Q&A & Zoinks

Q: From E.H. (Champaign, IL): “How many people are at the South Pole station, and how many of them are scientists versus support staff like you?”

There is a rotating population of nearly 150 people at Pole this summer. This (150) is the rooming capacity of the station, and in an effort to reduce human footprint here, there is a big emphasis on making 150 truly the max population. (In some past summers, Jamesways and other satellite housing has been used and the population has climbed to as many as 250 people in summertime.) I'm not totally sure of the science vs. support staff ratio, but looking at the list of people who are on base now, my best guess is that it's generally about 2/3 support, 1/3 science people. But it's usually the science people that are moving in and out (many are here for just part of the season) and that cause fluctuations in the station population and that ratio.

And, for your amusement: This is my fellow steward, Z, who has been affectionately nicknamed "Zoinks," likely based on her tendency to do things such as trying to convince the more gullible Pole residents that the electrician just installed special lights in the dish pit that require those of us working there to wear our goggles at all times. She only managed to keep up the ruse for an afternoon, but it was a pretty amusing afternoon.