👋🏼 Introduction (if you're just joining us!)

As a developer relations engineer, my work usually involves staring at screens filled with code. But this winter break, I embarked on a journey that took me far from my usual desk setup – all the way to the icy landscapes of Antarctica and South America. This wasn't just a vacation; it was a chance to witness the raw beauty of our planet, learn about the history of Antarctic exploration, and even do a little coding amidst the icebergs and penguins.

This third segment details the dramatic landscapes of Antarctica.

1️⃣ Following in Shackleton's Footsteps

From the Falkland Islands, the Oosterdam set sail towards the infamous Drake Passage, known for its challenging seas. While crossing, I couldn't help but think about the legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton and his ill-fated Endurance expedition.

To visualize Shackleton's journey and compare it to our own cruise, I used Gemini 2.0 in AI Studio to create an interactive map using Python and the Folium library. This map really brought to life the incredible distances and challenges Shackleton and his crew faced. It's humbling to trace their route and realize how much exploration technology has advanced since their time.

#@title Overlay of the Oosterdam route, compared to Shackleton's
import folium
from IPython.display import display, HTML

# Map center (roughly in the Weddell Sea)
map_center = (-70, -30)

# Create the map
shackleton_map = folium.Map(location=map_center, zoom_start=3)

# Shackleton Journey Locations
shackleton_locations = [
    {
        'name': 'South Georgia Island (Grytviken)',
        'coords': (-54.2811, -36.5050),
        'description': 'Final port of call before heading to Antarctica. Site of Shackleton\'s final resting place.',
        'icon': 'anchor',
    },
    {
        'name': 'Weddell Sea (Endurance Trapped)',
        'coords': (-75.5, -30.0),
         'description': 'Approximate area where the Endurance became trapped in ice. This is the general area and does not represent a specific point since they drifted for months.',
        'icon': 'snowflake',
    },
    {
        'name': 'Elephant Island (Cape Wild)',
        'coords': (-61.1023, -55.2124),
         'description': 'Refuge for the main group after the Endurance sank. The base of the journey of Shackleton and 5 crew members to South Georgia Island.',
        'icon': 'life-ring',
    },
        {
        'name': 'Paulet Island',
        'coords': (-63.5833, -55.7667),
        'description': 'A small island where the Nordenskjöld expedition was stranded. Shackleton hoped they would find refuge here before heading for Elephant Island.',
        'icon': 'island',
    },
    {
        'name': 'Hope Bay',
        'coords': (-63.3947, -56.9953),
        'description': 'The location of the Argentine research station Esperanza Base. Shackleton hoped they would find refuge here before heading for Elephant Island.',
       'icon': 'hospital',
    },
    {
        'name': 'King Haakon Bay (South Georgia Island)',
        'coords': (-54.2122, -37.2680),
         'description': 'Landing point of Shackleton’s boat journey across the Scotia Sea with 5 crew members.',
        'icon': 'ship',
    },
     {
        'name': 'Stromness Whaling Station (South Georgia Island)',
        'coords': (-54.1750, -36.6667),
        'description': 'Final destination of the crossing of South Georgia, where Shackleton got help and organised the rescue of his crew.',
        'icon': 'home',
    }
]

# Cruise Trajectory Locations
cruise_locations = [
    {
        'name': 'Falkland Islands (Stanley)',
        'coords': (-51.6950, -57.8525),
        'description': 'Capital of the Falkland Islands.',
        'icon': 'flag',
    },
    {
        'name': 'Deception Island',
        'coords': (-62.9583, -60.6700),
        'description': 'Volcanic caldera often used as a harbor in Antarctica.',
         'icon': 'mountain',
    },
    {
        'name': 'Elephant Island (Cape Wild)',
        'coords': (-61.1023, -55.2124),
        'description': 'Refuge for the main group after the Endurance sank.',
        'icon': 'life-ring',
    },
     {
        'name': 'Charlotte Bay',
        'coords': (-64.6000, -62.3000),
        'description': 'A scenic bay along the Antarctic Peninsula.',
         'icon': 'compass',
    },
    {
        'name': 'Palmer Station',
        'coords': (-64.7718, -64.0503),
        'description': 'US research station on Anvers Island.',
        'icon': 'university',
    },
]

