’Thriller’ Dance: Polar Scientists’ Tribute to Michael Jackson

At the "One Glove, One Love" Michael Jackson memorial bonfire last Saturday at Toolik Field Station, Alaska, some of the younger scientists expressed their surprise that none of the nine journalists in camp had come to them for a reaction quote to the King of Pop's death. We journalists had been thinking about melting permafrost and carbon sinks all day. But looking around at the 40 or 50 people, most gripping a drink in their one gloved hand (the gloves ranged from the blue latex lab variety to ski mittens), it was obvious that MJ's death had struck a chord in this group. Jackson's songs played in the background...and the discussion and the music inspired Toolik's tribute to Jackson: the northernmost 'Thriller' dance ever. (In case you're wondering, the the flying objects that keep hitting the screen are mosquitoes.)