TED Talk: The Ocean and its Wonders

Over 80% of our planet is covered in oceans. Yet over 99% of them remain obscure, due to insufficient research done in this field. In this animated talk Mr. Robert Ballard reproaches our indifference to this fascinating asset that has been lying under our noses for millions of years. He tells us of his unprecedented journey through uncharted waters, of his discoveries that were previously unimagined by any other. Most of them, he recalls, were fortuitous, yet were some of the most earth-shattering, fascinating things he had ever seen. For instance, he tells us of upside-down water pools teeming with fish, underwater volcanoes belching methane gasses, the voluminous underwater lakes that give the illusion of being on land. There is no dearth of life even in the dark abysses of eternal darkness; in fact, some of the organisms have found ways to simulate photosynthesis without sunlight. These days this phenomenon is labelled and studied, but back when Mr. Ballard made this discovery, such a thing was unheard of.

Mr. Ballard continues to fervently elaborate upon the massive amounts of historical artifacts hidden in the seas; the near-complete absence of oxygen in some areas, he says, have led to the perfect preservation of sunken ships and their treasures. Vessels that sunk thousands of years ago are left virtually unmarred. The secret to the perfectly-preserved Titanic lies in the fascinating scientific mechanism of the ocean. If only we knew how to explore the seas properly, he says, then we would have on our hands the largest history museum on Earth.

But what captivated me most of all was his final point, about our future that may lie in the oceans. He advocates continuous research in the field of underwater innovations. Why is it, he asks, that we have plans to colonize the moon when he have the resources to build underwater houses? Why squander money and time by ignoring the biggest asset we have? The expenses that went into space research belittles what went to oceanic research, by far. This is an idea that literally never occured to me. In my opinion, this could break new grounds--those underwater houses that I've dreamt about, can become reality. Our current lives may even become ameliorated with the new added potential of underwater development. In order to facilitate that transition from a mostly terrestrial lifestyle to an aquatic one, I believe it would be in everyone's interest to heed Mr. Ballard's advice and pay more attention to exploring our oceans instead of only focusing on space. After all, our research is far from being exhaustive, and Mr. Ballard's is no exception. What he discovered is probably only a scratch on the surface. Incessant innovation and constant renewal of our knowledge of the deep underworld is pivotal to making this dream a reality. All simply depends on our volition and will to continue.