The pile of ice chunks laid out on the surface on a frozen pool under Winnipeg's frozen skies didn't look much like science. But the stuff around it did.  A microwave dish on a gooseneck-like tripod was trained on the chunky ridge of ice blocks, giving off a faint buzz. Opposite that, a lean-to on a scaffolding platform was chock full of instruments and, bundled up in heavy winter gear, University of Manitoba grad student Megan Shields moved inside, skirting the open edge with a practiced step.Shields, who is working towards a graduate degree in environment and geography, carefully built the ridge to simulate real-life conditions in Canada's Arctic.