TEDYouth 2015
Jill Heinerth: The mysterious world of underwater caves
Jill Heinerth: O misterioso mundo das covas submarinas
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A submarinista Jill Heinerth explora as canles de augas subterráneas que percorren o noso planeta. Traballando con biólogos, climatólogos e arqueólogos, Heinerth desvela os misterios das formas de vida que habitan algúns dos lugares máis remotos do planeta e axuda os investigadores a desbloquear a historia do cambio climático. Nesta curta charla, mergúllate baixo as ondas e explora as marabillas do espazo interior.
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
I'm an underwater explorer,
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Son exploradora submarina,
máis ben,
unha mergulladora de cavernas.
unha mergulladora de cavernas.
00:17
more specifically a cave diver.
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Eu quería ser astronauta
cando era unha nena
cando era unha nena
00:21
I wanted to be an astronaut
when I was a little kid,
when I was a little kid,
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pero en Canadá, daquela,
non era posible.
non era posible.
00:23
but growing up in Canada as a young girl,
that wasn't really available to me.
that wasn't really available to me.
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Mais resulta que sabemos
moito máis sobre o espazo
moito máis sobre o espazo
00:29
But as it turns out,
we know a lot more about space
we know a lot more about space
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que sobre os cursos subterráneos de auga
que percorren o noso planeta,
que percorren o noso planeta,
00:33
than we do about the underground waterways
coursing through our planet,
coursing through our planet,
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a alma da Nai Terra.
00:37
the very lifeblood of Mother Earth.
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Por iso, decidín facer algo
aínda máis importante.
aínda máis importante.
00:41
So I decided to do something
that was even more remarkable.
that was even more remarkable.
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En lugar de explorar o espazo exterior,
00:45
Instead of exploring outer space,
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quería explorar as marabillas
do espazo interior.
do espazo interior.
00:47
I wanted to explore
the wonders of inner space.
the wonders of inner space.
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00:51
Now, a lot of people will tell you
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Moita xente diravos
00:53
that cave diving is perhaps
one of the most dangerous endeavors.
one of the most dangerous endeavors.
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que o mergullo en covas é talvez
unha das tarefas máis perigosas.
unha das tarefas máis perigosas.
00:58
I mean, imagine yourself
here in this room,
here in this room,
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É dicir, imaxinade que aquí, nesta sala,
01:01
if you were suddenly
plunged into blackness,
plunged into blackness,
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de súpeto, quedaramos
sumidos na escuridade,
sumidos na escuridade,
coa única misión de atopar a saída,
01:04
with your only job to find the exit,
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ás veces, nadando en grandes espazos,
01:06
sometimes swimming
through these large spaces,
through these large spaces,
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01:09
and at other times
crawling beneath the seats,
crawling beneath the seats,
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noutros momentos, arrastrándonos
baixo os asentos,
baixo os asentos,
seguindo unha estreita corda guía,
01:12
following a thin guideline,
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01:15
just waiting for the life support
to provide your very next breath.
to provide your very next breath.
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agardando o soporte vital
para a seguinte respiración.
para a seguinte respiración.
Ben, ese é o meu lugar de traballo.
01:19
Well, that's my workplace.
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Pero o que quero amosar hoxe
01:22
But what I want to teach you today
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01:24
is that our world
is not one big solid rock.
is not one big solid rock.
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é que o noso mundo
non é unha gran rocha sólida.
non é unha gran rocha sólida.
01:29
It's a whole lot more like a sponge.
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Parécese moito máis a unha esponxa.
Eu podo nadar por moitos
dos poros da nosa esponxa terrestre,
dos poros da nosa esponxa terrestre,
01:31
I can swim through a lot of the pores
in our earth's sponge,
in our earth's sponge,
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01:35
but where I can't,
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mais onde eu non podo,
01:37
other life-forms and other materials
can make that journey without me.
can make that journey without me.
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outras formas de vida e materiais
poden facer esa viaxe sen min.
poden facer esa viaxe sen min.
E a miña voz é a que vos vai mostrar
01:42
And my voice is the one
that's going to teach you
that's going to teach you
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o interior da Nai Terra.
01:45
about the inside of Mother Earth.
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Eu non tiven ningunha guía
01:50
There was no guidebook available to me
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cando decidín ser a primeira persoa
en bucear dentro dos icebergs antárticos.
en bucear dentro dos icebergs antárticos.
