Ariel Waldman

Antarctic explorer, NASA advisor

An artist who's pivoted to science, Ariel Waldman creates multidisciplinary, creative collaborations that explore the world under our feet (and beyond our atmosphere).

Why you should listen

Ariel Waldman is the chair of the council for NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program, dedicated to developing long-term aerospace travel concepts. She's the principal investigator of a five-week expedition to Antarctica to film microscopic life beneath the ice and the host and producer of Offworld, a show on Adam Savage's Tested.

Waldman is the global director of Science Hack Day, a grassroots endeavor to prototype science projects based in 30 countries. In 2013, she received an honor from the Obama White House for being a Champion of Change in citizen science.

Ariel Waldman’s TED talk

5:43

Ariel Waldman

The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice

Posted Jul 2020

More news and ideas from Ariel Waldman

Live from TED2020

Listening to nature: Notes from Session 1 of TED2020

May 22, 2020

TED looks a little different this year, but much has also stayed the same. The TED2020 mainstage program kicked off Thursday night with a session of talks, performances and visual delights from brilliant, creative individuals who shared ideas that could change the world — and stories of people who already have. But instead of convening in […]