Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/23/2013 - 11:59
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Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory 2013

Dr. Madsen: What's the importance of neutrinos, and why are you observing them? Jorge Espejo, from MS324 Patria Mirabal Middle School, NYC asked this question. Dr.Madsen: Who was the first person to discover Antarctica? and, is it Antarctica really a desert? Manuel Rodriguez, from MS324 Patria Mirabal Middle School New York City asked this question.

Fri, 04/26/2013 - 05:31

Anonymous

Hi Jorge:Sorry for the delayed response! This is a great question. Basically, we need messengers from space to learn about what is going on. Most astronomy uses some form of light. The first people used their eyes to study the night sky, and could see only visible light. Telescopes made it possible to see more distant and fainter objects. We now have instruments that allow us to "see" all wavelengths of light from the very longest radio waves to the extremely high energy, short wavelength gamma rays. Each new instrument has taught us something new about the Universe.
Neutrinos are an entirely new type of messenger. They can pass through matter, and are neutral so they aren't deflected by magnetic fields. So we think they will tells new things about objects we know about, and may help us discover entirely new objects or new science.

Fri, 04/26/2013 - 05:59

Anonymous

Hi Manuel:That is an interesting question. Long before anyone saw Antarctica much less actually step on the continent, people speculated that there was land at the southern tip of the globe. It wasn't until the 1700s that explorers from Europe started searching the southern oceans. The history is very exciting as you can imagine because the oceans are famously (now) bad. Combine that with the extreme cold and the dangers of colliding with icebergs and you many opportunities for disaster.
You can learn more about the history of Antarctica here http://www.antarcticaonline.com/history/history.htm
The short answer to your question is that while James Cook sailed all the way around Antarctica in the 18th century, he never got close enough to the continent to see land. According to the web site I copied above, the first people to set foot on Antarctica were seal hunters and they did this in 1821.
"The first recorded landing on the Antarctic continent took place on February 7, 1821. Men from the American sealer Cecilia, under Captain John Davis, landed at Hughes Bay (64°01'S) looking for seals. Though they were on shore for less than an hour, these men were the first humans to set foot on this new southern land. Davis correctly guessed that the land was a continent".
As for the climate, Antarctica is one of extremes. It is the windiest and driest. It is also big so it has distinct regions. You can read more about the climate of Antarctica here:http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/antarctica%20envi...
Hope this helps get you started learning about Antarctica!