
Woman Thought Leader: Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan
7/17/2020 | 26m 16sVideo has Closed Captions
Astronaut Becomes First Woman To Reach Deepest Point In The Ocean
We speak with groundbreaking scientist and astronaut, Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan. She’s the first woman to go on a spacewalk, the first woman to reach the deepest point in the ocean, and the first person to both orbit the earth and reach its deepest point. We speak to her about her findings and her views on important issues affecting humanity.
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Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Funding for TO THE CONTRARY is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Park Foundation and the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation.

Woman Thought Leader: Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan
7/17/2020 | 26m 16sVideo has Closed Captions
We speak with groundbreaking scientist and astronaut, Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan. She’s the first woman to go on a spacewalk, the first woman to reach the deepest point in the ocean, and the first person to both orbit the earth and reach its deepest point. We speak to her about her findings and her views on important issues affecting humanity.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipHUBBLE THIS LEFT REAL FINGERPRINTS AND SCUFF MARKS ON IT.
BUT THE PEOPLE I WRITE ABOUT IT FIVE YEARS BEFORE WAS PUT INTO ORBIT I ARGUED THEY HAD A HISTORICAL HAND ON HUBBLE BECAUSE OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE SO CRITICAL TO HUBBLE SUCCESS.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ESSENTIALLY WILL BE LOST TO HISTORY.
>> THEY WOULD BE LOST TO HISTORY THAT WAS MY CONCERN.
THEY BORROWED THAT ANALOGY.
IT WAS A GROUP OF ENGINEERS BASED PREDOMINANTLY AT NASA'S CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA.
SOME OF THE SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON AND SPACEWALKING METHODS LIKE ME THAT'S WHERE THEY GOT THE CHARGE TO TAKE THE TELESCOPE THAT HAD BEEN DESIGNED THEORETICALLY TO BE MAINTAINABLE IN ORBIT AND DIG IN AND MAKE SURE THE TOOLS AND THE SUPPORT OF EQUIPMENT AND THE HANDLES AND EVERYTHING YOU MIGHT NEED TO TAKE UP SPARE PARTS AND PUT THEM AND INSTALL THEM AND DO ALL THAT AT IN ZERO GRAVITY THE TOOLS WILL FLOAT AWAY IF YOU DON'T TETHER THEM AND YOU ARE MICHELIN MAN BULKY.
SO IT IS A TOUGH ENVIRONMENT TO WORK IN AND THAT WAS THEIR CAST.
THE PLAN WAS TO TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT TO DO THAT.
YOU GUYS GO FIGURE IT OUT.
>> TELL ME WHAT DROVE YOU TO WANTED TO NOT JUST TO BE AN ASTRONAUT BUT ALSO GO TO THE DEEPEST PARTS OF THE OCEAN.
>> WELL, THE DIVING DEEP IN THE OCEAN IS BACK TO MY ORIGINAL ROOTS.
MY ORIGINAL TRAINING IS AS AN OCEANOGRAPHER.
IN MY CASE I WORKED PREDOMINANTLY IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN BEFORE JOINING NASA BUT I NEVER LOST MY LOVE FOR THE OCEAN AND MY FASCINATION WITH THE PLANET AT LARGE.
EVERY ASPECT OF ZOOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY IN METEOROLOGY IS THE ORIGINAL IMPETUS FOR ALL OF MY STUDIES AND FRANKLY IT'S THE REASON FUNDAMENTALLY I IMPLIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ME PERSONALLY WAS IF I MANAGE TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THE ODDS AND GET SELECTED I WOULD GET TO SEE THE EARTH FROM ORBIT WITH MY OWN EYES INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLE'S PICTURE.
>> WHAT ABOUT BEING AND AS DEEP AS YOU CAN GET IN THE OCEAN ARE THERE SIMILARITIES.
>> THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES.
