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The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice

1,649,359 views | Ariel Waldman • TED2020

In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look.

In this tour of the microscopic world, explorer and artist Ariel Waldman introduces the charismatic creatures lurking beneath Antarctica's massive ice sheet, the largest on earth. From "cuddly" water bears to geometric algae made of glass, Waldman shows how this seemingly barren landmass is actually a polar oasis of life -- if we just know where to look.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Antarctic explorer, NASA advisor

See speaker profile

An artist who's pivoted to science, Ariel Waldman creates multidisciplinary, creative collaborations that explore the world under our feet (and beyond our atmosphere).

Ariel Waldman | Explore

Life Under the Ice

Life Under the Ice is an exploratory tour through the microscopic world of Antarctica, created by Ariel Waldman. The website acts as a virtual microscope, enabling anyone to delve into the invisible world of microscopic creatures in Antarctica — as if you had been shrunk down and were wading through one large petri dish of curiosities. Grab your safari hat and go!

Ariel Waldman | YouTube, 2020 | Watch

"Ariel's Antarctic Expedition"

Ariel spent five weeks in Antarctica to film microbes living under the ice. From how to get to Antarctica to diving beneath the sea ice, this five-episode miniseries reveals the experience of being in Antarctica in a way you likely haven't seen before.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.