The Antarctica Chronicle

Hello everybody. Back here after a long while. Research has finally shown some positive signs and I am hoping to graduate soon. But I am not here to talk about research. Right now I am sitting in the den of Cruz del Sur, a nice homely hostel with a dog named Kren, in the town of Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego province of Argentina. In three days time I will be catching the expedition ship ‘Ushuaia’, crossing the Drake Passage, exploring the Weddell Sea and docking at various points on the Antarctic peninsula and the South Shetland islands.

Yes, Antarctica!!! I hear you ask the inevitable question, one I have heard several times over the last one year, when my friends and I started planning for the trip - why Antarctica? Honesty, I don’t know what else to say, other than, why not; and then point you to Ernest Shackleton and the ill-fated loss of Endurance followed by the daring  rescue, Amundsen and Scott’s expedition to the South Pole; and, if the pleasure of travel and sense of wonder seeing new places doesn’t do it for you, then I’ll show you this photo. Actually, forget the rest. The photo alone should do.

Courtesy: http://antarcticjourney.wordpress.com/

Make no mistake, it is an expensive, most likely once-in-a-lifetime trip; and, a proper chronicle or diary is a must when it comes to these once-in-a-lifetime affairs. So with multiple follow-up posts that’s what I’ll do. Right now, I’ll sign off with the following photographs from the very windy Ushuaia.

One day, maybe I’ll climb some of these

It must be wonderful living in such a cradle

Looking at the southern most tip of the Andes

Ushuaia

An afternoon at the Gorge

It’s been a while, a month to be exact, since I even thought about updating the blog. Am I getting disinterested? God, no! Just that “pressure” has been getting to me.

[For those who are interested, I have to calculate the local pressure in a spherically symmetric atomistic system that is both heterogenous and in thermal non-equilibrium; and, the freaking math does not add up. If you have got a clue, do let me know.]

Anyway, I happened to visit a nearby gorge in a short afternoon stroll with the Photo Club last weekend. I haven’t been there before in spite of living close by for over 2 years. What a shame! Here are the pics.

A "hermit" meditating near the mini-falls. No kidding! He was practicing some new-age meditation technique, shouting his lungs out.

No doubt that was the last thing we expected to see; at least I haven't seen such randomness before in my 2 years here.

Location: Poestenkill Gorge Park, Troy, NY

Anyway, March is here and hopefully I'll keep y'all posted more often.  Cheers and until next time.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

Growing up near the equator I had never really experienced the true meaning of change. To me then, any change was like the process of evolution; it took time. Nature is so complex that it would have a slow response to change, always; or so I thought. Then, Troy happened and I finally got to see four full seasons. Here are a few campus shots capturing the same. 

Middle of spring

 Towards the end of summer

 Fall colors at their peak

Last winter was one of the roughest we have had

This contrast shows nature at its best. Pity we are exploiting it at a level that may possibly bring upon us nature’s full fury. Have we crossed the tipping point? Will we go the dinosaurs’ way?

Flooding the Grand Canyon

Cooling my heels atop Baxter peak I happened to overhear parts of an animated conversation among a group of fellow hikers. They were discussing about the rocks and flora in the Grand Canyon. Amidst the chit chat, I heard someone mention the Grand Canyon flood; for which, the response was that it was an intentional, man-made act. That set me thinking.

When flood is one of humanity’s worst nightmares - I am writing this as Irene threatens the eastern seaboard with dangerous floods and devastating tides - and people have always sought to regulate surging waters by weirs and dams, why would man intentionally create a torrent at a rate of 300,000 gallons per second - enough water to fill NY’s Empire State Building in 20 minutes?

The Jungle Law

Photo taken at Selous Game Reserve, KsK 2009

I have heard

There is a law of the jungle

I have heard when the lion has eaten his fill

He never attacks

He goes to lie under dense shady trees

- Syeda Hameed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...

Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs as they need, and ye can;
But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill Man!

If ye plunder his Kill from a weaker, devour not all in thy pride;
Pack-Right is the right of the meanest; so leave him the head and the hide.

The Kill of the Pack is the meat of the Pack. Ye must eat where it lies;
And no one may carry away of that meat to his lair, or he dies.

...

Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they;
But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is — Obey!

- Rudyard Kipling

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sure, the lion is king of the jungle, but airdrop him into Antarctica and he's just a penguin's bitch.

- Dennis Miller

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.

- Carl Sagan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.

- Yann Martel (Life of Pi)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Social law vs. Jungle law

One might say that there is an "ethics barrier " a speed above which ethics can no longer exit. After that point the only remaining goal is to survive the immediate moment.

- Pekka Himanen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~