# Add Shackleton markers to the map
for location in shackleton_locations:
    html = f"""
        <b>{location['name']}</b><br>
        {location['description']}<br>
    """
    iframe = folium.IFrame(html, width=300, height=150)
    popup = folium.Popup(iframe, max_width=2650)
    icon = folium.Icon(color="blue", icon=location['icon'], prefix='fa')
    folium.Marker(location=location['coords'], popup=popup, icon=icon).add_to(shackleton_map)

# Add Cruise Trajectory markers to the map
for location in cruise_locations:
    html = f"""
        <b>{location['name']}</b><br>
        {location['description']}<br>
    """
    iframe = folium.IFrame(html, width=300, height=150)
    popup = folium.Popup(iframe, max_width=2650)
    icon = folium.Icon(color="red", icon=location['icon'], prefix='fa')
    folium.Marker(location=location['coords'], popup=popup, icon=icon).add_to(shackleton_map)

# Add line for Cruise Trajectory
cruise_coords = [loc['coords'] for loc in cruise_locations]
folium.PolyLine(cruise_coords, color="red", weight=2.5, opacity=1).add_to(shackleton_map)

# Display the map in Colab
shackleton_map
Make this Notebook Trusted to load map: File -> Trust Notebook

2️⃣ More penguins, icebergs, and unexpected discoveries

As we approached the Antarctic Peninsula, the landscape transformed into a breathtaking panorama of icebergs, glaciers, and wildlife. Penguins waddled across the ice, seals basked in the sun, and whales breached the surface of the frigid waters.

#@title Icebergs and penguins
%%html
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">💗🐧 <a href="https://t.co/puw95e72do">pic.twitter.com/puw95e72do</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871358326774337821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There are whole bunch of little penguins (and their guano) on the flat part! Chinstraps and Gentoo. 🐧🙌<br><br>They must be seasteading, knew it was a challenging political climate 😂 <a href="https://t.co/wwH9V6QKO8">pic.twitter.com/wwH9V6QKO8</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871499863114006595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I wish I could give you better pictures!!<br><br>All the little tiny splashes are penguins getting fish to eat, and the orange streaks you see is their little roosting place (aka guano). 🥹🐧✨ <a href="https://t.co/GiRZDl4aiq">pic.twitter.com/GiRZDl4aiq</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871682803139825962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">am legit just pacing around rn waiting until captain wouter announces the next iceberg<br><br>(this one had bonus penguins!! 🐧✨) <a href="https://t.co/EEg7hboH1H">pic.twitter.com/EEg7hboH1H</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871665533369868310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The sheer scale of the icebergs was awe-inspiring. Some were as large as small cities, and we learned about the different types, from the smaller "growlers" to the massive tabular icebergs. Given the congestion of icebergs, the captain and the Antarctica crew also made the decision to reroute to Deception Island.

