Tune in to Nat Geo this Thursday January 21st for ‘Dangers of the Deep’, where a number of challenges faced with manned exploration will be discussed. The below preview hits the nail on the head in commenting how our understanding the oceans is somewhat lacking given the limitations on humans ability to spend time underwater.

This program is somewhat timely given the goings on in the field of manned seafloor habitation, and implementation of advanced autonomous manned diving systems. There will forever be the argument for robotics…largely from folks that have not spent enough time underwater to see the value in placing humans there. The one thing that a robot will never replace is our innate sense of surprise, and human response to this surprise. The ability to react to observations in real-time, gather information that was not part of the pre-program, and implement our creative abilities in the moment of discovery cannot be replaced. This alone is justification for humans taking next steps.

Well, tune-in on the 21st, and stay tuned for some of the magic that is yet to come…