southerly direction leaving South Georgia as I write this heading for our full solar eclipse coordinates near the South Orkney Islands. The folks on this trip are split on why they are here. For many, it is the lure of yet another full solar eclipse, for some it is Antarctica while for others it’s the wildlife of South Georgia Island. For me it’s simply the best of all three and more. The photography, the people, the challenges.

Today was another day of rolling with the punches. This morning the Katabatic winds in Royal Bay precluded a trip to see a group of Macaroon penguins. Plan B was a nearby sheltered bay with a one hour stay on land. But, that didn’t work because there was just too much kelp to make it to the beach.

From there it was on down the coast to Gold Bay after lunch. The plan was to go ashore here. But there was a problem here as well. There were just too many elephant seals and penguins at the landing beach and the landing beach went on and on and on and on. Another stunning example of the sheer biomass on this island. I think that I will need to put some distance between me and this trip to fully grasp what I have just done.

We’re back into a big lecture day tomorrow as we approach eclipse day on December 4 and have some open ocean miles to cover. Among the presentations are “The Eclipse Experience and Safety” from Alex Fillipenko and a Q&A on Eclipse photography from our trip Photographer, Will. It sounds like fun times in the Lounge. It’s a repeat of the program I went to a couple nights ago. Maybe I’ll join the fun. Maybe not. It’s all good.

It’s simply the best.

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

Yesterday is eons away after today. We cruised last night on “uneasy” seas with a good amount of rock and rolling. I was not feeling optimistic about today’s program. That was until I opened the curtains and saw blue sky. Then, I saw the snow capped peaks and glaciers at the end of Andrew’s Bay. After fumbling around trying to figure out how to get to the front of the ship, the reward of my persistence was a stunningly spectacular alpine vista. Add to that the largest King Penguin colony on South Georgia and the chance to get off the boat and walk around. It was enough to leave one giddy with joy. The sight of around 300,000 penguins is, well, astonishing. That’s only if I have to choose one word to describe it. How do use words to describe the indescribable?

I wish that I could share a photo or two. Maybe I’ll try again in a few days. Suffice to say that those of you that are expecting photos are going to get photos. And I believe that the best is still ahead of us. I’ll admit that I was concerned with getting photos with the rapidly changing weather that we have experienced while here over the past three days. Tomorrow, who knows? But today, today was something special. The conditions even surprised our Cruise Director Hannah.

The afternoon was just as good. The weather stayed magnificent for our trip to Grytviken, the administrative center for “The British Overseas Territory of South Georgia.” Not even having to pack up and change rooms due to a water leak somewhere above us was going to interfere with our collective bliss this day. Grytviken was a couple hour sail/motor away in Cumberland East Bay within King Edward Cove. That’s where we will be until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning when we pick up anchor and head to what Hannah calls her favorite spot on South Georgia. And, it sounds like the weather will be decent as well so there is reason for optimism tomorrow.

Tomorrow is December 1 and with the full solar eclipse set for December 4, the ship will be sailing on December 2 towards the path of the eclipse somewhere near the South Orkney islands. Alex Fillipenko has been prepping us for the event while at the same time tempering our expectations of what the weather conditions could well be at 4:00 a.m. on the 4th when the eclipse reaches totality. You may see it better somewhere on the internet than we see it here, but hope springs eternal especially after the wonders of today! Needless to say, the level of preparation for the eclipse will be ramped up over the next few days.

This has been an unforgettable experience already and we are just getting started. Tune in tomorrow for more.

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

Today has been a day that exemplifies that we humans are not in control of natural events. We were all excited get onshore and walk a mile to a King Penguin colony starting with the first group loading onto the Zodiac at 0730. So, we got the 0600 wakeup call, had breakfast, geared up and the winds, the Katabatic winds kicked up and it made it unsafe for the Zodiacs safely operate.

So, we continued on to what was supposed to be our afternoon destination, a place called Stromness which was the site of a whaling station from 1912-1931 and a ship repair station until 1961. This is where Ernest Shackleton found help in rescuing his crew from Elephant Island after they were forced to abandon their ship, the Endeavor when it became trapped in pack ice in 1915. Shackleton and five others sailed from Elephant Island some 800 miles to South Georgia in a desperate effort to save the remaining 22 members of his crew in a small 22 foot landing craft. They survived the treacherous journey to South Georgia only to arrive on the opposite side of the island from the whaling station. They then made the trek over a snow covered mountain range in the middle of the island replete with crevasses. They did all of this in frigid cold and wet wearing period clothing and without any mountaineering equipment save ice axes.

But, the winds were too high, gusting to 70 knots (hurricane force) at the entrance of Stomness Bay so we continued on to a third option further down the southern coast of the island. When we moored in Cumberland Bay West (where we are now), we had lunch and waited for news about whether we would be able to go ashore here. The Polar Latitudes staff did a scouting journey and determined that the winds were too high once again for safe operation of the Zodiacs. Disappointing. But the cool thing is that I haven’t detected any complaining or outward disappointment among us passengers. Inside we all are disappointed, but everyone seems to be handling it really well.

There is an Australian Film crew onboard filming for an IMAX project on the Shackleton story and on another longer documentary project. They gave a cool presentation on what they were doing on the ship and went on to explain their equipment which included a very high end drone and a new IMAX-capable digital video camera. They also discussed the realities of funding film projects and the costs of transporting some very sensitive film gear all over the world.

So, even though the day was one of some disappointment, it finishes up with high energy and enthusiasm for the possibilities that tomorrow brings. As miserable as the weather conditions were today, tomorrow could be fair and mostly clear once again. That’s life in the Southern Ocean.

Bruce