The time has come for our current winterovers, Marc and Hrvoje, to pass the torch to the new winterovers that arrived at the South Pole last week. As a winterover, individuals brave the unforgiving environment to spend a year—sometimes longer—at the South Pole, half of which is enveloped in complete darkness. Every year, two winterovers are selected and sent to the South Pole to operate and maintain the IceCube detector.
This year, we are thrilled to welcome IceCube’s two new winterovers for the 2023–2024 season, Connor Duffy and Kalvin Moschkau! Their journey to the Pole started with mandatory training at Madison, Wisconsin, before flying to Christchurch, New Zealand, and continuing on to McMurdo Station, a U.S. Antarctic facility, where they arrived last week. Finally, their next (and last) stop was the South Pole, where they will spend a few weeks training with Marc and Hrvoje before relieving them of their duties. Next up for Marc and Hrvoje is a well-deserved trip back home.
Read the Q&A below to get to know our new winterovers!
Connor Duffy
Hometown:
Leicester, UK
Job and institution before this one:
Postdoctoral research associate at the University of Leicester and University of Oxford, working on the development of the Small-Sized Telescope camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
Hobbies:
Climbing, snowboarding, photography, mountaineering, reading, hiking, and video and board games
How many continents have you been to (not counting Antarctica)?
Only 2 so far!
Why did you apply for this opportunity?
I was originally searching for a postdoc position at IceCube towards the end of my PhD when I found the winterover position. I thought it would be a great opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure whilst working on an exciting project similar to my previous research experience.
What do you expect life to be like at the Pole?
I expect it to be fun! I like to think I am heading to the South Pole with a group of like-minded people excited to watch films, play games, share experiences, and get to know each other over the next 12 months.
What are you most looking forward to doing at the South Pole?
I’m looking forward to the unique experiences that life at the South Pole provides: the isolation, the connection to polar explorers of the past and their remaining landmarks, and the awe-inspiring views of the night sky.
Least looking forward to?
The jet fuel flavored ice cream!
What do you think you will miss the most about living up north?
I will mostly miss those that are dear to me, specifically our holidays and many weekends spent climbing, hiking, and adventuring together. I will also miss good ice cream and cooking.
What is one goal you have for your time at the South Pole?
I enjoy landscape photography but am a complete beginner in astrophotography, and so the South Pole winter will provide a great opportunity for me to learn.
Kalvin Moschkau
Hometown:
Faribault, Minnesota
Job and institution before this one:
Linux systems administrator at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Hobbies:
Reading, running, mountain climbing, cooking, and film analysis
How many continents have you been to (not counting Antarctica)?
Four (North America, South America, Europe, Asia)
Why did you apply for this opportunity?
This position fits all my passions. I’ve been interested in physics since I was young, and I learned about IceCube years ago as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. My background in computer engineering provided basic skills that allowed me to contribute, and it’s a thrilling opportunity to work alongside such brilliant people in the science community. I’m also quite drawn to extreme places and activities. I find you can learn so much about yourself when you’re isolated and challenged physically. I can’t imagine any other job I’d be more interested in.
What do you expect life to be like at the Pole?
I expect the full range of the human experience. People adapt to every situation, and I’ve found that unique. Challenging experiences like this have always brought out my most creative and passionate self. I expect a great sense of camaraderie with many social activities both during the summer and winter, but with the opportunity to take time for yourself too. I think many people will form close friendships and share much of their lives. I also realistically expect the usual interpersonal tensions that arise when people spend a long time in close contact. I think the lack of internet will slow life down, too, and provide lots of time for reflection.
What are you most looking forward to doing at the South Pole?
At the highest level, contributing to groundbreaking research. It would be exciting to hear about a breakthrough based on the science we’re actively supporting. In the day-to-day, I look forward to going for walks in the extreme cold, writing letters to folks up north, and seeing the unpolluted stars on clear days. I think I will enjoy working in the greenhouse too if provided the opportunity.
Least looking forward to?
Waking up at night to take care of the detector. I value a good night’s sleep.
What do you think you will miss the most about life up north?
Seeing wildlife. I find it important to maintain a connection with the living, natural world, and this may be the farthest on Earth you can get from it.
What is one goal you have for your time at the South Pole?
I’d really like to finish some courses on the Russian language that I started years ago. I’m not currently fluent in a second language, but becoming so is a dream of mine.