ON A LEVEL OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WHAT I FIND FASCINATING AND ENDLESSLY INTRIGUING ABOUT BOTH IS I AM IN BOTH CASES IN SOME CONTAINER, SOME CAP THAT STRIKES ME AS BEING A MAGICAL ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO NOTHING MAGICAL ABOUT IT BECAUSE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING BROUGHT INTO PLAY TO MAKE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBLE BUT THAT CAPSULE LETS ME BE SOMEWHERE THAT OTHERWISE I HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING EITHER IN THE HARSH HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT OF THE DEEP SEE OR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRENCH INSTEAD OF ONE ATMOSPHERE OF PRESSURE WEIGHING ON OUR BODIES LIKE WE HAVE HERE AS WE TALK YOU HAVE 1,000 TIMES THAT PRESSURE.
IT IS 8 TONS OF PRESSURE.
SO THE MAGIC CAPSULE LETS ME SIT I FEEL JUST LIKE I DO HERE AND I CAN KEEP ALL THOSE 8 TONS OF PRESSURE OUT AND THEN IF YOU'RE GOING INTO ORBIT IT'S THE REVERSE PROBLEM.
NOW I NEED TO SEAL ONE ATMOSPHERE OF PRESSURE INSIDE MY CAPSULE AND PREVENTED FROM ESCAPING WHICH WOULD EXPOSE ME TOO THE VACUUM OF SPACE.
SO THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING TO BE IN AN ENGINEERED ENVIRONMENT THAT FEELS VERY NATURAL TO ME THAT I KNOW HOW TO OPERATE AND YET BE IN THESE EXTRAORDINARY PLACES WITH THE VAST REVIEW OF SPACE BACK TO THE EARTH WHERE THE MAGIC OF THE WONDERFUL MYSTERIES OF LIFE AT THE OCEAN ARE ALL AROUND ME BUT YOU CAN'T GO OUT TO THOSE PLACES.
YOU GET THERE IN THESE ENGINEERED VEHICLES APPEAR AND THEN ANOTHER LEVEL OF DETAIL ARE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES OF MAKING THE VEHICLES WORK AND MAKING THE CRAFT SUSTAIN YOUR LIFE IN THESE CRAZY PLACES.
THERE ARE BROAD PLACES TO THESE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.
>> WHAT DID YOU SEE WHEN YOU ARE WALKING IN SPACE AND WHAT DID YOU SEE THAT MAY BE SURPRISED TO YOU OR FASCINATED YOU WHEN IN THE MARIANA STRETCH.
>> WHEN YOU ARE WALKING IN SPACE YOU HAVE THIS EXTRAORDINARY PANORAMA YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING LIKE A THOUSAND MILES IN EVERY DIRECTION AND WHEN YOU ARE CROSSING OVER THE SIDE OF THE EARTH IT'S LIKE A MAGICAL SCHOOL BUS RIDE THROUGH EVERY WORLD ATLAS YOU EVER KNEW.
THERE ARE OTHER COUNTRIES AND THE SHAPES YOU SAW ON THE MAPS IN GRADE SCHOOL AND THESE AMUSING TRIVIAL INSIGHTS WE ALL CHUCKLE ABOUT.
MY MOST VIVID MEMORY FROM MY SPACEWALK IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS ON THE DAY LEAD SIDE WHERE I PAUSED IN MY WORK AND STOPPED PAYING ATTENTION TO WHERE I WAS PLACING MY HANDS WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE USUALLY FOCUSED ON AND LOOKED AROUND AND TOOK IN MORE BROADLY WHERE I WAS AS IT HAPPENED IN THAT MOMENT WHEN I LOOKED TOWARDS MY TOES MY FEET WERE POINTING DOWN TOWARD THE EARTH AND I WATCHED ALL OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND VENEZUELA SLIDE BETWEEN MY BOOTS AND THAT GREAT SPAN OF THE WORLD SLIDING BETWEEN MY BOOTS TOOK MAYBE NOT EVEN A MINUTE BECAUSE.
THAT WAS HOW FAST WE WERE GOING.
IT'S THE FLIP SIDE IN THE SEE.
YOU DON'T HAVE AN EXPANSIVE VIEW AND YOU CAN ONLY SEE AS FAR AS THE LIGHTS ON YOUR SUBMARINE ILLUMINATING.
