19 December 2009
GeoPigeon: FM09 Most Enthusiastic Attendee
Posted by Michael McFadden
This week’s meeting featured some great talks, interesting posters, and fascinating discussions. Perhaps the attendee most interested in all three was a being who tweets (haha) have dubbed “GeoPigeon.”
My first close encounter with GeoPigeon was at the Whipple Lecture on Tuesday afternoon. During Bibring’s fascinating talk, I almost jumped 10 feet in the air and screamed like a banshee when I caught a movement in my periphery–GeoPigeon, sauntering down the aisle, presumably looking for a place to sit. Instead, I whispered a horrified “holy moly” equivalent and jumped only 2 feet in the air, much to the surprise of the people sitting around me.
GeoPigeon then hanged a left, turning for a prime viewing spot under the chairs of the 5th row. Who knew that birds were interested in Mars?
I thought that was the last of GeoPigeon–surely the bird went wanted to experience the beautiful SF weather. But no, he/she (I stayed far away and am not a zoologist) seemed to prefer the cavernous halls of the bottom floor of Moscone South. I last saw GeoPigeon checking out the Space Physics and Aeronomy posters on Thursday night. Unperturbed, beer-drinking scientists welcomed their new audience!
–Mohi Kumar, AGU Science Writer