Exploring the ocean’s hidden worlds from the comfort of your classroom 20May08
In a TED talk from March 2008 Robert Ballard paints the argument for increased exploration of the oceans here on planet Earth. 75% of the planet is covered in water, but we have mapped and explored a surprisingly small amount of it. He makes the point that we have maps of Venus and Mars but pretty much all of the underwater land owned by the United States stays a mystery. I respond that it’s a bit easier to map the cosmos since you can point cameras at it, while trying to develop an imaging system that can penetrate 3,700 metres of water (or just shy of 11,000 metres in the Mariana Trench) is still a great challenge. Exploring the oceans also involves dealing with immense levels of pressure — something not experienced in space. For every 10 metres one goes underwater the pressure experienced increases by 1 atmosphere (the pressure we feel at sea level). At only 30 metres underwater vehicles (and people) must combat 4 times the pressure they feel at sea level. With improvements in robotic technology it is becoming easier, and cheaper, to explore the ocean depths.
In this talk Robert shares his love for the underwater world, talks about the experiences he has had, shares the wonders of the deep, communicates some amazing facts, and confirms that things are getting a bit better for underwater exploration with the acquisition of a boat from the US government. Watch for a funny moment near the end of the talk where Robert trusts a student who isn’t old enough to drive with a multi-million dollar underwater vehicle.
