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Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> welcome to forum<\/em>. I’m Alexis Madrigal. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has always wanted to go to Antarctica. Something about the sheer strangeness of the landscape and the remoteness of the place, something about the lack of human depravity, something about the sheer challenge of getting there and surviving.<\/p>\n This morning’s guest, Ariel Waldman, not only spent two months in Antarctica with a research team, but she also managed to film a full-scale documentary on her own with a wealth of cameras. The first episode of the work is life on earth<\/em>debuts tonight on PBS. welcome to forum<\/em>Ariel.<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> Thank you so much for having me. I’m really happy to be here.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> And of course, PBS should say KQED TV. perfection. Now let’s talk about going to Antarctica. I’m just going to live vicariously through you. How were you allowed to leave the country? How did you get there?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> I agree. Therefore, it will take several months to obtain permission to travel to Antarctica. It is necessary to obtain a physical qualification called “PQ’d”. For this reason, you will be required to undergo all kinds of tests, including a doctor’s consultation, blood draws, and medical examinations. That’s all the preliminary content.<\/p>\n However, actually going to Antarctica is a journey that can take several hours or even days. I’m flying all the way to New Zealand from my home in San Francisco. And from New Zealand, it takes eight hours by C-130 military aircraft.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> Wait a minute, what does it look like inside?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> The C-130 is narrow. It wasn’t meant for passengers. There are no seats, just a cargo net. That’s how we travel for 8 hours.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> When you say “no seats”, does that mean there is a net and you sit on it?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> You sit on the net.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> Like a hammock?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> When you sit on the net, it will be filled to the brim. There’s not even room to put your feet together, so you’ll literally be knee-crossing your fellow passengers. That means you’ll be intersecting with everyone on the plane for eight hours. By the way, there are no toilets.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> Wait, what do you use that for?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> There’s literally a bucket of paint, and there’s a curtain around it. That’s the only place you need to go to the bathroom for eight hours.<\/p>\n This journey can take more than 8 hours, as you may encounter very bad weather and be unable to land in Antarctica, forcing you to boomerang back to New Zealand. Then you should try again the next day.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> oh my god. So, does that mean there’s no snack?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> They give you a small packed lunch, but yeah, it’s pretty barebones.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> It’s like “Meals Ready to Eat” and is very military in that sense. oh. That’s very interesting. So who are you there with? You have support staff as well as other scientists, right?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> yes. A lot of staff, a lot of support personnel, a lot of scientists. Because the New Zealand and American bases are so close, many Kiwi researchers gather together with Antarctic researchers and they all jump together.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> So what did you go there for? What kind of research were you involved in?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> I was part of the McMurdo Arid Valley Long-Term Ecological Research Team, but this is just a tidbit. They’ve been studying this Mars-like environment for over 30 years, learning everything about life there.<\/p>\n I was part of the soil team and was looking for microorganisms that could tell us more about ecosystems. Our team is known as the “bug keeper” because we are always looking for nematodes.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> When people think of Antarctica, they imagine snowy ice and cute penguins huddled together. This dry valley is not like that.<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> No, much of Antarctica is covered in ice, up to 3 miles thick in some places. It’s larger than the United States and Mexico combined, and 98 percent of it is covered in ice.<\/p>\n However, the largest areas without ice are dry valleys, which are very similar to Mars. This is not due to climate change, but because mountain ranges prevent ice sheets from entering the area. So you get a dry, arid environment where you can actually walk on the continent itself.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> When you say “like Mars,” do you just mean cold, or do you mean something more specific?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> More than one thing. It’s cold, but dryness is important. Humidity is less than 10% and precipitation is rare. There was no rain at all, only occasional light snow.<\/p>\n Also, due to its proximity to the South Pole, there are six months of complete darkness and six months of complete light.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> oh. The C-130 drops off at McMurdo Station. What are the accommodations like?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> The first week will be spent in McMurdo. Everyone has to undergo training, including survival training, environmental protocols, learning how to camp, and what to do if you get stuck in a storm.<\/p>\n Therefore, the first week is a continuous preparation.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> Was it scary?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> No, it’s because of the training. You are never alone and always know what to do. The U.S. Antarctic program is very thorough.<\/p>\n When you are dropped off by helicopter, you will be given a survival bag, so if you cannot be picked up due to a storm, you can camp and survive on your own. Everything is carefully planned.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> What’s in your survival gear?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> Basic survival camping equipment for hunkering down, including food, tent, and cooking equipment.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> There’s a great shot in the documentary of a helicopter flying over the ice. Can you see anything under there?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> That’s right, on the sea ice you can see tiny specks of penguins, seals, and even killer whales. It’s full of thrills.<\/p>\n However, the situation is different once you enter the dry valley. A hundred years ago, explorers called it the Valley of the Dead. Because it looks like nothing lives there. Occasionally, mummified seals and penguins are found, animals that have wandered into the area and are no longer able to survive. It can be stored for decades in dry conditions.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> oh. When the helicopter drops you at this location, there is footage taken by a drone. It’s just you and a few people and nothing else for miles. Was it scary?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> No, I repeat, you are well trained. It’s not scary, it’s just…alien.<\/p>\n The strangest feeling is thinking, “No one will believe this.” Every footstep echoes and feels like another planet, but this is Earth.<\/p>\n I wish I could have taken more people there to experience it. That’s why we created this series. Because words alone can’t convey it.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> We talk to documentary filmmaker and National Geographic explorer Ariel Waldman about her new series. life on earth<\/em>investigating the ecosystems of the Antarctic and North American prairies. It will premiere tonight on PBS.<\/p>\n Involve your listeners in the conversation. Have you ever been to Antarctica? Do you want to go? Call us at 866-733-6786 or email us at forum@kqed.org.<\/p>\n Has spending time in a Mars-like dry valley changed your thinking about humans going to Mars?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> absolutely. I served on a National Academy of Sciences committee that considered the sustainability of human spaceflight and the feasibility of a Mars program.<\/p>\n Many people think that getting to Mars is one step harder than going to the Moon, but it is much more difficult. The distance, the atmosphere, it’s a big leap.<\/p>\n It’s possible that humans could someday land on Mars, but it will take huge amounts of money, political will, and international cooperation. This cannot be done by one country alone.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> Why are there multiple countries?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> Because it will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over several decades. Even the United States would have a hard time doing it alone.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> So why not Elon Musk?<\/p>\n Ariel Waldman:<\/strong> You’re not alone. We need your cooperation. And if you’re paying attention, even he’s shifting his focus towards the moon. I think he faces some of those challenges.<\/p>\n Alexis Madrigal:<\/strong> We’re talking with Ariel Waldman about her new documentary series. life on earth<\/em>. After the break, you’ll learn more about the Antarctic ecosystem, and our own.<\/p>\n Call us at 866-733-6786. I’m Alexis Madrigal. stay tuned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n