Guests on this episode of TED Radio Hour include artist CM Ralph, digital librarian Brewster Kahle, molecular biologist Dina Zielinski, and archaeologist Chris Fisher. They discuss preserving LGBTQ history through a video game, archiving the web and ebooks, challenges in digitizing books and digital ownership, a scientific solution for archival data, discovering ancient cities with LiDAR technology, and using LiDAR data to understand and address environmental issues.
LIDAR technology enables the creation of 3D maps of ancient cities and lost civilizations, crucial for preserving cultural heritage and understanding the impact of deforestation and climate change.
DNA data storage offers a stable and durable solution for long-term preservation of information, potentially safeguarding critical data for thousands of years.
Deep dives
The Power of LIDAR: Preserving Lost Cities and Ancient Sites
Archaeologist Chris Fisher discusses how LIDAR technology has revolutionized the field of archaeology, allowing researchers to create detailed 3D maps of ancient cities and lost civilizations. He shares his experience using LIDAR to discover the City of the Jaguar in Honduras and the importance of preserving these sites as they face the threats of deforestation and climate change. Fisher introduces the Earth Archive, a project aiming to LIDAR scan the entire planet and create a comprehensive baseline record of the Earth's surface for future generations to study and understand the changes occurring on our planet.
Storing Data on DNA: A Potential Solution for Archiving Information
Molecular biologist Dina Zelensky explores the possibilities of storing vast amounts of data on DNA molecules. She explains how DNA, being stable and durable, can serve as a reliable long-term storage medium. Zelensky outlines the process of converting digital data into genetic code and synthesizing DNA strands that can be preserved for thousands of years. She highlights the advantages and challenges of DNA data storage and envisions a future where critical information is safeguarded by storing it on DNA.
Preserving Cultural and Ecological Treasures with Lidar Scanning
Archaeologist Chris Fisher delves into the importance of lidar scanning for preserving cultural and ecological treasures. He shares the story of how lidar scanning helped uncover the lost City of the Jaguar in Central America and emphasizes the need to document rapidly changing environments due to deforestation and climate change. Fisher introduces the Earth Archive project, which aims to create a high-resolution digital record of the Earth's surface using lidar scanning, providing a valuable resource for scientists and future generations.
The Urgency to Preserve Earth's Ever-Changing Landscape
Chris Fisher discusses the Earth Archive initiative, which seeks to scan, curate, and preserve the Earth's surface using lidar scanning technology. He emphasizes the urgency of documenting and understanding the rapidly changing environment due to deforestation, rising sea levels, and other environmental challenges. Fisher highlights the potential of lidar scanning to provide a comprehensive baseline record for studying and mitigating the effects of the climate crisis, preserving cultural heritage, and facilitating scientific research for future generations.
Original broadcast date: January 27, 2023. Information feels more accessible than ever, but the ways we store data are surprisingly fragile. Can we save anything forever? This hour, TED speakers explore preserving our past, present and future. Guests include artist CM Ralph, digital librarian Brewster Kahle, molecular biologist Dina Zielinski and archaeologist Chris Fisher.
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