AND THE CASE OF THE ILLUMINATING FACTOR THE TRITON SUBMARINE I WAS IN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I WOULD GUESSTIMATE THAT WAS THE ORDER OF MAYBE 30 FEET AND IT IS INKY PITCH BLACK BEYOND THAT HORIZON OF LIGHT.
WE LANDED ON A SEDIMENT COVERED PORTION OF THE FLOOR OF THE MARIANA TRENCH AND CRUISED ALONG ACROSS THAT IN ALONG A TRANSVERSE.
IT REMINDED ME OF A MOONSCAPE.
IT WAS A TAN COLOR.
I WATCH CLIPS FROM THE LUNAR FLIGHT WHEN THEY LANDED ON THE MOON IN THE 60s AND 70s AND THAT'S PART OF AT THE IMAGE CAME TO MY MIND.
WE CAME TO SEE SOME ANIMAL TRACKS ON THE BOTTOM AND THERE ARE SEE CUCUMBERS THAT LIVE DOWN THERE AND VERY EXOTIC KINDS OF WORMS AND THERE ARE LITTLE WHICH ARE PROBABLY NO MORE THAN A GAY BIG AND SOMEWHAT COUSINS TO THE PILL BUG YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR GARDEN.
BUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO >> BUT NO CRAZY FISH.
IT >> IT YOU DON'T SEE FISH BELOW ABOUT 8,000 METERS AND WE WERE 3,000 FEET IT -- IS METERS BEYOND THAT.
IT WAS BACTERIA AND WORMS AND ANTERO PODS AND SEE CUCUMBERS AND CRITTERS LIKE THAT.
>> WHAT WAS THE MOST FASCINATING THING YOU SAW.
>> MY MOST FASCINATING INSIGHT CAME FROM GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE HIGH RESOLUTION VIDEO THAT WE WERE TAKING AT THE BOTTOM AS WE WENT ALONG.
THE COOLEST SITE FROM MY EXPEDITION ENDED UP NOT HAPPENING DIRECTLY ON MY DIVE IT BUT WAS CAPTURED BY ONE OF THE ROBOTIC LANDERS THAT WE PUT DOWN ON THE BOTTOM.
WHEN THIS THING SETTLED TO THE BOTTOM IT CLEARLY WOKE UP OR DISTURBED SOME LITTLE CRITTER THAT WAS HAPPILY NAPPING AWAY AND IT WAS CALLED A POLY HEAT WORM.
I WOULD GUESS IT WAS MAYBE ABOUT THIS LARGE AND YOU COULD SEE HIM SQUIRM OUT FROM UNDER THE FOOT OF THE SLANDER AND THEN START SWIMMING VERTICALLY UP ALONG THE LANDER RIGHT THROUGH THE CAMERA REVIEW.
IT LOOKS LIKE JUST THIS WAFTING PIECE OF WHITE WITH THESE FILAMENTS PROBABLY FEEDING TENTACLES DANGLING OFF THE SIDE.
EVERY FORAY INTO THE DEEPEST PARTS OF THE OCEAN IS CHANGING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE OCEAN IN TOTAL BECAUSE THERE IS SO LITTLE KNOWN OF THEM.
SO IT REFINING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY AND WHAT IS THE SHAPE AND STRUCTURE OF THIS GEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT CALLED MARIANAS TRENCH IS ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES.
EVERY ONE OF THESE CREATURES OBSERVED IS ONE OF VERY FEW OF THAT TYPE THAT HAS EVER BEEN SEEN AND VERY OFTEN ESPECIALLY IF YOUR DIVE IS FOCUSED ON BIOLOGY YOU ALMOST ALWAYS FIND SOME SPECIES THAT YOU HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE.
THE FINAL THING THAT NOT AGAIN FROM MY DIVE EXPLICITLY BUT FROM THIS SET OF EXPEDITIONS IS WHEN CRITTERS AND BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP FROM THE VERY DEEPEST PARTS OF THE TRENCHES AND HAVE BEEN EXAMINED CAREFULLY YOU DO FIND MICRO PLASTICS IN THE SUPER DEEP ANIMALS ABOVE THE BACKGROUND LEVEL THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT OTHERWISE.