01:53
when I decided to be the first person
to cave dive inside Antarctic icebergs.
to cave dive inside Antarctic icebergs.
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01:59
In 2000, this was the largest
moving object on the planet.
moving object on the planet.
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No 2000, este foi o obxecto máis grande
en movemento no planeta.
en movemento no planeta.
02:04
It calved off the Ross Ice Shelf,
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Desprendeuse da Barreira de Xeo de Ross
02:06
and we went down there
to explore ice edge ecology
to explore ice edge ecology
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e nós fomos alí para explorar
a ecoloxía do xeo
a ecoloxía do xeo
e buscar formas de vida baixo el.
02:09
and search for life-forms beneath the ice.
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Usamos unha tecnoloxía
chamada rebreathers.
chamada rebreathers.
02:12
We use a technology called rebreathers.
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É moi parecida á tecnoloxía
usada nas camiñadas espaciais.
usada nas camiñadas espaciais.
02:15
It's an awful lot like the same technology
that is used for space walks.
that is used for space walks.
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Esta tecnoloxía permítenos
ir máis ao fondo
ir máis ao fondo
02:19
This technology enables us to go deeper
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02:22
than we could've imagined
even 10 years ago.
even 10 years ago.
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do que imaxinabamos mesmo hai 10 anos.
02:25
We use exotic gases,
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Usamos gases exóticos
e facemos misións baixo a auga
de máis de 20 horas.
de máis de 20 horas.
02:27
and we can make missions
even up to 20 hours long underwater.
even up to 20 hours long underwater.
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Traballo con biólogos.
02:33
I work with biologists.
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Resulta que as covas son almacéns
de incribles formas de vida,
de incribles formas de vida,
02:35
It turns out that caves
are repositories of amazing life-forms,
are repositories of amazing life-forms,
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de especies descoñecidas.
02:39
species that we never knew existed before.
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Moitas destas formas de vida
viven de xeitos estraños.
viven de xeitos estraños.
02:43
Many of these life-forms
live in unusual ways.
live in unusual ways.
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Non teñen pigmentos, ás veces nin ollos,
02:47
They have no pigment
and no eyes in many cases,
and no eyes in many cases,
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e estes animais tamén son moi lonxevos.
02:51
and these animals
are also extremely long-lived.
are also extremely long-lived.
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De feito, os animais
que hoxe nadan nesas covas
que hoxe nadan nesas covas
02:55
In fact, animals swimming
in these caves today
in these caves today
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02:59
are identical in the fossil record
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son idénticos aos do rexistro fósil
03:01
that predates the extinction
of the dinosaurs.
of the dinosaurs.
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anterior á extinción dos dinosauros.
Así que imaxinade que son
como pequenos dinosauros que nadan.
como pequenos dinosauros que nadan.
03:04
So imagine that: these are
like little swimming dinosaurs.
like little swimming dinosaurs.
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Que poden ensinarnos
sobre evolución e supervivencia?
sobre evolución e supervivencia?
03:08
What can they teach us
about evolution and survival?
about evolution and survival?
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Cando observamos un remípede
como este que nada no frasco,
como este que nada no frasco,
03:13
When we look at an animal
like this remipede swimming in the jar,
like this remipede swimming in the jar,
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vemos que ten
cabeiros xigantes con veleno.
cabeiros xigantes con veleno.
03:17
he has giant fangs with venom.
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03:20
He can actually attack something
40 times his size and kill it.
40 times his size and kill it.
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Pode atacar algo 40 veces
máis grande ca el e matalo.
máis grande ca el e matalo.
Se tivese o tamaño dun gato,
03:24
If he were the size of a cat,
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sería o ser máis perigoso do planeta.
03:26
he'd be the most dangerous
thing on our planet.
thing on our planet.
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E estes animais viven
en lugares moi fermosos
en lugares moi fermosos
03:29
And these animals live
in remarkably beautiful places,
in remarkably beautiful places,
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e nalgúns casos, en covas
coma esta, que son moi novas
coma esta, que son moi novas
03:33
and in some cases,
caves like this, that are very young,
caves like this, that are very young,
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aínda que os animais son antigos.
03:37
yet the animals are ancient.
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03:39
How did they get there?
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Como chegaron aí?
Tamén traballo con físicos,
03:41
I also work with physicists,
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e moitas veces interésanse
polo cambio climático global.
polo cambio climático global.
03:44
and they're interested oftentimes
in global climate change.
in global climate change.
