STOP PRESS! SCIENCE MEETING TONIGHT. 1900.

The Chief Scientist, Dr H. Paul Johnson, will hold the third--or fourth--or fifth-- of his series of Science Meetings tonight at 1900 PDT. (7 pm). Owing to the popularity of these events--and the limited seating--attendees should arrive at the Library promptly. Television coverage is expected. The World of Science should expect to be astonished by the truths to be revealed.
Because all the scientists and technicians are assigned to four-hour watches that go on around the clock they may not see many of their shipmates during the day--or night. As nearly everyone is up for the evening meal, general meetings are often held afterward. These are open to anyone--scientist or crew--who wants to attend. Their purpose is to let everyone know what has gone on, what is going on, and what is about to go on.

They usually start a little late--someone is always doing something that cannot be put off. The agenda usually moves through a review of the present activities to discussion of future activities to some preliminary looks at lately received data. Yesterday part of these new data were the first plots of some ocean-bottom magnetometer data gathered over the last year. The data were extracted from magnetometers picked off the bottom just the day before. Another data set was from the heat flow blanket experiment. Looking at the data and discussing it with the scientists responsible for gathering it lets other scientists not directly involved offer comments. Often these comments are based on earlier experience. Sometimes the meetings brainstorm at a problem--bringing up dozens of suggestions that may--or may not-- suggest a solution. In both cases the exchanges are simply the free exchange of ideas.

Our ship is carrying a television filming group. They are often at the meetings filming the action. Your correspondent can disclose that almost no one dresses, brushes, combs or shaves for this public exposure. (It is rumored that financial support will be forthcoming from St Vinnies.) No one is particularly self-conscious about the filming because scientists in general are frequently called upon to talk about their projects. The exception to this is our Chief--who always tries to Look and Act his Best. You be the judge. Check your Local Television Listings.

After the meeting it’s off to bed, off to the movie, off to watch , off to do the laundry,off to the exercise room, off to the ping-pong table or off to do the e-mail. There’ll be another meeting tomorrow night! The next chance for laundry is a week away.

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