Exploring the Invisible: Climate, Caves and Culture

Wrapping up a week of events leading up to UM President Julio Frenk's inauguration on January 29, 2016, ten 'Cane Talks were held earlier the same day showcasing renowned faculty, students, and alumni. The thought leaders gave ten-minute lively presentations on a host of topics and questions the world faces in the coming century.

Noted explorer Kenny Broad, professor and chair of the Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society, and director of the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, gave his 'Cane Talk on underwater cave exploration and how the field may provide answers for the future of the earth's climate and freshwater resources.

During the 'Cane Talk, the environmental anthropologist, also a co-director of the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University, highlighted the likeness of cave diving to exploring humans' cognitive biases and perceptions of risk when making decisions under uncertainty, particularly on issues related to the environment and climate change.

Broad, the 2011 National Geographic Explorer of the Year, has participated and led extreme scientific and filmmaking expeditions on every continent.

- Jessica M. Castillo / UM News