9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 David Bello: So Victor,[br]what have you been up to? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Victor Vescovo: That's the bottom[br]of the Atlantic Ocean, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I guess I read too much[br]Jules Verne as a young boy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so for the last four years[br]I've led a team to design and build 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what is now the most advanced 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and deepest diving[br]submersible on the planet. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I have the ability[br]to personally pilot it too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So this was us in December of last year 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the first time -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: And nobody's seen that before right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's just you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: No -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 well, now everybody else. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Who does that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Well, I think everyone has seen[br]all the developments the last 10-15 years, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you have a bunch of people that have[br]the means to explore outer space, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 like SpaceX or Blue Origin -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 those guys -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we're going in the other direction. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So it's a wonderful era 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of private individuals[br]spending their resources 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to develop technologies[br]that can take us to places 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that have never been explored before, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the oceans of the world is -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's almost a cliché to say -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 70 percent of our entire planet, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and of that, 95 percent is unexplored. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what we're trying to[br]with our expedition 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is to build and [prove] out a submersible 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that can go to any point[br]on the bottom of the planet 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to explore the 60 percent of this planet[br]that is still unexplored. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: You need a pretty cool tool[br]to do that, right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Right. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now the tool is the submarine[br]Limiting Factor. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a state-of-the-art vessel[br]support by the support ship, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the Pressure Drop. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It has a two-person titanium sphere, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 90 milimeters-thick, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that keeps it at one atmosphere 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it has the ability to dive repeatedly 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 down to the very deepest[br]point of the ocean. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: So like the SpaceX[br]of ocean exploration? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Yeah, it's kind of the SpaceX[br]of ocean exploration, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I pilot my own vehicles. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: You're going to take Elon or ... ? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Yeah, I could take someone down there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, Elon, I don't if you're listening, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'll give you a ride in mine 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if you give me a ride in yours. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: So tell us what it's like down there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, we're talking about a place[br]where the pressure is so intense 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that it's like putting[br]the Eiffel Tower on your toe. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: It's more than that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's about 16,000 psi. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So the issue is we have[br]this titanium sphere 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that allows us to go down[br]to these extreme depths 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and come up repeatedly. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's never been done before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Challenger Deep has been dived twice, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 once in 1960 and once in 2012[br]by James Cameron, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they went down and came back up 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and those were experimental craft. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is the first commercially[br]certified submersible. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It can go up and down[br]thousands of times with two people, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 including a scientist. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we're very proud 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we just took down the deepest-diving[br]British citizen in history 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 just three weeks ago, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Dr. Alan Jamieson of Newcastle University 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who was down with us on the Java Trench. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: So not too much freaks you out[br]is what I'm guessing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Well, it's a lot[br]different to go diving. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If you're claustrophobic you do not[br]want to be in the submarine. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We go down quite a distance 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the missions typically last[br]eight to nine hours in a confined space. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So it's very different to the career[br]I had previous to this, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which was mountain climbing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where you're in large, open spaces, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the wind is whipping, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's very, very cold. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is the opposite. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's much more technical. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's much more about precision[br]and using the instruments 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and troubleshooting anything[br]that can go wrong. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But actually if something[br]really goes wrong in the submersible, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you're not going to know it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: So you're afraid of leaks[br]is what you're saying. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Yeah, leaks are not good, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but if it's a leak that's happening, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 well at least it's not that bad 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because if it was really bad[br]you wouldn't know it -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 again, but -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, fire in the capsule, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that wouldn't be good either, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but no, it's actually a very,[br]very safe submersible. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I like to say I don't trust[br]a lot of things in life, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I do trust titanium, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I trust math 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I trust finite element analysis, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which is how you figure out 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 whether or not things[br]like this can survive 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these extraordinary[br]pressures and conditions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: And that sphere[br]is so perfectly machined, right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is a truly unique craft. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: That was the real trick -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is actually building a titanium sphere[br]that was accurate .1 percent of machine. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Titanium is a hard [mill] to work 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and a lot of people haven't[br]been able to figure it out, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but we were very fortunate. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I've been working[br]with and extraodinary team 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that was able to make[br]an almost perfect sphere, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which when you're subjecting[br]something to pressure, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's the strongest geometry[br]you can possibly have. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So when I'm actually in the submersible[br]and that hatch closes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I actually feel very confident 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that I'm going to go down[br]and come back up. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: And that's the thing[br]you double-check, right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That the hatch is closed? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: There are only two rules[br]in diving a submaring. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Number one is close the hatch securely. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Number two is go back to rule number one. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Alright so, Atlantic Ocean: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 check. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Southern Ocean: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 check -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Yeah, no one has ever dived[br]the Southern Ocean before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know why -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's really, really hostile. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The weather is awful. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The word collision kind of comes to mind. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But we did that one, yes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Glad that's over -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Yeah -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Yeah 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's like you're racing through it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And now the Indian Ocean, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as Kelly mentioned. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Yeah, that was three weeks ago. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We were fortunate enough to 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the first time[br]actually solve the mystery. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if someone had asked me three weeks ago, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "What is the deepest point[br]in the Indian Ocean?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 no one really knew. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There were two candidates, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 one off of Western Australia[br]and one in the Java Trench. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We had this wonderful ship[br]with a brilliant sonar. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We mapped both of them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We sent landers down to the bottom[br]and actually verified -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it's actually in the center portion[br]of the Java Trench, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which is where no one thought it was. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, every time we've completed[br]one of our major dives, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we have to run off [br]to Wikipedia and change it 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because it's completely wrong. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: So it probably takes longer[br]to get down there 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than the time you're able[br]to spend down there? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: No, we actually spend[br]quite a bit of time. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I have four days of oxygen[br]supply in the vessel. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If I'm down there for four days, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 something's gone so wrong[br]I'm probably not going to use it, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but it fell three-hours down[br]to the deepest part of the ocean 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then we can spend[br]usually three or four hours 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then another three hours up, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 so you don't really want to stay in there[br]for more than 10 or 11 hours. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It can get a little tight. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Alright, so the bottom[br]of the Indian Ocean, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so this something that no one[br]besides you has ever seen before -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: This is actually imagery from one[br]of our robotic landers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 On the bottom-right you can actually[br]see a robust assfish -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's what it's actually called -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But you can see from the left[br]a creature that's never been seen before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's actually a bottom-dwelling jellyfish[br]called a stalked ascidian, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and none of them have ever[br]looked like this before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It actually has a small child[br]at the bottom of its stalk, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it just drifted across beautifully. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So every single dive we have gone on, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 even though we're only down there[br]for a couple of hours, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we have found three or four new species 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because these are places that have[br]been isolated for billions of years 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and no human being has ever[br]been down there to film them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or take samples. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And so this is extroardinary -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thanks. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So what we are hoping -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the main objective of our mission[br]is to build this tool. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This tool is a door. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because with this tool, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we'll be able to make[br]more of them potentially 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and take scientists down[br]to do thousands of dives 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to open that door to exploration 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and find things that we[br]had no idea existed. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: And so more people have been[br]to space than the bottom of the ocean. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You're one of three. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You're going to up that number, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you're going to give it away. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Yeah, three people have dived[br]to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [Dios.....] in 1960 with two indivisuals, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 James Cameron in 2012[br]with his Deep Sea Challenger -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 thank you, Jim, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 great sub. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And this is a third-generation technology. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're not only going to try and go down, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 actually in two weeks, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but we're going to try and do it[br]multiple times 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which has never been done before. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If we can do that, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we'll have proved the technology 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that door will not just go open, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it will stay open. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Fantastic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Good luck. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Thank you very much. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 DB: Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 VV: Thank you all. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause)