Jani Radebaugh from the Department of Geological Sciences delivered this week's forum address filled with personal experiences of exploration and discovery on Tuesday, July 28.
Radebaugh shared experiences of her field studies in Ethiopia, the island of Vanuatu, Egypt and Antarctica and how humans have always yearned for exploration.
'What is it about the human spirit that makes us willing to sleep on rocky ground, to bear the heat and cold and hunger, and actually relish that experience, because we know we can see this amazing thing?' Radebaugh said. 'We explore so that we may discover.'
Radebaugh explained that we are discovering more and more about space and other planets and our Earth as well. She shared how these explorations can 'evoke strong emotions' and that actually visiting a place leads to more discovery.
'Just seeing or visiting a place for the first time can completely change how we think about it,' Radebaugh said.
Exploration does not come without cost, but according to Radebaugh, the experiences are worth it. She hopes students will have a desire to explore and invited them to try it out.
'I believe the best way to ignite this fire in you is to bring you into the field,' Radebaugh said. 'We hope that as we go out to explore, we bring with us open-mindedness, so that we can to ready to discover.'