>> MICRO PLASTICS MEANING PIECES OF PLASTIC TRASH.
>> YES THEY ARE VERY MICRO.
NOT CHUNKS OF STYROFOAM BUT MICRO BITS OF PLASTIC.
AND WHAT THAT SAYS TO ME AND I THINK SHOULD REINFORCE TO ALL THAT JUST TELL US YOU HOW RICHLY FULLY AND COMPLETELY INTERCONNECTED EVERY PART OF OUR PLANET IS SO WE MIGHT SIT IN NEW YORK OR WASHINGTON AND OHIO AND SAY I'M NOT CONNECTED TO THE MARIANA TRENCH AT ALL BUT THE HUMAN LIFE ON THIS EARTH IS CONNECTED INTO THAT TRENCH ENVIRONMENT AND BIOLOGICALLY THE WHOLE OCEAN ECOSYSTEM CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO OUR LIFE.
SO WE GET VIVID REMINDERS OF THAT AND I HOPE THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE TAKE TO HEART.
>> YOU ARE PUTTING A POSITIVE SPIN ON WHAT YOU SAW BUT THE FIRST THING THAT OCCURRED TO ME IS THAT MAN IS TRASHING NOT JUST THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE EARTH BUT THE OCEAN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PARTS THAT YOU KNOW THE MOST REMOTE PARTS OF THE WORLD.
WHY DID YOU NOT SEE IT THAT WAY.
>> FROM MY ACADEMIC STUDIES AND SPACE EXPERIENCE WE HUMANKIND IS A VAST LIVING EXPERIMENT ON THIS PLANET AND WE LEAVE OUR FINGERPRINTS ON THE PLANET IN MANY MANY MANY WAYS.
TO SAY WE ARE TRASHING SUGGESTS MOTIVES THAT THAT I THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A.
IT IS HAPPENING BY THE VIRTUE OF THE MASS OF SOCIETY AND HUMAN THE WAY WE ARE LIVING OUR LIVES AND CONSTRUCTING OUR ECONOMIES AND WE NEED TO GET MORE ATTENTIVE TO THAT.
THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES WE CAN TAKE ON IT WE PUT OUR MIND TO IT BUT HUMAN NATURE IS SUCH A THAT OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND DRIVES A LOT OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
SO BRINGING THESE EXAMPLES TO THE FOREGROUND THAT THERE IS NOW MEASURED PROOF THAT EVEN AT THIS VERY EXOTIC REMOTE LOCATION THAT YOU MAY WISH TO SAY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, YOU ARE IMPACTING IT AND THE OCEAN IS IMPACTING YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY.
EVERY OTHER BREATH YOU TAKE IS GENERATED BY ORGANISMS IN THE OCEAN.
THE MODERATION AND BALANCING OF OUR WEATHER SYSTEM IS BECAUSE OF THE HEAT CAPACITY AND THE CIRCULATION OF THE OCEAN.
WE ARE COMPLETELY CONNECTED IN VERY TIGHT INTERDEPENDENCIES TO THE LIFE OF THE OCEAN.
>> IT TAKES FOUR TO FIVE HOURS TO GET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THAT GREAT DEPTH, IS THAT CORRECT.
>> HOW LONG IT TAKES DEPENDS ON THE SUBMERSIBLE YOU ARE IN BUT THIS ONE TAKES ABOUT FOUR HOURS DOWN IN FOUR HOURS OP.
>> WHAT WAS THAT DIVE LIKE.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING.
WHAT WERE YOU SEEING.
>> TWO METAPHORS COME TO LIFE.
IT WAS A CALM SERENA FOR OUR ELEVATOR RIDE -- WAS BORN OF OUR ELEVATOR RIDE.
AND IT IS A CONFINED SPACE AND IT'S NOT JAMMED UP AGAINST EACH OTHER BUT IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT LIKE AN AIRPLANE LIED -- IS RIDE IN ECONOMY WITH YOUR SEATBELT SIGN ON.
YOU CAN'T STAND UP AND WALK AROUND BUT YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR POSITION IN YOUR SEAT.
