A FEW WORDS FROM THE CO-CHIEF
Scientists are often regarded as 'free spirits', or persons particularly skilled
for intellectual activity, reasonably unrestricted by time, money, geography and
even politics. Intellectual freedom often produces the need for freedom of
action, a much more practical need.
What happens on the JOIDES Resolution is rather unusual in science: 25
scientists, often meeting for the first time on the ship, are invited
by ODP to spend 56 days on a boat working full time (12 hours a day, 7
days a week) on a common scientific project. Coming from different parts of the
world, they often speak different languages. Onboard there are another 85
persons including the crew, drillers, catering personnel, and technicians. A
boat is a place of physical constriction: small cabins, shared by up to 4
people, who also share bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and work space.
Even the choice of movies or music to be played in the laboratories has to be
shared. Owing to the climate here around Antarctica, it is not even possible to
escape to the 'steel beach' (the only flat, clean, outdoor area of the ship,
which is near the bridge) for a sun bath! The only secure refuge is the loud
music played in the earphones of 'walkmens', probably the most important
personal tool aboard, if we do not consider the photo-cameras that are
inexorably aimed at icebergs, whales, penguins, and whatever moves around the
ship.
Work is not a safe refuge either. In the labs the work must follow a pre-defined
path. The cores come up from the seabed at regular intervals, and scientists, as
well as technicians, must be ready to insert them in a chain of measurements at
the end of which the cores are properly boxed and stored in a refrigerator. A
sort of industrial conveyor belt develops, where you cannot be late in doing
what you are supposed to do, or all the others will feel the consequences.
Scientific reports must be written timely, according to deadlines, and according
to the ODP editorial policy, but there is where the sense for intellectual
freedom erupts from physical constriction, in the form of elaborated
interpretation of data, numbers, and wiggles! Ephemeral feeling! a short science
meeting for presentation of ideas and theories and then back to the conveyor
belt. Proper collection of data is all important while we are sea. At the end of
the day (and often during), however, everyone dreams of home, free, home.
However many of us will apply again to come back on JOIDES Resolution. Maybe in
the tropics, next time.