Tag archives for James Cameron
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NG Kids reporter Trevor Jehl, age 10, attended an event for us today. Here is his report.
On Tuesday, June 11, Mr. James Cameron came to Washington, D.C to talk about the Deepsea Challenger (the submarine he built to go to the deepest spot in the ocean, the Mariana Trench). The submarine is shaped like a torpedo to maximize time to the bottom. The sub is bright green and there are many different things attached to it, such as batteries, cameras, lights, and more.
There were lots of activities at the event, and kids and adults were mulling about for 15 minutes. Then Mr. Cameron came out to speak about the submarine and all the interesting details and facts.
Trevor interviews National Geographic Explorer James Cameron. Photograph by Megan Heltzel
I got to interview Mr. Cameron and ask him some questions. The first was: What was the weirdest thing that happened on the sub/project? The answer was: All the power and computers on the submarine shut down and all that he could do was release weights to go up. That sounds scary, right?
The second question was: Why do you think it’s important to explore? The answer was: Because it’s coded in human DNA and as human beings we need to explore.
Did you know that for a period of time Mr. Cameron was a high school janitor? Also, did you know that if you added up the depth of all the trenches in the world it would equal about the size of North America?
I also got to interview some of the engineers and to ask them some questions.
How did you make the batteries seawater proof? One engineer said that in truth they didn’t, but what they did was put them in cages filled with oil inside (oil and water don’t mix).
How many times did you test the weights that drop to make the submarine float back up? He said that probably about fifty different angles/times.
James Cameron, the movie director and National Geographic explorer-in-residence who made the world’s deepest solo dive last year, donated his DEEPSEA CHALLENGER sub and formed a partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, or WHOI. The scientists at WHOI will work with Cameron to use the sub’s technologies on other research platforms and expeditions.
Learn more about the new partnership on the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE website.
Get to know all the National Geographic explorers with this interactive mural.
On April 15, 1912, the ship R.M.S. Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. The giant ship, said to be “unsinkable,” sank quickly–it disappeared beneath the waves less than three hours after hitting the iceberg. More than 1,500 people died in the disaster, with only 710 survivors. The location of the Titanic was a mystery until National Geographic Explorer Bob Ballard found the wreckage of the iconic ship in 1985.
Sunday, April 15 marks the 100th anniversary of the disaster. The National Geographic Museum is commemorating the event with the Titanic: 100 Year Obsession exhibit. The exhibit takes visitors through Titanic‘s history, from the construction of the ship to the latest findings at the wreck site.
Are you interested in the story of Titanic?
Watch the two-night Titanic event on the National Geographic Channel beginning on Sunday, April 8.
See pictures of the Titanic shipwreck on National Geographic.
Get 10 cool facts about the Titanic on National Geographic Kids.
Read Tamar’s review of the National Geographic Reader: Titanic book on the DogEared Book Blog.
Photograph by Emory Kristof, National Geographic
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron explored the deepest point on the surface of the Earth for about three hours on Sunday before resurfacing. Although Cameron’s expedition to the Mariana Trench’s Challenger Deep location was shorter than planned due to a hydraulic fuel leak in his sub called the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, he was able to get a look at the deepest ocean floor, which he described as bleak. “It looked like the moon,” he said. He didn’t see much in the way of sea life, either. “I didn’t find anything that looked alive to me, other than a few [shrimplike] amphipods in the water,” he said from aboard the research vessel Mermaid Sapphire.
Among the 2.5-story-tall sub’s tools are a sediment sampler, a robotic claw, a “slurp gun” for sucking up small sea creatures for study at the surface, and temperature, salinity, and pressure gauges. Although Cameron had originally planned to collect samples with the sub’s hydraulic arm, the leak made that impossible. Despite the setbacks, Cameron and the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER made history by making the deepest solo dive ever! Cameron, well-known for his films Titanic and Avatar is also an ocean explorer. He dived to the wreckage of the Titanic 33 times.
Read more about James Cameron’s dive on National Geographic News.
Read about the discovery of giant amphipods on News Bites.
See ocean pictures on National Geographic Kids.
Photograph by Mark Thiessen, National Geographic
Did you know that scientists know more about the surface of Mars than about the deepest points of the Earth?
James Cameron, filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer and his DEEPSEA CHALLENGE team are embarking on a voyage to advance the world’s understanding of our ocean’s
vast range of biological and geological phenomena. The historic
expedition to the Mariana Trench’s lowest point, Challenger Deep, which
lies 6.83 miles (10.99 kilometers) below the ocean surface.That is deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. This journey is the first
extensive scientific exploration in a manned submersible of the deepest
spot on Earth. James Cameron will pilot the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER vessel, which is
outfitted for scientific exploration and analysis. He will
conduct tests, collect samples, and document the experience in the
high-resolution 3-D for which he’s known globally.
Visit the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE website.
Check out ocean pictures on National Geographic Kids.
Photograph courtesy Brook Rushton, DEEPSEA CHALLENGE
Two new Explorers-in-Residence were named at National Geographic’s 2011 Explorer’s Symposium: Dr. Enric Sala and James Cameron. Enric Sala is a marine ecologist who studies ocean environments. He was formerly a National Geographic Fellow. James Cameron is a filmmaker who is passionate about exploring.
Read an interview with Enric Sala on National Geographic Kids.
Get to know the National Geographic explorers in the in this interactive mural.