I WAS CHATTING WITH THE FUNDER AND PILOT AND OWNER OF THE SUBMARINE AND WE ARE BOTH PILOTS AND HAVE TECHNICAL BACKGROUNDS SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SUBMARINES AND I'M ASKING HIM ABOUT THINGS HE HAS SEEN ON THE EARLIER DIVES AND HE'S DONE LIKE EIGHT DIVES THEY ARE NOW AND WE LEFT THE LIGHTS OFF OUTSIDE THE SUBMARINE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO SAVE OUR BATTERY POWER SO WE WERE NOT TRYING TO WATCH THINGS AS WE WENT DOWN.
WE WERE ALSO DESCENDING SO QUICKLY THAT ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE WOULD STREAK BY AND YOU COULD NOT GET A GOOD VIEW.
SO WE JUST CHATTED AND CHECKED IN WITH THE SURFACE SHIP AND MONITOR THEIR SYSTEMS AND DECIDED WHEN WE WOULD EAT LUNCH SO WE WERE NOT DISTRACTED BY BEING HUNGRY ON THE BOTTOM SO WE ATE LUNCH AT 3200 FEET BELOW SEE LEVEL.
>> SO THIS WAS A PRIVATELY FUNDED TRIP.
>> YES, THE SERVICE SHIP THAT CARRIED A SUBMARINE CALLED THE PRESSURE DROP WERE PRIVATELY FUNDED.
>> HOW DID HE EARN HIS MONEY TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
>> MAINLY AS AN INVESTMENT BANKER OR AN INVESTOR IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
HE DID A STINT AS A NAVY INTELLIGENCE OFFER AND ENDED UP IN FINANCE AND INVESTMENT BANKING AND HAS DONE VERY WELL WITH THAT.
HE IS QUITE AN INTREPID EXPLORER AS WELL.
HE HAS CLIMBED THE HIGHEST POINT OF ALL THE SEVEN CONTINENTS.
SO HE HAS REACHED THE SEVEN SUMMITS AND SKIED ACROSS THE NORTH POOL AND THE SOUTH POLE.
THAT'S CALLED THE EXPLORERS GRAND HE HAS ALREADY DONE THAT SO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY IT.
>> HIM THAT IT WAS ODD THAT THERE WAS NOT SOME SIMILAR ACCESS AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DEEPEST POINT IN THE OCEAN AND THERE IS A DEEP SPOT IN EACH OF THE FIVE MAJOR OCEANS OF THE WORLD.
THAT'S WHAT SPURRED HIM TO FUND THIS BOAT AND THE SUBMARINE TO SET OFF AND REACH THE DEEPEST POINT IN ALL FIVE OCEANS.
HE DID THAT LAST YEAR CALLED THE FIVE DEEP EXPEDITION.
>> DO YOU THINK THE LINK -- I DO THINK BETWEEN HIM AND ELON MUSK SPONSORING AND DEVELOPING COMMERCIAL TRIPS TO OTHER PLANETS IS THE FUTURE IN A SPACE OR IN DEEP OCEANS BECOMING PRIVATE AS OPPOSED TO GOVERNMENT FUNDED.
>> I DON'T THINK EITHER OF THOSE WILL BE ENTIRELY PRIVATELY FUNDED.
IN VICTOR'S CASE THE SUBMARINE HE HAS BUILT IS INCREDIBLY TRANSFORMATIVE IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY TO EXPLORE THE DEEP OCEAN.
THE FIRST PEOPLE TO REACH THE BOTTOM OF OF MARIANAS TRENCH GOT THERE IN 1960 AND THE NEXT DIVE WITH A PERSON ABOARD WAS 52 YEARS LATER.
SO BETWEEN ONE AND SHE WAS 52 YEARS.
WE DID THREE DIVES IN THE SPAN OF SEVEN DAYS AND HE STILL OUT THERE ON THE SECOND SEGMENT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
THAT RELIABILITY AND REPEATABILITY CAN TAKE PEOPLE TO THE DEEP SPOTS OF THE OCEAN ON DEMAND AND THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARILY STEP FORWARD TO.
