One of the most dramatic, if remote, effects of the government shutdown has been the scaling back of scientific research in Antarctica. All U.S. facilities on Antarctica have been put into "caretaker" status, with minimal staff and research activities suspended. Many have noted the huge blow to science this represents. Less visible are the hundreds of support staff who spend six month shifts as contractors in Antarctica, working as cooks, mechanics, janitors, administrators, etc., who have had their lives turned upside down. We asked one worker at McMurdo Station, the largest U.S. station in Antarctica, how things are going, and she sent us this email: