• Question: Are you interested in space, earth, and beyond? Or perhaps our environment as it grows? If so, what do you think the best thing about it is? I would love to learn from you! :)

    Asked by anon-198901 to Srinath, Natasha, Nana, Luisa, Gautam, Alex on 6 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Natasha Dowey

      Natasha Dowey answered on 6 Mar 2019: last edited 6 Mar 2019 10:59 am

      This is a BIG question! I am really interested in Earth’s environments- it’s my job to study and understand them, not just at present day but back through geological time. By studying processes like volcanoes, and rocks that hold oil and gas, we can protect communities and provide vauable resources to society. The Earth’s environments have been changing constantly since it formed, as the Earth cools itself down (through plate tectonics and volcanic eruptions) and ice caps grow and shrink (which control sea level, which control which landscapes we see, which controls what rocks form where!). And all of these processes were originally controlled by Space- Because everything that has happened to our planet since it formed is because of what it is made of, and the forces upon it, ever since it clumped together from rocky material due to gravitational forces 4.6 billion years ago!
      The best thing about it all is that the more you learn about science, the more you realise how everything is intertwined, that the Earth system of rocks, life, water and atmosphere is all part of the bigger system of our solar system. And chemistry, biology, geology, and physics are all important in studying it.

    • Photo: Marialuisa Crosatti

      Marialuisa Crosatti answered on 7 Mar 2019:

      I am generally interested in space and space exploration but my work is on Earth and its environments. But since I study bacteria some of which colonize humans, I think of people as a environments or ecosystems. Moreover, different parts of human bodis support the presence of different type of bacteria and other microorganisms which make each of us multi-ecosystems

    • Photo: Srinath Kasturirangan

      Srinath Kasturirangan answered on 7 Mar 2019:

      This is a great question! Shows some deep thinking on your part Farheen!! As we think about exploring deep space and sending missions to the outer planets, we should not lose sight of what is happening right here at home. Earth is unique in every way, it is just so amazingly engineered and balanced and has just the right conditions to support life. It is in our interest and interest of future generations to preserve this unique balance. Whatever you may see or hear on the news, clearly human activity is taking its toll on the flora, fauna and the environment. Not to sound too doomsday, but our continuing reliance on fossil fuels and establishing new techniques such as fracking messes with the earth’s make up and can cause a lot of uncalled for side effects which have repercussions all over the world. So while we send man to Mars and space probes to the outer realms of the solar system, let us not lose sight of mother earth and make sure we sustain her for generations to come!

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