Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie attend the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna · 10:42pm May 3rd, 2014
At a long wooden table outside a gasthaus in the Leopoldstadt district of the Austrian Capital, four friends sat excitedly chatting and drinking beer.
“I can't believe we're finally here,” said Twilight, “at the EGU meeting. This is one of the biggest earth science conventions in the world. Over 12,000 researchers from all kinds of different fields. Thousands of exciting talks, and posters, and stalls. This is going to be the best scientific conference ever.”
Rainbow Dash flipped through the pages of the meeting handbook with a hoof. “I've been waiting to check out the latest research in atmospheric dynamics. There's lots of stuff on clouds, aerosols, and radiation... And I want to track down some experts on upper atmospheric lightning and get some hints on how to make sprites... Then there's a debate on geoengineering – don't quite see what all the fuss is about – but could be interesting... Then there's an exhibition called 'Rocks around the Rainbow' – that's gotta be good... Afraid I won't make your talk Maud – unfortunately the Rock Physics talks clash with the tropical cyclones session, and I can't miss that.
Maud expressed her understanding with a slight nod of her head.
“I'm going to attend the education sessions,” said Pinkie, “and hopefully get some new ideas for my Domestic Rock Science demos. And I've got to check out the latest new instrument technology see what new kit is on the market. We need to get some more seismometers to upgrade the Ponyville earthquake monitoring and early warning system. The old one got damaged during my last party. And I hope you won't spend all the time doing science-y stuff. This city is legendary for cakes... And there's loads of historic coffee houses that are just waiting for a visit from Pinkie... And the beer's good too!”
She up-ended the half-litre stein and let the remaining drops of beer fall onto her outstretched tongue. She then grinned happily at a passing waitress.
“Noch drei großes bier bitte!” she said with a surprisingly good accent.
“Where did you learn to speak German Pinkie?” asked Twilight.
“In Munich,” replied Pinkie, “you must come with me to the Oktoberfest one year.”
“What are you drinking Maud?” asked Rainbow.
“Mineral water,” answered Maud, “it's from a spring in the Austrian Alps. With a large concentration of magnesium, calcium and potassium, and trace amounts of other elements.”
“You can tell that from the taste?”
“I read it on the bottle label. It just tastes like water.”
Image sources:
Pinkie Pie: BIGCCV
Maud Pie: 90Sigma
Rainbow Dash: Stabzor
Twilight Sparkle: DrinkEvilTea
Dash teaching Twilight about atmospheric science and weather engineering actually sounds like a fun story. Like a pegasus version of Rock Farms and Nuclear Reactors.
(Part of me is wondering how they got to Earth, but the rest is content to enjoy science ponies.)
Maud's line at the end cracked me up.
Let's do science and get drunk! And not necessarily in that order!
Needs to be a full story.
I agree with Maud. Plain old water tastes better.