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What was it like serving as a field guide for the British Antarctic Survey? What thrusted you into that role? It was something I dreamt of for quite a long time. I spent a number of years gathering the experience I thought was necessary to apply for the job. To me, it was unthinkable that somebody wouldn't want to go spend a lot of time in the Antarctic. It's such a powerful, beautiful, stark landscape. It turns all your preconceptions of the wilderness... your whole frame of reference goes out the window. You're sort of starting from scratch. At the same time, I was working within the very structured framework of a national organization, and you have an interaction with nature through a very specific paradigm—it fascinated me to say the least. e research going on there is very profound, but you also get to see the fuzzy edge of science. You have this strong belief in science as the ruling order of Western ideology. en you actually see experiments happen, and it blows apart your assumptions...e base and research station was in a sheltered bay with mountains 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) straight out of the water. e bay freezes over in winter. ere's killer whales, penguins, all kinds of birdlife. For me, it's the most beautiful place in the world. How did your family and upbringing influence your career? I grew up in the very west of England on the border of Wales. My mom ran an organic farm and my dad was in forestry. We spent a lot of time walking in the outdoors. I'm always skeptical of how biology is deterministic of how you're going to end up in adulthood. Certainly at school, I had a truly exceptional art department where you could create whatever you wanted to—it was a very privileged state to be in as a kid. I chose my course to go to med school. en, V U E N J . C O M 86

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