Suddenly, there is silence. It's been quiet for a while now, but now
that the rounds are complete, it is complete silence, here on the
surface of Mars.
Not that this is really Mars. In the deserts of Southern Utah, there is a
crew at the Mars Desert Research Station, running simulations for a
trip to Mars. There are strict protocols for such things. Ideas
accumulated on the ground put into place by The Mars Society.
So simple are these ideas that most people – and even higher
percent of scientists – would not think of them. Like, for
instance, keeping a comp notebook at each piece of equipment to track
use and maintenance. Keeping a log on the computer for suggested SOP
for the crew who takes over on the next cycle change.
In the isolation of the desert, these people can teach us a few
things about how to do what we do as Environmental Scientists. For
one, it is alright to be a nerd and proud of it. In fact, it is the
preferred state of mind for us. Especially here, where there is a
defining silence when you stop for a moment and listen hard enough.
Secondly, these people teach us the concept that there should be
observation, communication, and reports on the machinery itself on
top of the datum which these machines provide us. After all, each
piece of data on environmental science is only as good as the
equipment we use. We could use making it better all the time.
Thirdly, there are people who have good ideas by experience on the
ground, ideas on how to make mechanisms, machines, and procedures
better. Ideas which should be implemented right now as opposed to
the long time frames it would take us to implement them if it were
dictated by the paper pushing desk jockeys. This boils down to the level of autonomy. There are aspects which
require non-autonomy, yes, but there are also aspects of every
science which requires full autonomy, to be able to add points to the
on-field Standard Operating Procedures of certain isolated operation
stations.
They also teach us the necessity of social skills. In the face of
everything we are charged with, we need to have the capacity to kick
back and relax, to chill with people we are surrounded with. Play a
little scrabble, have a few drinks with friends at the pub. After
all, even in the face of science – let's face facts here; really,
especially in the face of science – life is a game, and who are we to
say the game has to stop? We are here merely to figure out the rules
to the game.
In light of all of this, the crew of the Mars Desert Research Station
is not so different from the Environmental Scientist. Those of us
dedicated enough to it, anyways. Mortal humans with mortal needs, isolated from civilization for
months on end by choice. Trying to
expand the reach of human civilization, whether in space or in time.
It's all the same. Trying to keep us sane in the process. Just as
for them, there is a silence for us here which no one else can.
As I write this, I come to realize how similar we as environmental
scientists are to the crew of the Mars Desert Research Station. I
also come to realize in these commonalities that even here on this
planet, in our earthly ways, life has the incorrigible tendency to be
deeply and cosmically strange.
Now that I realize this, I wouldn't have it any other way.
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