thats excellent, I guess I am interested to hear about the culture that science exists in, the diversity that exists on polar stations and ships is nothing like you would experience in say a research vessel off a reef, being more isolated and extreme environment (analogous to a space station in some ways) and I wondered if that was something you noticed or saw being across all of polar research environments or if it varies much across environments?

And a followup - how are you treated as scientists in each program, is it the same all around or are some more everyone is equal and others have a bit more segregated?

Beyond the science and into the funding, which nations are doing a good job of polar, particularly Antarctic research and which aren't doing such a good job? And is there much hope for privately funded research or is it still too expensive?