Focusing on a sudden, unexpected fall in the arctic sea ice this year, Das presents a short summary of the current state of arctic conditions and a comparison to recent trends. He notes that this is likely to be a major scientific story by month’s end when we will mark not only the least ice on record but also shatter 2005’s previous record by more than 10 percent. At this rate, the Northwest Passage (already open this month) will be open all summer far earlier than previously forecast.