KQED's Forum A Close Look at the Earth's Tiniest, and its Most Vast, Wonders
Apr 1, 2026
Ariel Waldman, documentary filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer who studies astrobiology and extreme ecosystems, takes listeners from Antarctic Dry Valleys to American prairies. She describes field life and microcinematography, hunting tardigrades and nematodes, and how extreme places inform Mars research. She also contrasts prairie soil biology and discusses warming, microbial transport, and conservation challenges.
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Dry Valleys Are A Mars Like Cold Desert
- The McMurdo Dry Valleys are largely ice-free because a mountain range blocks the ice sheet, creating a Mars-like cold and extremely dry environment.
- Conditions include humidity below 10%, virtually no precipitation, six months of darkness and six months of continuous light.
Mummified Animals In The Valley Of The Dead
- Ariel described flying by sea ice where you can spot penguins, seals and orcas, then entering Dry Valleys where explorers found mummified penguins and seals.
- The dry conditions mummify animals that wander into valleys because there's no moisture for decay.
Filming Water Bears And Rotifers In Glacial Dirt
- Ariel found microscopic animals in Antarctic glaciers and soils including tardigrades, rotifers, and nematodes that can survive frozen conditions.
- She filmed them by gently defrosting glacier dirt pucks in field huts, then placing samples under a microscope.