Scientists “Thrilled” to be Studying the Environment

With traditional entertainment inaccessible at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s remote Toolik Field Station, researchers got creative with their tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Shod in knee-high wading boots, standard mosquito face masks, and left-handed lab gloves, they demonstrated to the world (at least the portion of it that avidly searches YouTube) just how thrilled they are to be on Alaska's Brooks Range.

With a dance that demonstrates a level of coordination that'll make scientists everywhere proud, the group put on the northernmost known performance of "Thriller." The swarm of mosquitoes caught on the video makes the arctic version all the more endearing to fans of both nature and Michael Jackson.

--Sarah F. Kessler