I’m joining the Malaspina expedition, a Spanish oceanographic cruise circling the globe in the wake of Alessandro Malaspina’s 1789-1794 exploratory voyage (http://www.expedicionmalaspina.es). I will embark on the Hespérides in Cape Town later this week bound for Perth, a months’ voyage across the Indian Ocean, all told. During the cruise I’ll be writing about the science … Continue reading Malaspina Expedition: Gearing up
I am a journalist covering global development by way of science and technology. I also translate Spanish to English and do some scientific manuscript editing. As a journalist I have worked with IEEE Spectrum, Scientific American, Rethink, and many other magazines: Examining energy subsidy reform in India, from booming downtown Mumbai to rural Rajasthan, for Nature Energy. Visiting the … Continue reading Lucas Laursen
Creatures in chloroform, musty maps, and navigation by brass instruments. That was ocean exploration 18th-century style. Nowadays it’s satellite links, mandatory life vests on deck, and flow cytometers measuring minute lifeforms from the murk below – a very different kettle of fish. The España Explora. Malaspina 2010 exhibition juxtaposes two Spanish expeditions launched over 200 … Continue reading Ocean exploration, from empire to empirical
Here’s my overview story about the Malaspina expedition for Nature’s news section. See the original at Nature’s website [html] or as it appeared in print: [pdf]. In the age of networked buoys and remote-sensing satellites, a global oceanographic cruise might sound like a relic from the golden era of exploration. But the seven-month trek of … Continue reading Spain’s ship comes in
