Time on the Shelf  Robert Bindschadler stood on a remote stretch
of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and searched the horizon with a
growing sense of anxiety. That is, he couldn’t see the horizon!
While Bindschadler focused on his work—driving flagged poles
deep into the ice and carefully recording their precise
coordinates—clouds gathered quickly overhead, cloaking the
dazzlingly bright blue sky in a shroud of sameness that
disoriented him. In a matter of minutes the world around him
became a vast featureless white space where he could no longer
distinguish sky from surface.  With no shadows and no
contrasting color shades, humans lose depth perception.
Bindschadler had to concentrate just to walk without stumbling.
He gathered his gear and trudged back to his snowmobile. He knew
it was dangerous to be alone in such conditions so far from base
camp. He also knew it was dangerous to attempt driving back to
base camp. The ice held hidden hazards that could claim his life
in an instant.    Page 2  (Image in title g