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14 January, 2002

BROWNIES FOR 150 PEOPLE

Yesterday we had a visit from a cruise ship. This happens twelve times a season here at Palmer Station. The numbers of visitors are strictly controlled, because of the impact on the general operations of the station. Still, station personnel are pleased to show the facilities and the science to the visitors.

Depending upon the size of the cruise ship, it anchors in Arthur Harbor. The visitors come ashore in Zodiacs, and they are given a brief tour of some parts of the station. Then they are invited upstairs to the dining area for brownies!

Here's the math: We had 120 visitors from the ship. Wendy Beeler and Jennifer Tabor (see photos) calculated that about 30 people from the station would want to eat brownies, also. They made five pans of brownies. Each pan was 18 inches by 26 inches by 1 inch. Wendy and Jennifer cut the brownies so that there were 9 in one direction and 5 in another.

How many brownies did the cooks make for the hungry people (total)? If people ate exactly the same amount, how many brownies could each person have?(the mean)?

What were the possible sizes of the brownies, depending upon the cutting pattern?


This is the Explorer, the ship that spent an afternoon in Arthur Harbor yesterday. In the background you can see the Marr Ice Piedmont (the glacier behind Palmer Station).


Jennifer Tabor is a teacher from Alaska. She is spending the season here while she is on sabbatical from her school. She is working as the Food Service Assistant Supervisor. Jennifer is cutting the brownies. You can see the kitchen storage area behind her. Isn't that an amazing number of pots and pans?


Wendy Beeler is the Food Supervisor. Here she is cutting some of the famous brownies. You can see Palmer Station's main cooking area around her.


Here are the famous brownies. This photo shows part of the station dining room. The tables have been moved around so that we can welcome the visitors with coffee, tea, and brownies!!!

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