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N°12,
Summer 2001 The changing face of exploration Tomorrow’s explorers will have doctorates and hi-tech equipment, as well the courage and ability to endure the world’s most extreme conditions, according to Gilbert M. Grosvenor, whose family has led the National Geographic Society for five generations. In an interview he describes the challenges facing explorers and raises the alarm about what he believes is the greatest environmental challenge facing the planet, population stability. Journey to the end of the world The landscape of the remote Chilean island of Madre de Dios is so stark that veteran speleologist Jean-François Pernette compares it to the moon. He and his team of 24 explorers and scientists battled gales and rainstorms to study the island’s flora, fauna and landforms. But the main attraction for the team was the daunting network of caves beneath the surface where their discoveries included the human remains of ancient nomads and a whale’s skeleton. Space-age art restorer Few careers have so successfully united the disciplines of art and science as that of John Asmus. A physicist specialising in the use of lasers, Asmus has put laser technology to new uses in the restoration and investigation of some of the world’s most famous treasures. Asmus’s legacy will outlast him and his generation: In the case of China’s 8,000-member ancient terracotta army, full restoration using the Asmus technique could take 150 years. Fruit trees come in from the cold Just over ten years ago Uruguayan engineer Rafael Guarga invented a relatively cheap device which can dramatically reduce the devastation of fruit harvests by frosts. The Selected Inverted Sink (SIS) is so effective that it is now being used in Argentina, Chile, France and California, and has drawn interest from agricultural institutions in several countries. Awards news and in brief Who will choose next year’s winners of the Tenth Rolex Awards for Enterprise? Profiles of the Selection Committee members, and updates on past Laureates and on the Rolex Awards website. |
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