Walk the Halls of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

Never thought you'd make it to the South Pole? Neither did I. And, technically, I haven't. But now, thanks to the no-stone-unturned-no-secret-veiled Google juggernaut, we can all get a virtual feel for life at the bottom of the world.

Yes, Street View has invaded the South Pole!

There are people who will find this upsetting. I am one of them. Is there no value in an uncharted territory? Is there nothing sacred? As a future academic, I recognize my hypocrisy in saying that. But it's true, and fascinating, that many of the people who come to call Antarctica "home" feel territorial about the place, and take pride and solace in the fact that the Ice is one corner of the world still relatively safe from the invasiveneness of modern media and technology. As such, Antarcticans tend to be wary--and often, highly critical--of media portrayals of their haven. (The one overwhelmingly approved media depiction I have seen came from within: a documentary by veteran Antarctic contractor Anthony Powell, called Antarctica: A Year On Ice. Check out the post I wrote about it when I was a support contractor).

That said, there is unquestionable value in increasing public knowledge and access, especially when it comes to scientific knowledge and the context in which it is uncovered. I can imagine a classroom of kids virtually walking the halls of South Pole Station: "there's a basketball court at the South Pole? And a tuba??" Yes, kids, you too could survive at the South Pole! Keep "astrophysicist" on your shortlist.

And, of course, even Antarcticans love to share their experiences with friends and family. So in the spirit of embracing the wide family of humanity, I have to admit that I also once blogged about how awesome the Google Maps of McMurdo Station are. Despite my protective instincts, I do hope you'll enjoy learning about this phenomenal place using the tools the Googlebots have gifted us. There is so much the Ice can teach us.

FYI, I'm told McMurdo Street View is coming soon... Or rather, I know it's coming, because my friends and I tried (but failed) to position ourselves in front of the Googlecam while it was driving through town last summer. There was a fair amount of cringing around the subject, but also a lot of excitement. Cool! Terrible. Cool! Terrible. It's complicated.