The Data Was Clear. My Mind Wasn't

Twenty years of ice cores. Twenty years of ancient air bubbles telling me stories I didn't want to hear. Today I told a reporter that West Antarctica might have crossed a tipping point. The words came out clinical, measured. What I didn't say: I've been staring at these models for months, and my brain just... stops. Sea level rise measured in feet. Millions displaced. I know the numbers. I helped generate them. But when I try to actually think about what that means—really think about it—something in my mind just shuts down. Is this what two decades in climate science gets you? The ability to perfectly articulate humanity's biggest threat while admitting you can't mentally process it? I'm supposed to be the expert. I'm supposed to have answers. Instead, I'm here at 11 PM, staring at data that makes perfect sense and terrifies me beyond comprehension. The ice doesn't care if I can handle the truth. #Science #LabBurnout #ClimateAnxiety