Campus Life
the secret lives of researchers
Studying the motion in the ocean
The ship’s engine roared to life at 2:30 a.m. and jolted me out of semi-consciousness. My head throbbed — in my dreams I hadn’t stopped cycling through the next day’s research plan, albeit in a strange, nightmarish way. I opened the curtain of my berth and took in my surroundings: the sounds of snoring shipmates — at least someone was getting extra sleep — the sight of my field notebook perched on top of the laptop with which I had spent my weekend synchronizing instruments, and the smell of coffee, coffee, coffee. Nightmare forgotten, reality filled me with eager anticipation.