SCIENCE! It isn't what you're told it is, and that's important.

"Science and Technology" -  The words go together like bread and butter, horse and carriage, lightning and thunder.  Decades of media coverage, on the news, on TV, and in movies, have lumped the two together. And because, of the two, technology tends to be the more sensational, media has focused more and more on the technology, until we are no longer, as a society, really aware of what science is, on it's own.

For example, if you look at the science section of google news, or BBC news, you will see many stories about science and technology.  Sort of.  Chinese lander on the moon?  An impressive feat of technology.  NASA asteroid probe?  Another impressive engineering accomplishment.  Baby seal's birth watched around the world via live web cam?  Technology.  There is no science being done at all in these stories.  With the space probes, and yes, with the baby seal, there are likely scientists collecting data using this technology, but that isn't the focus of the story.  In fact, it isn't even mentioned.

And then there are movies.  Since the 1950s, Hollywood has given the hero-scientist the same basic plot line:  A series of calamities befall the movie's location.  A scientist is desperately racing the clock to solve the meaning and put the pieces together at the last moment to avert disaster, either by stopping it, or warning the population of the region.  This scientist will have no evidence of his theory, other scientists will not agree with him, and his only vindication will be that he happens to be right.

 In other words: Worst. Scientists. Ever.

Let's just take a moment to review what science is, and what it isn't.

1. Science is about why things work, not how they work. Science is not technology, and it isn't engineering. Science isn't necessary to build complex machines.  Mankind has been building complex, intricate machines for thousands of years.  The technologies used to build these machines are impressive, and their construction demonstrates engineering skills that should not be belittled, but they did not require science.  Our lack of scientific understanding of fire, for example, hasn't held us back in using it, very precisely, to make other amazing engineering feats like refined metals, glass, and baked goods.
2. All of science has to fit together, like a jigsaw puzzle.  There are many fields of study in science, and scientists have to focus in order to know enough to do their jobs, but science itself is completely holistic.  If a scientist puts forth a theory about weather patterns, and this theory contradicts what we know about ground squirrels, then the theory must account for that before it can be accepted.  This cross-checking reveals gaps in our knowledge, and gives scientists direction.  It also brings me to the next point:
3. Science is slow.  In order for a bit of science to become an accepted theory, many, many things have to happen.  Firstly, other groups must be able to repeat the science to get the same results.  If that doesn't happen, then obviously the scientists made a mistake somewhere and need to go back and rework things.  This happens fairly often, which is why scientists don't release their findings until they have been thoroughly checked and duplicated by other groups.  This scientific proofreading is called "peer-review", and it helps reduce errors in data, errors in techniques, and errors in thinking.  Then once that happens, the science is published, and the real debate begins.  Scientists from other branches of science begin to study how this new theory fits into what they understand, looking for gaps and contradictions.  This can lead to new experiments, updated theories, and so on, all of which go through the same process of peer-review, publishing, and debate until scientists begin to reach a consensus about why that part of the universe works the way it does.  This process can take hundreds of years. It often takes decades, but that's OK, because the "whys" of the universe don't change.
4. Understanding does not always lead to prediction. Sometimes, the more we understand about a process, the better we can predict it.  This is true for things like the fundamental forces of nature:  Electricity, Magnetism, Gravity.  Other times, however, the complexity of a system makes them unpredictable in spite of our understanding, because you can't know everything about the system and small changes can avalanche into big ones (an avalanche being a great example).
5. Inside a rapidly changing event is a terrible place to study it.  The best time to study a volcano is after it erupts.  You can review the data you've gathered, make theories, and suggest other volcanoes for other scientists to study to verify your work. It would be very difficult to complete your studies inside the volcano while it was erupting.  Even if you did complete your theory and record it in time, how do you validate it?  How do you repeat the experiment? This is where Hollywood fails us.  The hero-scientist is trapped inside the event, which is usually going to kill everyone, and so he can't do good science.  He has to guess, coming to conclusions without peer-review, duplication, or debate. Somehow, his guess is always the correct one, despite the odds against it. The only movie I've ever seen that gets this right is "2012", where the science done inside the event is full of errors which almost kill everyone in the movie.  Of course, it's worth noting that Climate Change scientists are trapped within the event as well.  If you know any, you might want to send them a condolence card (or a pickup truck - the vehicle of choice for Hollywood hero-scientists).

