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Science & technology Tuesday 12 May 2020
Virus delay, early ice melt challenge Arctic science mission

By FRANK JORDANS how this (virus) spreads," he
Associated Press said. "Perhaps this actually
BERLIN (AP) — They pre- opens the door to more
pared for icy cold and people to understand the
trained to be on the watch climate problem."
for polar bears, but a pan- Still, the researchers on
demic just wasn't part of MOSAiC are hoping to
the program. deal with one problem at
Now dozens of scientists a time, hence the strict
are waiting in quarantine quarantine to avoid any
for the all-clear to join a chance of carrying the
year-long Arctic research coronavirus into the Arctic.
mission aimed at improving "We definitely don't want
the models used for fore- anybody getting sick and
casting climate change, we don't want to take that
just as the expedition out to the ship," said Shupe.
reaches a crucial phase. "Realistically, it's actually
For a while, the interna- one of the safest places on
tional mission looked like Earth right now."q
it might have to be called In this Friday, April 24, 2020 photo provide by the Alfred Wegener Insitute shows the German Arctic
off, as country after coun- research vessel Polarstern in the ice next to a research camp in the Arctic region.
Associated Press
try went into lockdown
because of the virus, scup- aged to fly out a handful when they return. able to perform during the
pering plans to bring fresh of people via Canada last "The ice could just come to- long Arctic winter will im-
supplies and crew to the month. The rest of the crew gether and destroy every- prove the models they use
German research ves- will be exchanged with thing," said Shupe. "Hope- to calculate how snow in-
sel Polarstern that's been the help of two other Ger- fully that doesn't happen." sulates sea ice and affects
moored in the high Arctic man research ships that will Adding to the problem is the movement of energy.
since last year. meet the Polarstern on the the fact that the sea ice is "Conceptually we know
News of the pandemic sea ice edge. cracking up and moving that, of course, but we ac-
caused jitters among those That upcoming rendezvous about earlier than antici- tually have observations
already on board, said will force the Polarstern to pated, a sign of possible fu- now that will tell us how
Matthew Shupe, an at- abandon its current posi- ture changes to the Arctic if that's working," he said.
mospheric scientist at the tion for three weeks at a global warming continues. Measurements of tiny air-
University of Colorado and critical time in the Arctic "It's challenging," said borne particles can also
co-leader of the MOSAiC cycle. "We are on the cusp Shupe. "But we need to help shed light on the role
expedition. right now of the onset of face that challenge in or- they play in trapping heat
"Some people just wanted the sea ice melt season der to get these kind of or reflecting sunlight, espe-
to be home with their fami- and that's a really impor- measurements." cially if there's less ice and
lies," he told The Associated tant transition," said Shupe. Scientists on the 140-million- more open ocean as tem-
Press in a video interview "That could happen when euro ($158 million) expedi- peratures in the Arctic con-
from the German port of the ship is gone," he said. tion have already gath- tinue to rise.
Bremerhaven, where he "It's a distinct risk we face." ered valuable data since The intense interest into re-
and about 90 other scien- To avoid missing out on key setting out last September search about the corona-
tists and crew have been data, researchers will leave with 100 researchers and virus could have a positive
kept in isolation to ensure some instruments behind, crew from 17 nations in- knock-on effect for fields
they're virus-free. including an 11-meter (36- cluding the United States, such as climate science,
Organizers at the Alfred foot) tower used for at- France, China and Britain. said Shupe.
Wegener Institute for Polar mospheric measurements, Shupe said the measure- "Everybody is now looking
and Ocean Research man- and hope that it's still there ments that scientists were at the new for models of

Twitter to label disputed COVID-19 tweets

leading information about to a link with additional Twitter won't directly fact
the coronavirus. The new information about COV- check or call tweets false
rule is the latest in a wave ID-19. Other tweets might on the site, said Nick Pick-
of stricter policies that be covered entirely by les, the company's global
tech companies are roll- a warning label alerting senior strategist for public
ing out to confront an out- users that "some or all of policy. The warning labels
break of virus-related mis- the content shared in this might direct users to curat-
This April 26, 2017, file photo
shows the Twitter app icon information on their sites. tweet conflict with guid- ed tweets, public health
on a mobile phone in Twitter will take a case-by- ance from public health websites or news articles.
Philadelphia. case approach to how it experts regarding COV- "People don't want us to
Associated Press decides which tweets are ID-19." The new labels will play the role of deciding
By AMANDA SEITZ labeled and will only re- be available in roughly 40 for them what's true and
Associated Press move posts that are harm- languages and should be- what's not true but they
Chicago (AP) — Twitter ful, company leaders said gin appearing on tweets do want people to play
announced Monday it will Monday. Some tweets will as soon as today. The a much stronger role pro-
warn users when a tweet run with a label under- warning could apply ret- viding context," Pickles
contains disputed or mis- neath that directs users roactively to past tweets. said.q