#@title More icebergs
%%html
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">More icebergs! And a move to the indoor coffee bar (outside got a little chilly 😅). <a href="https://t.co/QT8SskUzxF">pic.twitter.com/QT8SskUzxF</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871565322991595573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There are bits of the iceberg back there periodically calving off - I keep trying to catch them... 😀<br><br>Merry Christmas, folks!! 🎄🎁 <a href="https://t.co/lAkmLqvmRJ">https://t.co/lAkmLqvmRJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/NL9F2w1vyA">pic.twitter.com/NL9F2w1vyA</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871538445300215813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There&#39;s even another ship out there! 😀🚢 <a href="https://t.co/QqWNW1sLck">https://t.co/QqWNW1sLck</a> <a href="https://t.co/sQYvYQrQeN">pic.twitter.com/sQYvYQrQeN</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871523861524791739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Look at the big crack down the center on this guy! 🤯🧊 <a href="https://t.co/Kd6sq5z9vF">pic.twitter.com/Kd6sq5z9vF</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872691697471336721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHICH ICEBERG, CAPTAIN WOUTER<br><br>we should have these things on <a href="https://twitter.com/googlemaps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleMaps</a>, it would be rad to have some way to visualize how far they move over the summer and winter months 🤩<br><br>gratuitous ice pictures: <a href="https://t.co/FzQ3xzHdWw">pic.twitter.com/FzQ3xzHdWw</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871589862094348770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">the world feels a little bit like a (chilly) Magritte painting <a href="https://t.co/QubASMJY5h">pic.twitter.com/QubASMJY5h</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872347574340133293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr">🧊❄️ <a href="https://t.co/kw24qhFT2C">https://t.co/kw24qhFT2C</a> <a href="https://t.co/iloipPcGKH">pic.twitter.com/iloipPcGKH</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872268676956868920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🌨️🥶 Beautiful! <a href="https://t.co/q2ue90nEyv">https://t.co/q2ue90nEyv</a> <a href="https://t.co/3rb2qj1PFR">pic.twitter.com/3rb2qj1PFR</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872254254024667525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Still extremely low visibility, just came back in from the bow - for the different ice types:<br><br>brash ice = the tinier chunks at the surface, like you see in the image below (not mine)<br><br>growlers = less than 2m in size, they make growling sounds on the sides of the ship as you… <a href="https://t.co/0lIomDtaXX">pic.twitter.com/0lIomDtaXX</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871895043897757714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Update! Decision has been made to head towards Deception Island, which is shaped almost like a circle (used to be a volcano).<br><br>It&#39;s like a natural haven from icebergs and adverse weather conditions, with a whole bunch of seals and penguins and things!<br><br>Radar of icebergs below: <a href="https://t.co/wM5bdUOOsC">pic.twitter.com/wM5bdUOOsC</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871925995676266791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Deception Island, an active caldera that also serves as a home for bajillions of chinstrap penguins. 🐧 🌨️ <a href="https://t.co/6MjpDQGQMa">pic.twitter.com/6MjpDQGQMa</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872014472342339896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">this kinda looks like a cyclone, no?<a href="https://t.co/9lDeN3adqk">https://t.co/9lDeN3adqk</a> <a href="https://t.co/cRxW2DqTWM">pic.twitter.com/cRxW2DqTWM</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872155768738439630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was during these moments of observation that I realized how much technology could enhance our understanding of this fragile environment. I even started brainstorming ways to use AI and machine learning to track iceberg movements or monitor penguin populations.

3️⃣ Programming and fully connected, from the bottom of the world

One of the most surreal experiences of the trip was being able to work on code while surrounded by the Antarctic wilderness. Thanks to the surprisingly reliable Starlink internet on our ship, I was able to demo Google AI tools like NotebookLM, Gemini, and Google AI Studio to some of my fellow cruisemates.

%%html
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I just demoed <a href="https://twitter.com/notebooklm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NotebookLM</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/GeminiApp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeminiApp</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/googleaistudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleAIStudio</a> in Antarctica. This must be some sort of a first! 😂<br><br>Brought to you by (TIL!) the power of <a href="https://twitter.com/Starlink?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Starlink</a>.</p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871305916580061491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;if we accidentally hit an iceberg, will we still have internet?&quot;, and other questions that i was not expecting to ask myself this holiday season</p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871610343698632879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This got me thinking about the potential of using these tools for scientific research in remote locations. Imagine being able to analyze data, generate reports, and even build simple applications right from the field! I'd always expected that open-source, locally-hosted models (like Gemma) would be an option, but had never dreamed that I would still have wifi and internet in Antarctica.

To demonstrate this, I used Gemini 2.0 in Google AI Studio to create a simple web app that compares the size of icebergs to the geographic area of cities. Here's a screenshot:

%%html
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">😅 I wanted to see how big these icebergs are, compared to the geographic sizes of American and European cities<br><br>So this is 1⃣ using Gemini in <a href="https://twitter.com/googleaistudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleAIStudio</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a> Search grounding to get data, then 2⃣ using Gemini 2.0 to create an app displaying those data in <a href="https://twitter.com/jsfiddle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jsfiddle</a>: <a href="https://t.co/QNvfkOnCjv">https://t.co/QNvfkOnCjv</a> <a href="https://t.co/DjfP2i6QA7">pic.twitter.com/DjfP2i6QA7</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871604799097156010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It was incredible to go from a natural language description to a functioning website in just seconds. This kind of rapid prototyping could be a game-changer for researchers in the field. I even used Gemini to make a little penguin game, playable in the browser!