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Poden coller as rochas dentro das covas,
03:47
They can take rocks within the caves,
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03:50
and they can slice them
and look at the layers within with rocks,
and look at the layers within with rocks,
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poden cortalas en rodas
e mirar as capas interiores,
e mirar as capas interiores,
que son como aneis dunha árbore,
03:53
much like the rings of a tree,
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e poden recuar na historia
03:55
and they can count back in history
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e aprender sobre o clima do planeta
en tempos moi afastados.
en tempos moi afastados.
03:57
and learn about the climate on our planet
at very different times.
at very different times.
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O vermello que vedes nesta foto
04:00
The red that you see in this photograph
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En realidade, é po do deserto do Sáhara.
04:03
is actually dust from the Sahara Desert.
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O vento recolleuno
e empurrouno a través do Atlántico.
e empurrouno a través do Atlántico.
04:06
So it's been picked up by wind,
blown across the Atlantic Ocean.
blown across the Atlantic Ocean.
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A choiva depositouno, neste caso,
na illa de Abaco nas Bahamas.
na illa de Abaco nas Bahamas.
04:10
It's rained down in this case
on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas.
on the island of Abaco in the Bahamas.
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A terra absorbeuno
04:15
It soaks in through the ground
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04:16
and deposits itself
in the rocks within these caves.
in the rocks within these caves.
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e pousouno nas rochas
dentro destas covas.
dentro destas covas.
E ao mirar as capas destas rochas
podemos atopar os tempos
podemos atopar os tempos
04:20
And when we look back in the layers
of these rocks, we can find times
of these rocks, we can find times
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en que o clima era moi moi seco na Terra
04:24
when the climate
was very, very dry on earth,
was very, very dry on earth,
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e podemos recuar centos de miles de anos.
04:27
and we can go back
many hundreds of thousands of years.
many hundreds of thousands of years.
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Aos paleoclimatólogos tamén lles interesa
04:32
Paleoclimatologists are also interested
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04:34
in where the sea level stands were
at other times on earth.
at other times on earth.
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coñecer onde estaba o nivel do mar
noutros tempos da Terra.
noutros tempos da Terra.
04:38
Here in Bermuda, my team and I embarked
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Aquí, nas Bermudas,
o meu equipo e eu embarcamos
o meu equipo e eu embarcamos
04:40
on the deepest manned dives
ever conducted in the region,
ever conducted in the region,
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nas inmersións tripuladas
máis profundas na historia da rexión
máis profundas na historia da rexión
04:43
and we were looking for places
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e buscamos lugares
en que o nivel do mar
acostumaba tocar a costa,
acostumaba tocar a costa,
04:45
where the sea level
used to lap up against the shoreline,
used to lap up against the shoreline,
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moitos centos de metros
por baixo dos niveis actuais.
por baixo dos niveis actuais.
04:48
many hundreds of feet
below current levels.
below current levels.
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Tamén traballo con paleontólogos
e arqueólogos.
e arqueólogos.
04:52
I also get to work with paleontologists
and archaeologists.
and archaeologists.
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En lugares como México,
nas Bahamas e mesmo en Cuba,
nas Bahamas e mesmo en Cuba,
04:56
In places like Mexico,
in the Bahamas, and even in Cuba,
in the Bahamas, and even in Cuba,
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analizamos restos culturais
e tamén restos humanos nas covas,
e tamén restos humanos nas covas,
05:00
we're looking at cultural remains
and also human remains in caves,
and also human remains in caves,
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e dinnos moito
05:05
and they tell us a lot
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05:06
about some of the earliest
inhabitants of these regions.
inhabitants of these regions.
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sobre algúns dos primeiros
habitantes destas rexións.
habitantes destas rexións.
Pero o meu proxecto preferido
foi hai máis de 15 anos,
foi hai máis de 15 anos,
05:10
But my very favorite project of all
was over 15 years ago,
was over 15 years ago,
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cando fun parte do equipo
que fixo o primeiro
que fixo o primeiro
05:14
when I was a part of the team
that made the very first
that made the very first
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mapa tridimensional preciso
dunha superficie subterránea.
dunha superficie subterránea.
05:16
accurate, three-dimensional map
of a subterranean surface.
of a subterranean surface.
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Este dispositivo que guío
a través da cova
a través da cova
05:20
This device that I'm
driving through the cave
driving through the cave
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05:22
was actually creating
a three-dimensional model as we drove it.
a three-dimensional model as we drove it.
