TOW #24 The Giant Squid

            A recent special on the Discovery Channel documented the first time a Giant Squid has ever been captured on video.  One of the lead scientists featured in this documentary, Edith Widder, gave a TED talk this past February describing how she and a team of scientists managed to capture the elusive sea creature on video.  Widder also founded the Ocean Research and Conservation Association, which is dedicated to protecting aquatic ecosystems.

            During the TED talk, Widder was faced with the task of explaining the complex terminology and machinery used by oceanographers in order to help her audience better understand the process behind the mission.  She effectively did this through the use of both images and audio throughout the presentation.  For example, to describe the types of submersibles that were used to capture the footage, Widder displayed images on the PowerPoint along with audio of the noises that the different machines made while passing over the ocean floor.  Next, Widder made the idea of the project more accessible to the audience through the use of humor.  Due to the fact that scientists are often portrayed as aloof and unable to connect with the average citizen, Widder included humorous footage of their reactions upon first seeing the Giant Squid to illustrate the fact that for these scientists, the challenge of finding the Giant Squid was driven by the same passion that others find in less-scientific pursuits.

            Even though the concept of such a large aquatic animal in and of itself is interesting enough to some people, Widder made sure that the entire audience could understand the excitement she and her colleagues felt during the discovery.  Furthermore, Widder used the idea of capturing the Giant Squid as evidence supporting her belief that ocean exploration should receive the same attention as space exploration.