%%html
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🙌✨Outstanding to see that <a href="https://twitter.com/e2b_dev?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@e2b_dev</a> (the open-source version of <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthropicAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnthropicAI</a>&#39;s Artifacts) now supports <a href="https://twitter.com/GoogleDeepMind?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleDeepMind</a>&#39;s Gemini 2.0!<br><br>👇Go from a natural language description to a functioning and deployable website, in just seconds: <a href="https://t.co/nMXzEA8k3T">pic.twitter.com/nMXzEA8k3T</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1871281149986628040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🐧🚢 Gemini 2.0 in <a href="https://twitter.com/googleaistudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleAIStudio</a> with Thinking helped me create a custom penguin game that I could play in the browser in &lt;30sec!<br><br>The penguin has to hop from iceberg to iceberg when I move the arrows on my keyboard - and needs to make it from shore to <a href="https://twitter.com/HALcruises?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HALCruises</a>&#39; Oosterdam. <a href="https://t.co/ZnOPALfNdk">pic.twitter.com/ZnOPALfNdk</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872331074446995591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I asked Gemini 2.0 Flash (Thinking) to create a penguin checklist with images, descriptions, locations—<br><br>—and a progress bar, that would show confetti when I &quot;Poké-dexed&quot; all the penguins, w/o installing any additional libraries (so I could still use <a href="https://twitter.com/jsfiddle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jsfiddle</a>).<br><br>Amazing!! 🥳🎉 <a href="https://t.co/tMvvAUi1ta">pic.twitter.com/tMvvAUi1ta</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872321978318942715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📚👸 This should be a startup:<br><br>1⃣ Give Gemini 2.0 w/ Thinking in <a href="https://twitter.com/googleaistudio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoogleAIStudio</a> a chapter from any textbook (example is from Waves &amp; Optics).<br><br>2⃣ Ask it to generate a unique, playable game to help me learn the PDF&#39;s concepts for an upcoming exam.<br><br>3⃣ Paste code into <a href="https://twitter.com/jsfiddle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JSFiddle</a>: <a href="https://t.co/lyorjjC12d">pic.twitter.com/lyorjjC12d</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872344216006787523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

4️⃣ Reflections and Takeaways

As our ship turned back towards Ushuaia, I had some time to reflect on the incredible journey. One thing that struck me was the vastness and remoteness of Antarctica. To illustrate this, I created another map showing the distance between Palmer Station (a US research base) and the nearest large city, Punta Arenas in Chile.

#@title Distance from Palmer Station to nearest big city

import folium
from geopy.geocoders import Nominatim
from geopy.distance import geodesic

# Coordinates for Palmer Station and Punta Arenas
palmer_latitude = -64.774230
palmer_longitude = -64.052718
punta_arenas_latitude = -53.1638
punta_arenas_longitude = -70.9085

palmer_coords = (palmer_latitude, palmer_longitude)
punta_arenas_coords = (punta_arenas_latitude, punta_arenas_longitude)

# Calculate distance and midpoint
distance = geodesic(palmer_coords, punta_arenas_coords).km
midpoint_lat = (palmer_latitude + punta_arenas_latitude) / 2
midpoint_lon = (palmer_longitude + punta_arenas_longitude) / 2

# Create a map centered between the two locations and zoomed in
map = folium.Map(location=[midpoint_lat, midpoint_lon], zoom_start=4)

# Add a marker for Palmer Station with a penguin emoji
folium.Marker(
    palmer_coords,
    popup=folium.Popup("Palmer Station 🐧", max_width=300),
    icon=folium.DivIcon(html="""<div style="font-size: 36px; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;">
        🐧
    </div>""")
).add_to(map)

# Add a marker for Punta Arenas with a Chilean flag emoji
folium.Marker(
    punta_arenas_coords,
    popup=folium.Popup("Punta Arenas 🇨🇱", max_width=300),
    icon=folium.DivIcon(html="""<div style="font-size: 36px; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;">
        🇨🇱
    </div>""")
).add_to(map)