Our culture has become used to rapid changes in what technology and engineering can produce. I think we often assume our scientific progress has accelerated apace with it. Certainly, technology has allowed scientists to do more experiments, and to debate results much more easily. But science itself has not changed fundamentally, and it still takes decades for a theory to find its place in the jigsaw of science.  Accelerating this pace requires a massive amount of resources (such as the resources put towards Climate Change science) and does not automatically ensure faster science.  But because we've come to equate science and technology, the steady pace of science has been masked by the accelerating pace of technology.

By continuing to equate technology with science we place unreasonable expectations on the science community.  Science should never move at the pace that technology has recently, and if we keep expecting it to, our disappointment will continue to lead to distrust.  Even Hollywood science can't tell us where that will eventually lead.

Wild Tech: I'm not certain that Google gets "Google Glass"

Google Glass:  the wearable device that gives you a heads up display of your life, and allows you real-time positionally and contextually aware information to be superimposed over your view of the world.

This is pure nerd coolness.  The applications are very broad.  You can have directions appear without taking your eyes off the road.  You can locate your friends in a crowd.  You can even display a virtual representation of a new building in its context, and walk around to see how it looks from different locations.  The possibilities are endless.

And, oh yeah, it has a camera.

But to see the promotions coming out of Google, you'd think that was all it had.  The first crop of early adopters are currently playing with their ridiculously expensive prototype "explorer edition" versions of Glass, and while some people are doing some very cool things (like linking tesla car's OS to glass to make a HUD), most seem to be just using it to take and share POV (point of view) videos.  The GoPro cameras have been around for a while, and they do that just fine.  In fact, the videos coming out of Google itself seem to focus on the fact that if you are really cool, and do cool things like fly a plane, or work at a circus, or go up in a hot air balloon, you can allow the less cool people that you know to feel what it would be like to be you.

This focus has led people to assume that if they encounter someone wearing Google Glass, they are being filmed. Not just filmed, but streamed out into the internet in real time.  This kind of assumed assault on the privacy of people has led to the term "Glasshole".

So here is my message to the "Explorers" of Google glass.  Here's an experiment:  Cover the camera.  Have your buddy with a 3d printer whip up a lens cover in bright red plastic that shows the world that you are not streaming it live to Youtube.  The directions, email, etc, will all still work, and you can always reach up and flip up the lens cover when you do want to take a pic.  Sure the augmented reality concepts require a camera to work, but those apps don't exist yet, so you're not losing anything.

It is the display that makes Glass cool, but it's the camera that people don't like.  Don't believe me?  Strap a GoPro camera to your glasses.  I bet you won't look cool, and people will be unconfortable around you.

Aannnd... We're back.

It's been nearly three months since the conclusion of Expedition 2013.  We've been using that time to rest and relax, of course, but we've also been putting the pieces together to begin planning Expedition 2014.  To that end, we've assembled a larger team (five of us right now), and identified some possible destinations for this year's big event. 

On Nov 23rd, Nerds In The Wild met to discuss Expedition 2014 for the first time.  To see some highlights of that meeting (along with our BRAND NEW INTRO SEQUENCE!), check out the video below:

We were able to narrow our discussion down to two possible routes:

• Phillips Ridge to the Golden Hinde.  Hiking to the top of the highest peak on Vancouver Island
• The Hoh Rainforest.  Hiking from rainforest to alpine meadow to glacier in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.

As you can see, we're moving away from coastal hiking and into the mountains this year.  This will no doubt involve some new equipment, techniques, and training.  I can't wait to can't see what new toys we'll need, so keep an eye out for some more "Gear Guide" blog posts.  Also, with a larger group, there will be more opportunities for group training, which should make for some fun "Expedition Update" and "Adventure Report" entries.

Watch for more updates as we ramp up our training and planning towards Expedition 2014!

Commute to Commune: Connecting with Nature on a Busy Workday

There have been a couple of changes since I last wrote.  Autumn has arrived with its array of colors and banks of fog (no rain yet, strangely).  Also, I have a new job in a new city, and that means something in my days that I was lacking previously:  a commute.

Which is not to say that I did not need to drive to work previously.  But my old job took me into the city of Victoria, whereas my new job is in Duncan, which means my commute now contains what is probably one of the most beautiful sections of highway in North America:  The Malahat Drive.

As I've settled into my new routine over the last few weeks, I've begun to notice changes in the scenery as autumn begins to come on strong: leaves changing and falling; sun being lower in the sky each day; etc.  And as I noticed these things, I realized that my commute, of all things, was connecting me to nature and the outdoors more than anything else in my workday.