THAT IS NOT THE KIND OF THING I THINK A GOVERNMENT FUNDING AGENCY WOULD EMBARK ON BECAUSE NO ONE COULD GIVE THEM A GOOD ANSWER FOR THAT.
WHAT IS A TANGIBLE QUANTIFIABLE BENEFIT BE TO DO THAT.
IT TAKES VISION AND THE INDEPENDENT CAPACITY TO DO THAT.
ELON MUSK'S EFFORT WAS SPACE LETTER ASK AND IT WAS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MONEY AND NASA PROVIDED A VERY SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT LIKE $1.6 BILLION AT THE START UP AND MR. MUSK HAS RAISED A LOT OF PRIVATE CAPITOL.
THE IDEA THEY ALSO IS TO MAKE IT MORE FREQUENT AND RELIABLE AND LESS EXPENSIVE TO MOVE CARGO PEOPLE OFF THE PLANET.
THE TRICK A QUESTION TO MY MIND IN THE SPACE ARENA IS WHEN I SAY COMMERCIAL I MEAN THERE IS ACTUALLY A DEMAND FUNCTION IN THEIR.
MULTIPLE COMPANIES OR PARTIES OR INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO GO.
SO THE COSTS ARE SPREAD OVER PRIVATE CITIZENS AND COMPANIES OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND IF THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO SEND ASTRONAUTS THERE THEY CAN BUY A SEAT ON THE SPACESHIP LIKE A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYED ON AIRLINES.
BUT THAT WHOLE IDEA DEPENDS ON WHETHER THERE REALLY IS ENOUGH DEMAND FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND OTHER PARTIES AND OTHER PLAYERS TO GO IN AND OUT OF SPACE.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG TIME COMING IF EVER BEFORE YOU SEE A MARKET THAT IS AKIN TO COMMERCIAL AIR TRAVEL DO YOU THINK THAT.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT MANKIND AND WOMANKIND WILL BE ABLE TO RESOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE BEFORE IT RESOLVES UP THAT SIZE DESTROYS THE PLANET.
BECAUSE MANY SCIENTISTS THINK WE ARE PAST THAT POINT.
>> IF WE ARE NOT PASSED IT WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO IT AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
I LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE ISSUE IS NOT THE PLANET.
THE PLANET WILL BE FINE.
THE PLANET WILL ADAPT AND ADJUST BUT WHAT WILL THE LIVABILITY AND AND HUMAN KIND DAY.
-- BEI.
>> AND ANIMALS AS WELL WHO ARE KILLING PCS THAT SP SPECIES OFF LIKE CRAZY.
>> BUT WHAT CAN LIVE ON THIS PLANET AND HOW AND, YES, I DEFINITELY DON'T MEAN TO ELEVATE HUMAN INTEREST ABOVE ALL OTHER LIVING INTEREST ON THE PLANET BUT I THINK THE SHOCK AND SIGNAL THAT MIGHT FIRST ROW SOCIETY, HUMAN SOCIETY TO MORE BOLDER ACTION WOULD BE BIG DISLOCATIONS AND THE ECONOMY AND THE FOOD SUPPLY IN THE WATER SUPPLY THAT WOULD WAKE PEOPLE UP AND IT MAY BE TOO LATE.
THERE'S NO GOING BACK TO THE 19 th CENTURY AND THE 18th CENTURY.
THE ARROW OF TIME ONLY GOES FORWARD.
>> DO YOU THINK THE VIABILITY OF OF HUMANKIND BECOMES LESS AND LESS VIABLE SO TO SPEAK AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE ADDED TO THE PLANET FOR OVER 7 BILLION NOW HEADING TOWARD 9 BILLION BY MID CENTURY.
>> I THINK THE EARTH, LIKE EVERY SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS HAS A FINITE CARRYING CAPACITY AND THAT WILL HAVE MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS TO IT.
WATER AND FOOD AND RESILIENCY OF NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND, YES, POPULATION PRESSURE IS THE LARGEST CONSISTENTLY GROWING SOURCE OF PRESSURE ON ALL OF THOSE FACTORS.
>> I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT GENDER IN A SCIENCE.
