| Summary: | Human occupation Of the Antarctic continent has been more or less continuous for the last half century. During this time technological development has taken place at an almost incredible rate and nowhere more so than in the field Of information technology (IT). The effects of such rapid advancement on both the people occupying the continent and on the logistics and activities carried out there are, perhaps, less well understood that they should be. To date most activity in Antarctica has been driven by science and this is the very area of human endeavour most likely to be impacted by advances in information technology. New IT systems will continue to be developed and in order to effectively manage the tools thus produced, and indeed the tools already available, an understanding Of the effects and consequences of such technological advancement is essential. This paper is an overview of some of the features Of information technology employed in Antarctic science and a brief look at some of the more important issues that arise. Human occupation Of the Antarctic continent has been more or less continuous for the last half century. During this time technological development has taken place at an almost incredible rate and nowhere more so than in the field Of information technology (IT). The effects of such rapid advancement on both the people occupying the continent and on the logistics and activities carried out there are, perhaps, less well understood that they should be. To date most activity in Antarctica has been driven by science and this is the very area of human endeavour most likely to be impacted by advances in information technology. New IT systems will continue to be developed and in order to effectively manage the tools thus produced, and indeed the tools already available, an understanding Of the effects and consequences of such technological advancement is essential. This paper is an overview of some of the features Of information technology employed in Antarctic science and a brief look at some of the ...
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