Week 40 at the Pole
The sun is well above the horizon, so there’s plenty of light for outdoor photography. And IceCube’s winterovers got right out there to take some splashy photos—that actually involved a splash of sorts, by throwing water out into an arc overhead that quickly turned into a spray of ice crystals. The internet abounds in photos and videos of folks doing similar experiments, with reference to the Mpemba effect, which refers to the phenomenon where hot water freezes faster than cold water. But with the temperatures at the South Pole, cold water freezes quite quickly anyway. The winterovers also had some detector work last week, with software updates and field antenna maintenance. Also, for what would have been the first plane arrival of the season, they organized a special coffee bar for the station, with various espresso-based options.
