TED Radio Hour Decoding nature’s hidden patterns
19 snips
Nov 28, 2025 
Sarah Beery, an Assistant Professor of AI at MIT, and Jeff Reed, a computational linguist and founder of Grizzly Systems, dive into the innovative ways technology is transforming ecological research. Beery discusses how AI tools like Inquire analyze biodiversity data to enhance conservation efforts, while Reed shares insights on decoding wolf vocalizations and how patterns in their howls can reveal social dynamics. Together, they explore the intersection of AI, citizen science, and wildlife monitoring, showcasing the critical role of technology in understanding and protecting nature.
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We Know Far Less About Species Than You Think
- Humans have formally documented only about 2 million animal species while estimates suggest 10–100 million exist.
- This massive unknown hinders effective conservation planning and prioritization.
Citizen Science Is A Data Gold Mine
- Citizen science platforms like iNaturalist now provide the majority of biodiversity records and scale data collection.
- Yet images contain richer ecological signals beyond species ID that remain largely untapped.
Ask Your Database Questions Directly
- Use AI tools that connect image similarity with scientific language so researchers can ask questions directly of databases.
- Build systems that let ecologists query data without collecting labels or writing code.