Global Summit: Edith Widder
Oceanographer, marine biologist, and deep sea explorer, Edith Widder, will speak at the Jeffersonal Educational Society tonight.
So the Global Summit is doing very well so far, I'd have to say. The talks have been packed. Heck, I probably don't even need to write these preview thingies! But...go read mine anyway.
Anyhow...tonight features someone truly cool. A deep sea explorer!
Who: Edith Widder
What: "The Unexplored Potential of the Deep Sea for Human Progress"
Where & When: Tonight -- November 14 -- at the Jeffersonal Educational Society at 7:30 pm. (See the JES Summit page for ticket and location info.)
Why: Wait -- I tell you Widder is a deep sea explorer, and you ask why you should see her?
Okay. Fine. Here's more: Widder is an oceanographer and marine biologist whose special area of expertise is bioluminescence -- or the natural light produced by certain deep-sea species. She's performed dives all over the world in deep-sea submersibles and deep-sea diving suits, and recently founded her own non-profit called the Ocean Research & Conservation Association -- or ORCA -- that uses innovative technology in service of ocean conservation.
She's even won a prestigious MacArthur "genius" grant.
Yes, she's that cool.
There's More: If that wasn't enough, Widder was the first scientist to capture a giant squid on film in its natural habitat. Using some of her new techniques at observing undersea life -- using LED lights, for example, to mimic bioluminescent jellyfish -- she's lured as-of-then new and unobserved species of squid to her cameras.
Media: Google Edith Widder, and you'll find plenty of media featuring the scientist, most notably a series of TED talks and at least one National Geographic video. A Discovery Channel special was made of Widder's discovery of the squid.
Oh, and some random dudes here in Erie interviewed her for a podcast.
