Well, I leave tomorrow (Norfolk -> Atlanta -> LA -> Auckland, NZ -> Wellington, NZ) for my trip down to New Zealand on the way to Antarctica. I'm supposed to leave Norfolk at 2:43 pm on Tuesday and won't get to Wellington until 12:30 pm on Thursday (although that's 'only' 7:30 pm on Wednesday on Norfolk time). I'm going to Wellington for a day to visit another scientist there and then go visit a friend. The next day, I'll fly to Christchurch, NZ which is where the U.S. base is where I'll get my cold weather clothes and then fly from there to Antarctica.
Before I go though, I want to answer some questions I got from Ms. Ross's class (Thanks guys)...
When you go to Antarctica are you going to make an igloo?
Yes (I think). Since we're going to be working out on the sea-ice, we have to go to a two day survival school when we first get to Antarctica that's called Snowcraft1 or Happy Camper school. As part of the school, I think we learn how to make an igloo in case we have to sleep out on the ice. We'll also practice setting up tents, using little stoves and building a wall to block the wind.
How many science trips have you been on?
This is only the second trip I've been on where I'm part of a group gathering data. Most of the work I do is building computer models of the ocean currents, so I don't go out in the field very much. I get to go on trips to give talks or learn how to do certain things (I got to go to Seattle to learn how to use the gliders), but my only other data gathering trip was just out in the Chesapeake Bay.
How did you get so smart?
I guess the number one reason would be because I always loved to read and I would (and still do) read about all sorts of different things. It's also because of my mom (I had to say that because my mom is reading this).
What is this scientist group called?
Well, if you mean what is our project called, our project is called GOVARS (Glider Observations of Variability in the Ross Sea). If you mean what kind of science is this, I'd call it a combination of two kinds of oceanography: Physical Oceanography (studying the ocean currents and temperature) and Biological Oceanography (studying the plant and animal life in the oceans).
Is it hard writing this like this?
Do you mean writing this blog? It's a little hard for me because I usually write for other scientists, so a lot of times I'll use words that I'm used to other scientists knowing, but most people don't know. Please ask a question if I use a word that you don't understand.
Why did you name it penguins is practically chickens? Why did you put bugs bunny on it?
The name and the Bugs Bunny picture are related. There's a Bugs Bunny cartoon (8 Ball Bunny) where Bugs meets a lost penguin who was accidentally left behind by his ice skating group. Bugs agrees to help the penguin get home, but finds out that penguins live in Antarctica. He decides to help the penguin anyway and on the way down they meet someone who's hungry and says that "Penguins is practically chickens" and wants to cook the penguin, but Bugs saves him. Of course, when they finally make it to the Antarctic, Bugs discovers that penguin is actually from New Jersey. I always thought it was a funny cartoon and, since it has a penguin in it, it gave me an excuse to put a picture of Bugs in the blog.
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