It seems odd, until you realize that being in a car is often the closest thing people get in a workday to being outside.  And although many people hate commuting for the time it eats up, I no longer do.  It only took a change of perspective:  I don't have an hour-long commute.  I get an hour-long drive through the country every day.

So embrace your commute!  Even the densest urban jungle has nature coming in through the cracks and out of the sky.  Notice it.  Connect with it.  It's probably going to be your only chance all day.

So...Now what?

The videos are up, the gear is put away, the thank yous are sent, and the pain of the experience is fading as the stories grow.  The time has come to put away Expedition 2013 and look to the future.

So, what do I want out of the next year of Nerds in the Wild?  Where will we go from here?  It's a question I've been giving some thought, and I'd like to share some ideas.

First off, there will be an Expedition 2014.  A major outdoors event that culminates a year of planning and training.  It may be bigger or smaller than 2013.  The goal is to do something interesting and somewhat epic, but not necessarily grueling.  It will probably be grueling, mind you, but that's not the point of the endeavor. (Exactly what the point of the endeavor is, I'm still working on.) I have several ideas regarding the expedition's route and destination, but nothing far enough along to share.

Secondly, the team may change.  George has committed for a second year, but I'm considering adding some additional members to our team this year.  Again, it's too early to announce anything, but Team Lentement might be replaced by a new team, name TBD.

Thirdly, we need to amp up the nerd. George and I are hardcore nerds, who work in software companies, play a lot of video games, and discuss whether Rytlock Brimstone could beat Urdnot Wrex in a fight. (If you don't get this reference, don't worry.  It just means you haven't discovered Mass Effect and/or Guild Wars 2)  While our focus last year was to show the amazing epic of the West Coast Trail, our nerdiness was somewhat in the background.  I'm working on several things that will highlight this a bit more without boring those more interested in the "wild" part of "Nerds in the Wild".

Urdnot Wrex

Rytlock Brimstone

Finally, I plan to improve the videos.  This is ongoing obviously, but there are some things that I'm planning specifically.  I'll be playing with new video editing software, possibly investing in an HD camcorder, and working on new graphics.  While I can't promise epic improvements, hopefully there will be a gradual improvement in my filming and editing skills.

Thank you to all who followed me over the last year, and welcome to those who are newly joined.  I'll try to keep things interesting.

West Coast Trail: Thank Yous

I'm home.  The pack is hung up.  The boots are scrubbed and airing out.  The gear is cleaned at stored for the winter.  My feet are slowly becoming less tender. The vids are edited and posted. It was the biggest and most challenging adventure of my life so far.

And so, it's time to send out the thank yous notes to those people and organizations that made this expedition a success.

To George: For saying "we're doing this" consistently, thank you.

To Owl Magazine:  For running an article on the West Coast Trail that I read when I was 12 and thought "I want to do that", thank you.

To Uncle John:  For both having done the trail when I was a teenager, thus proving that it was real and possible, and for loaning me your pack for as long as I want/need it, thank you.

To Rick McCall: For proving that that a desk job is not a valid obstacle to fitness, and for the use of the Gators (which saved me about a million times), thank you.

To Darren Carlyle:  For agreeing to drive us to the trailhead, despite the excessive wear and tear on your van, thank you.

To Marcos Bernal:  For tirelessly encouraging me to video everything, thank you.

And finally, to Cascade Designs, makers of MSR gear:

Dear Sir/Madame,

I have just completed Canada's West Coast Trail as the first major expedition for the Geek/Outdoor blog "Nerds in the Wild" (http://nerdsinthewild.blogspot.com).  Partly as a coincidence, and partly due to availability through the local MEC store here in Victoria BC, our team was equipped with MSR Hubba tents, MSR PocketRocket stoves, and a MSR Sweetwater water filter for our expedition.

I'm writing to you today to thank you profusely for the quality of this equipment.  The tents were light, warm, rugged, waterproof, easy to assemble and disassemble, and the easily fit back in the provided tent bag day after day on the trail.  The stoves were simplicity and durability in a whisperlight package, and cooked our meals quickly and evenly.  And the water filter proved up to our video-game-weakened digestive systems' rather high standards for water quality.

All in all, our gear worked flawlessly, and when we realized it was all MSR gear, we knew we had found a quality line of products.  We will be using MSR gear whenever possible in the future.

Thank you again for helping to make our expedition such a success,
James Wilson
Nerds In the Wild.

Adventure Report: West Coast Trail Day 6

Team Lentement sprints to the finish!

Here's the exciting finale!