Unlocking the Right Stuff in Young Minds : Science: The man who found the Bismarck 3 miles down wants American youngsters by the thousands to share the thrill of discovery.
The horrors of World War II and Hitler’s campaign of terror on the high seas came alive for me last June when my team of scientists and engineers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discovered the wreck of the German battleship Bismarck in more than 15,000 feet of water in the North Atlantic. Using sophisticated unmanned imaging systems, I’ve been fortunate to search for and find a number of sunken ships, including the Titanic.
Initially, the Bismarck was just another hunt, just another ship, until we saw images of the faded remains of swastikas on the ship’s bow and stern and a solitary seaman’s boot lying on the ocean floor. They symbolized the great tragedy, and high military drama, of the Bismarck’s short life. They also symbolized the wealth of knowledge that is locked away on the ocean floors.
Now technology is enabling us to unlock some of the sea’s long-held secrets. Through “telepresence”--exploring a remote site with video cameras and satellite transmission--the previously unseen can be revealed to hundreds, even thousands, of people.
Last May, telepresence allowed 225,000 students in 13 museums and educational sites in the United States and Canada to explore the Mediterranean Sea with the Woods Hole team. Together we studied the deepest known ancient shipwreck site, located in the Mediterranean, and discovered the active hydrothermal vents there.
Our team of scientists and engineers spoke directly to students through a two-way audio link at each site and tried to answer their questions about what they were seeing through the eye of our vehicle, Jason, operated by remote control.
Next April and May, we hope to take more than half a million students with us when we explore Revolutionary War history in Lake Champlain and study the War of 1812 through the remains of the sunken naval ships Hamilton and Scourge in Lake Ontario. I hope that a dozen more museums will join the Jason Project and share the excitement of live exploration with students in their communities.
The world’s oceans cover 70% of the planet, yet they are still an unknown realm. We know more about the topography of the far side of the moon than we do about that of our own planet.
Many important scientific questions about the oceans need to be answered. Scientists have much to learn about the role of the oceans in important issues such as climate change, earthquake prediction, hurricane patterns and exploitation of food and energy resources from the sea.
Scientific exploration, in a laboratory or at sea, is an adventure. To participate in this adventure requires training in math, chemistry, physics and biology. Computer science, engineering and other technical skills allow explorers to collect and analyze data and to build one-of-a-kind equipment to try to answer the endless range of questions we have about our planet.
We are rich with tools. What we lack is trained minds to utilize them. The United States is now ranked 17th in scientific literacy in the Western World, and falling fast. Our declining position can be reversed. Our innovative technologies must be matched with innovative curriculum.
If the United States is to continue to be a leader in scientific and technical development we must show students that science and technology are interesting and exciting fields that attract creative people with the right stuff.
Telepresence speaks the language of today’s youth by bringing live television from the undersea world to a large screen in front of them--and providing answers to their questions immediately.
I have been fortunate to share unique moments of history with my fellow scientists--the first glimpse of a fading swastika on the bow of the Bismarck, a crystal chandelier inside the Titanic’s hull. Let us spread the thrill of discovery and lessons from the past with our children. Let us ignite in our children a love and understanding of science.
