Antarctica comes to Brooklyn The Capital Times April 5, 1999 Reprinted with permission

By Karyn Saemann

The Capital Times

For two years, Tom Sinks' fifth- and sixth-graders at Brooklyn Elementary School have virtually experienced the South Pole.

They've learned through the e-mails of German born University of Wisconsin-Madison physicist Robert Schwarz that common viruses and bacteria can't survive the harsh winter climate and that the official marker at the South Pole must be reset annually because of shifting ice.

They've learned about the less than four-star accommodations. Schwarz was one of 28 people who ''wintered over'' this year at a military base where the temperature reached 112 degrees below zero and the sun did not shine for six months. The group lived in an odd-looking weather-proof dome and Schwarz fashioned his bed out of packing crates and packing foam.

They've observed the progress that Schwarz and other scientists have made on a new type of telescope being developed at this remote location.

The AMANDA -- Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array -- telescope is designed to look for ghostlike, highly charged particles of energy that may offer new insights on black holes, quasars and distant galaxies.

Last week, Sinks' class met their electronic pen pal face to face for the first time. And while there were ample questions about his work, the youngsters seemed as interested in everyday life at the South Pole.

They asked Schwarz, who has ended his Antarctic stint to return to his life as a university student in Germany, what he did in his spare time in the land of ice.

He responded that he sent e-mails, watched videos and read newspapers on the Internet.

''Did you ever feel like you just wanted to go home?''

''Nope.''

''Do they have electricity down there?''

''Yes, the station is very modern.''

''Did you have Nintendo 64 down there?''

''Nope. You can bring it if you want.''

''Has anybody ever stuck their tongue on the South Pole?''

''I wouldn't recommend it.''

In addition to answering a plethora of questions, Schwarz showed slides and displayed the hundreds of photos of the station that fill his World Wide Web page. Included were breathtaking shots of auroras, brilliant streams of light in the night sky.

In addition to Brooklyn, Schwarz has been communicating via e-mail with students in Germany, Australia and at other sites around the United States.

This was the first group he had met in person.

Schwarz was a graduate student at a university in his hometown of Munich. He interrupted his studies two years ago when the opportunity appeared to travel to the South Pole through the University of Wisconsin's high energy physics department.

Sinks said Schwarz's visit was a rare treat.

''The kids don't get to see a real living scientist very often,'' he said.

To see Schwarz's photos and learn more about the project, go to www.amanda.berkeley.edu on the Web.

Posted April 6, 1999

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