TED Radio Hour
What it takes to be an Antarctic explorer today
Dec 20, 2023
Ariel Waldman, filmmaker and Antarctic explorer, discusses her new expedition, exploring the magical underwater world of Antarctica, filming life in Antarctica, the possibility of a third expedition, and her film series on Antarctica and sci-fi.
19:56
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Quick takeaways
- Filmmaker Ariel Waldman explores the diverse range of creatures that inhabit the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, emphasizing the importance of capturing these habitats on film to study and understand the ecosystem dynamics before they potentially change due to climate change.
- Waldman highlights the impact of climate change on the Dry Valleys, where new microbes blown in from other parts of the world are shifting the delicate balance of habitability for the microorganisms that thrive here, emphasizing the need to study and document these ecosystems before irreversible transformations occur.
Deep dives
Filming Microscopic Life in Antarctica
Filmmaker and Antarctic explorer Ariel Waldman discusses her expedition to film microscopic life under the ice in Antarctica. Through her documentary, she aims to showcase the diverse range of creatures that inhabit the polar desert of the Dry Valleys, an area not covered in snow and ice. Waldman highlights the challenges of filming in freezing temperatures and the unique perspective it offers on the ecosystems in Antarctica. She also emphasizes the importance of capturing these habitats on film to study and understand the ecosystem dynamics before they potentially change due to climate change.
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