13.6.08

Exploring beyond maps

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Link to clip:

Never was the expression "the map is not the territory" so relevant: FYI we still have plenty of "frontier(s) of science ... and space" within our planet.

Dr. Robert Ballard doesn't need much presentation if you've watched the clip. After reading TED's 2008 Bio my first move was to go directly to the Jason.org site to learn more, and register.

Observing the clip again several times with students, it brought forth conversation flows drifting on to NASA's explorations, and the ways it may have fostered many of the technologies we now enjoy. NASA's surprising new storytelling capabilities IMO, show it has revamped at least a bit in its communication strategies, by outreaching with social-multi-media, opening some space for participation, "folksonomy" and fun. e.g. Twittering MarsPhoenix and the "Spacevidcasts", highly info-edu-entertaining leads I came across -once again- via NYTimes AND Twitter. It might be just a one person in NASA focusing on the Twitter activity, hopefully more, I find it a wonderful tool to inform and motivate kids learning languages, sciences, et al, to use, comment, observe... and go for more.

Recently a science researcher had distinguished NOAA, as his preferred site for climatology data, and it also rang more than a bell: the many cute stories involving submersibles and ocean exploration heard back in '98 at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The island (University base for the mapping & exploration project with Internet 2!!) appears to be Rhode Island, and the site of Dr. Robert Ballard, appears listed under "The NOAA Ocean Exploration program". Although at the NOAA site, it doesn't show unless you run a search for it, then it shows this.

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