Science Pub 2012 kicked off with a great event, Dr. Mark Krasberg from the Ice Cube South Pole Neutrino Detector project. The detectors find neutrinos from black holes, exploding stars and other violent phenomena from across the universe. Ice Cube is the world's largest neutrino detector, covering a cubic kilometer of ice at the South Pole.

(Click any pic for a larger view)

Science Pub took November and December of last year off because of the holidays, so it's been a while since the old regulars came together with a usual bunch of first-timers. But word really got out for this one and we had one of the biggest crowds yet for a Science Pub. About 65 to 70 people packed the upstairs room at Brocach Irish Pub, and even more squeezed in around the bar and top of the stairs.

Why is the detector located at the South Pole? Let's let the project web site explain: "First, the ice is very clear. IceCube is buried very deep in the ice, about 2000 meters or 1.5 miles. At that depth, pressure has pushed all the bubbles out, which means it is easy for the DOMs to record neutrino interactions.

Second, it is very dark in the ice. This is important because when a neutrino interacts with an atom of ice, a particle called a muon is produced. The muon radiates blue light that is detected by the DOMs. The direction and intensity of the light allows us to determine where the neutrino was coming from in the Universe.

Finally, the last great thing about the ice at the South Pole is that there is a lot of it! The IceCube neutrino detector is enormous. It uses a cubic kilometer of ice and is the largest neutrino detector in the world."

Mark's a really good speaker, very personable and down to earth, with a pretty deadpan sense of humor. The pictures were terrific, covering both the equipment and operation of the project itself, and the area around the location. Yes... there were penguins. Although not at the pole itself, but at the nearby port location equipment and people come through. It was a great way to start a new season of Science Pub.

Mark Krasberg's web site and photographs.

Thanks to Heidi Johnson for the shots above, and Eric Allin for video. (Coming soon, Eric?)