How we'll find life on other planets | Aomawa Shields
About | Information | History | Online | Facts | Discovery
Astronomer Aomawa Shields searches for clues that life might exist elsewhere in the universe by examining the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. When she isn't exploring the heavens, the classically trained actor (and TED Fellow) looks for ways to engage young women in the sciences using theater, writing and visual art. "Maybe one day they'll join the ranks of astronomers who are full of contradictions," she says, "and use their backgrounds to discover, once and for all, that we are truly not alone in the universe." TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksDirector
Comments
-
Lovely talk and such a passionate woman! Love her enthusiasm and agree with her 100% <3
-
I've met aliens here on earth. Selfish prigs called Republicans - they care very little for humans.
-
bacteria survive extreme conditions - we've sent machines and probes to many places throughout the solar system - examining a simple piece of metal in an electron microscope and you'd see it crawling with bacteria. therefore there is life on other planets. we've contaminated them... or seeded them. whether it can thrive in hostile conditions is another factor. If they find bacteria, it's DNA must be tested against earth bacteria. As it probably came from the mechanism itself.
-
Despite the haters on this thread, there will be kids in need of a role model who'll see this video and be inspired to dream big. Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Dr. Shields.
-
Talk about being melodramatic.
-
Wonderfully done!
-
love her passion!!!
-
She is not african, she is mixed.
-
What she just said is beautiful and if you think of it otherwise... well have a nice day :)
-
racist teaching children of colour, if a white woman said that she'll be sacked and probably sued, but for saying this makes me racist.... NO!.
-
Loved her lecture
-
Simply look into OTHER DIMENSIONS to find life. Life is everywhere! This is from a starship from 4th / 5th density VENUS. - not the 3rd density Venus you'd view through a telescope. Only a very small percentage of the life out there exists in this particular dimension.
https://plus.google.com/108835581930748105868/posts/17JnNy2ZbMu
PEACE ;) -
I've always wondered why they all assume that the only way for life to exist on another planet is by it having similar characteristics to earth.
Wouldn't it be possible for maybe matter we don't even yet know exists to develop and grow from what is available in its vicinity to become some unimaginable sort of life?
Is this a stupid question? -
If we are just carbon atoms living off hydrogen and oxygen, then why do we form these complex thoughts and feelings? Why do we think and create? Aren't we just globs of matter?
-
She looks like Michelle Pfeiffer.
-
she's so good at public speaking omg
-
She definitely demonstrated her acting abilities at the end.
-
All these people making these ignorant comments that Dr. Shields is a racist need to go to the Rising Star Girls website. Go to the gallery and you will see pictures of guess what...white girls. In fact, the logo of the organization is three girls ranging from white to black. Yes, it is a girls' organization, but men are encouraged to go into these fields early on and are not underrepresented in science by any stretch of the imagination. Women are, and groups like these try to rectify that by producing interest in the field while they are still young. Not controversial at all.
-
Uh... what just happened? She got very emotional very quickly and I honestly don't understand why.
5m 26sLenght
2383Rating