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en realidade ía creando un modelo
tridimensional mentres conduciamos.
tridimensional mentres conduciamos.
Tamén usamos radio
de frecuencia ultrabaixa
de frecuencia ultrabaixa
05:27
We also used ultra low frequency radio
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para retransmitirlle á superficie
a nosa posición exacta na cova.
a nosa posición exacta na cova.
05:29
to broadcast back to the surface
our exact position within the cave.
our exact position within the cave.
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Así que nadei baixo vivendas, negocios,
casas de birlos e campos de golf
casas de birlos e campos de golf
05:34
So I swam under houses and businesses
and bowling alleys and golf courses,
and bowling alleys and golf courses,
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e mesmo por baixo dun BBQ Restaurant.
05:39
and even under a Sonny's BBQ Restaurant,
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05:43
Pretty remarkable, and what that taught me
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Algo extraordinario,
e o que isto me ensinou
e o que isto me ensinou
05:45
was that everything we do
on the surface of our earth
on the surface of our earth
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foi que todo o que facemos
na superficie da Terra
na superficie da Terra
05:48
will be returned to us to drink.
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hásenos devolver para beber.
O noso planeta de auga
non son só ríos, lagos e océanos
non son só ríos, lagos e océanos
05:50
Our water planet is not just
rivers, lakes and oceans,
rivers, lakes and oceans,
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senón unha ampla rede de auga subterránea
que nos conecta a todos.
que nos conecta a todos.
05:55
but it's this vast network of groundwater
that knits us all together.
that knits us all together.
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06:00
It's a shared resource
from which we all drink.
from which we all drink.
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É un recurso compartido
do que todos bebemos.
do que todos bebemos.
E cando entendemos as conexións humanas
coas augas subterráneas
coas augas subterráneas
06:04
And when we can understand
our human connections with our groundwater
our human connections with our groundwater
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06:08
and all of our water resources
on this planet,
on this planet,
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e todos os recursos hídricos do planeta,
06:11
then we'll be working on the problem
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entón ocuparémonos do problema
que quizais sexa o asunto
máis importante deste século.
máis importante deste século.
06:12
that's probably the most important
issue of this century.
issue of this century.
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Así que nunca cheguei a ser a astronauta
que sempre quixen ser,
que sempre quixen ser,
06:17
So I never got to be that astronaut
that I always wanted to be,
that I always wanted to be,
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06:20
but this mapping device,
designed by Dr. Bill Stone, will be.
designed by Dr. Bill Stone, will be.
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pero este dispositivo de mapeo
deseñado polo Dr. Bill Stone serao.
deseñado polo Dr. Bill Stone serao.
En realidade transformouse.
06:24
It's actually morphed.
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Agora é un robot autónomo que nada,
06:25
It's now a self-swimming autonomous robot,
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con intelixencia artificial,
06:28
artificially intelligent,
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e o seu obxectivo final é ir a Europa,
a lúa de Xúpiter
a lúa de Xúpiter
06:30
and its ultimate goal
is to go to Jupiter's moon Europa
is to go to Jupiter's moon Europa
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explorar os océanos que están
baixo a súa superficie conxelada.
baixo a súa superficie conxelada.
06:34
and explore oceans beneath
the frozen surface of that body.
the frozen surface of that body.
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06:39
And that's pretty amazing.
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E iso é bastante abraiante.
06:42
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jill Heinerth - Cave diverJill Heinerth explores underwater caves deep inside the earth.
Why you should listen
More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the places that Jill's exploration has taken her right here on the earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves, to searching for never-before-seen ecosystems inside giant Antarctic icebergs, to the lawless desert border area between Egypt and Libya while a civil war raged around her, Jill's curiosity and passion about our watery planet is the driving force in her life.
Jill’s accolades include induction into the Explorer's Club and the inaugural class of the Women Diver's Hall of Fame. She received the Wyland ICON Award, an honor she shares with several of her underwater heroes including Jacques Cousteau, Robert Ballard and Dr. Sylvia Earle. She was named a "Living Legend" by Sport Diver Magazine and selected as Scuba Diving Magazine's "Sea Hero of the Year 2012."
In recognition of her lifetime achievement, Jill was awarded the inaugural Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration. Established by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2013, the medal recognizes singular achievements and the pursuit of excellence by an outstanding Canadian explorer.
Jill Heinerth | Speaker | TED.com