# Draw a line between the two locations
folium.PolyLine([palmer_coords, punta_arenas_coords], color="blue", weight=2.5, opacity=1).add_to(map)

# Add a label for the distance along the line
folium.Marker(
    location=[midpoint_lat, midpoint_lon],
    popup=f"Approximate Distance: {distance:.2f} km",
    icon=folium.DivIcon(
        html=f"""
        <div style="font-size: 12px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7); padding: 5px; border-radius: 3px; text-align: center;">
            {distance:.0f} km
        </div>
        """
    )
).add_to(map)

map.title = "  📏 Distance from Palmer Station to the nearest large city"
map.get_root().html.add_child(folium.Element("<h2>" + map.title + "</h2>"))

# Display the map
map
Make this Notebook Trusted to load map: File -> Trust Notebook

The distance is staggering! It really puts into perspective the isolation of researchers working in Antarctica.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHALES 🐳 <a href="https://t.co/Y2DPerMILW">pic.twitter.com/Y2DPerMILW</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872419028624666677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;this is your penguin correspondent, reporting to you LIVE from the science boat at the end of the world–&quot; <a href="https://t.co/G0EvTeuNxw">https://t.co/G0EvTeuNxw</a> <a href="https://t.co/sKWJUXgLjk">pic.twitter.com/sKWJUXgLjk</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872667080824135949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So much of the world is beautiful, unexplored, and waiting to be studied and experienced.<br><br>Very, very grateful to have the opportunity to be here, at this time, when it feels like data-driven and software-accelerated science are only just getting started.<br><br>🌎🧊 <a href="https://t.co/L8G2sFEM0j">pic.twitter.com/L8G2sFEM0j</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872614818726760832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Did you know that 57 countries have allied together to make sure that Antarctica remains a collaborative, conflict-free haven for science research?<br><br>And that Palmer Station has both an artist-in-residence and writer-in-residence program? 🤩❄️ <a href="https://t.co/umvfthj4WP">pic.twitter.com/umvfthj4WP</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872732436649697348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🥹❄️ best and most magical christmas <a href="https://t.co/aGA5rR8Coa">https://t.co/aGA5rR8Coa</a> <a href="https://t.co/80x7rbUx9G">pic.twitter.com/80x7rbUx9G</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872773242840400224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Conclusion

This trip to Antarctica was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that combined adventure, learning, and a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of technology and remote exploration. It left me with a renewed appreciation for the power of both nature and human ingenuity. And who knows, maybe one day we'll see AI-powered research stations helping us unlock the secrets of this incredible continent.

%%html
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🛒🛍️ See how a Gemini 2.0-powered AI agent builds and manages <a href="https://twitter.com/Instacart?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Instacart</a> orders *live*, while industry leaders answer questions about the future of AI!<br><br>👇 Every dollar raised helps deliver meals to those in need. Register at the link at the end of the thread, December 30: <a href="https://t.co/OBExariXsc">https://t.co/OBExariXsc</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1873055291740217792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🥹🌎 <a href="https://twitter.com/performingnerd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PerformingNerd</a> final show of the cruise, featuring a Carl Sagan monologue (pale blue dot!) and Rubik&#39;s cubes into a portrait of Sagan – as well as a bonus portrait of <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomCruise</a>. <a href="https://t.co/DlmHeBAje8">pic.twitter.com/DlmHeBAje8</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1872785832052179402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">✨🥂 <a href="https://twitter.com/HALcruises?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HALcruises</a> has an Orange Party about halfway through each cruise (orange is Holland&#39;s national color, I think? regardless, everyone has to wear something orange)<br><br>and tonight I have succeeded in crafting the most low energy party costume ever, happy almost new year&#39;s folks <a href="https://t.co/ogW09JWQub">pic.twitter.com/ogW09JWQub</a></p>&mdash; 👩‍💻 Paige Bailey (@DynamicWebPaige) <a href="https://twitter.com/DynamicWebPaige/status/1873127863207227862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>