YOU, OBVIOUSLY, ARE AN EXTREMELY ACCOMPLISHED SCIENTIST AND WOMAN HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED A GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN YOUR CAREER.
>> HONESTLY, I HAVE TO SAY I HAVE NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO THE WORST AND MOST MALICIOUS FORMS THAT I KNOW OTHER WOMEN HAVE ENCOUNTERED.
CERTAINLY PLENTY OF OCCASIONS I'M OLD ENOUGH THAT WHEN I WENT INTO FIELD CAMPS AS A GEOLOGIST OR HIS OWN OCEANOGRAPHER THAT WAS ODD.
IT MADE SOME MEN UNCOMFORTABLE.
THERE ALWAYS QUESTIONS LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU GOING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM.
THAT'S MY PROBLEM.
I WILL FIX THAT.
BACK TO WORK.
>> SO HOW DID YOU FIX THAT.
DID YOU JUST GO TO THE BATHROOM WHEN THEY WERE NOT IN THE BATHROOM OR WHERE DID YOU TAKE SHOWERS.
>> IT HELPS TO BE FLEXIBLE ON YOUR OWN SENSE OF PRIVACY.
BUT IT WAS USUALLY USUALLY AMUSING THING LIKE I SLEPT OVERNIGHT IN A SLEEPING BAG SOMEWHERE AND THEN I GOT UP AND PUT ON MY CLOTHES SO THAT MEANS I'M GOING TO GET UP AND NOT BE FULLY CLOTHED FOR A MOMENT AND I'M NOT GOING GO WRIGGLE AROUND IN MY SLEEPING BAG TRYING TO GET DRESSED.
AND YOU'RE GONNA STAND UP IN YOUR SKIVVIES AND AUNTS WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT SO LET'S PUT THAT ASIDE AND YOU DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND I WILL DO WHAT I NEED TO DO.
WE CAN SHARE BATHROOMS AND TIMESHARE BATHROOMS AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME FUN STORIES IN MY EARLY NASA DAYS WHEN WE WERE LAND AT A MILITARY BASE TO REFUEL AND YOU WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR AND THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE THE WEATHER OFFICE AND FLIGHT PLANNING OFFICE IN ADMIN AND SNACK SHOP AND RIGHT THERE THE MEN'S ROOM AND I WOULD ASK WHERE OFTEN ON THE FAR SIDE OF A GIGANTIC HANGER IN A CORNER AND SOMETIMES I WOULD TRACK OVER AND USE THE LADIES ROOM BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN I WOULD GRAB WHOEVER I WAS FLYING WITH AND STICK THEM OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF THE MEN'S ROOM AND SAY YOUR MARINE STAND GUARD AND USE THAT BATHROOM.
IT'S A TOILET.
IT'S GOT A FLASH.
IT'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT.
>> AND THE GUYS ARE OKAY WITH GUARDING IT FOR YOU FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
>> THEY WERE.
ALL THE GUYS I FLEW WITH BOTH IN AT T3 AND THE SHUTTLE WERE JUST HERE TO DO SOMETHING.
WHATEVER SOAP OPERA DRAMA IDEAS YOU HAVE IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND ARE NOT HAPPENING IN THIS CREW OR ON THIS FLIGHT IS LET'S JUST HELP EACH OTHER OUT.
CHANGING CLOSE BOILED DOWN TO SOME AND AND CHANGING MY SHIRT NOW OR MY SHORTS NOW AND EVERYONE WAS JUST MENTALLY CREATE A LITTLE BUBBLE OF PRIVACY AND OFF YOU GO.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOU'RE YOUR ENLIGHTENING STORIES AND FOR YOUR FIRST IN A SPACE AND THE OCEAN AND FOR PAVING THE WAY FOR MORE WOMEN TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR WOMEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR, YOU ARE ACTIVE ON TWITTER WITH A BLACK LIVES MATTER, TO OPEN DOORS FOR OTHER WOMEN IN THE FUTURE TO BECOME WHAT YOU HAVE BECOME AND DO GREAT THINGS WITH THEIR LIVES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
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Funding for TO THE CONTRARY is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Park Foundation and the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation.