The Spirit of the Arctic and the Next Generation of Arctic Researchers

Abstract

Last September I was asked to give the closing talk at the American Association for the Advancement of Science .... My topic: Who will be the Arctic researchers of the next 50 years? ... With at least six trends at work - declining length of field time, increasing autonomous and remotely sensed data collection, increasing funding in the U.S., more scientists chasing the funding, a shift from regional to topical focus, and an increasing resident population of scientists - predicting the future is difficult. Were it not for the increasing population of resident scientists, the number of scientists infused with the spirit of the Arctic might be in decline, but even office-bound computer modelers living in the Arctic get exposed to the magic of the land and sea during road and camping trips. In addition, while the length of field time overall has decreased, it remains the highest for students. They are younger, more impressionable, and more likely to be susceptible to the spell of the Arctic. For the future, it is more important for them to develop a sense of commitment than for any other group to do so. It is my firm belief that if the researchers of the next 50 years are not committed to the Arctic, not under its spell, and not wanting to spend time out, the result will not be good. ... If we want the Arctic researchers of the next 50 years to be as passionate, caring, and committed as those of the past 50 years, then we must connect them to the past and give them reason to be committed in the future.