six remarkable young scientists squeezed through a 12 meter crawl down a chute 18
through a 12 meter crawl down a chute 18
through a 12 meter crawl down a chute 18 centimeters wide to get these fossils of
centimeters wide to get these fossils of
centimeters wide to get these fossils of a new species of early human ancestors
a new species of early human ancestors
a new species of early human ancestors Homo Naledi it’s really unusual to see
Homo Naledi it’s really unusual to see
Homo Naledi it’s really unusual to see all women scientists in these kinds of
all women scientists in these kinds of
all women scientists in these kinds of situations where you are expected to
situations where you are expected to
situations where you are expected to enter into and work within what might be
enter into and work within what might be
enter into and work within what might be considered a fairly risky or dangerous
considered a fairly risky or dangerous
considered a fairly risky or dangerous situation ordinarily it’s the men
situation ordinarily it’s the men
situation ordinarily it’s the men jumping at these things but I think
jumping at these things but I think
jumping at these things but I think because of the size limitations on
because of the size limitations on
because of the size limitations on getting down into the site women were
getting down into the site women were
getting down into the site women were given more of a chance to sort of get
given more of a chance to sort of get
given more of a chance to sort of get their foot in the door no command center
their foot in the door no command center
their foot in the door no command center this is morning at the top of the chute
this is morning at the top of the chute
this is morning at the top of the chute I’m just about to descend thank you bye
I’m just about to descend thank you bye
I’m just about to descend thank you bye you start by descending down fairly
you start by descending down fairly
you start by descending down fairly narrow shaft and some tunnels you have
narrow shaft and some tunnels you have
narrow shaft and some tunnels you have to crawl on your stomach for about three
to crawl on your stomach for about three
to crawl on your stomach for about three meters then you enter into another
meters then you enter into another
meters then you enter into another chamber this is what we call the Dragons
chamber this is what we call the Dragons
chamber this is what we call the Dragons backhand with a four or five meter drop
backhand with a four or five meter drop
backhand with a four or five meter drop on either side at the top of the chute
on either side at the top of the chute
on either side at the top of the chute you start the 12 meter descent into the
you start the 12 meter descent into the
you start the 12 meter descent into the chamber you then go through another
chamber you then go through another
chamber you then go through another passageway into the main fossil chamber
passageway into the main fossil chamber
passageway into the main fossil chamber the first thing that came through my
the first thing that came through my
the first thing that came through my mind when I went through the final slot
mind when I went through the final slot
mind when I went through the final slot was Howard Carter opening Tutankhamun’s
was Howard Carter opening Tutankhamun’s
was Howard Carter opening Tutankhamun’s tomb and Lord Carnarvon saying what do
tomb and Lord Carnarvon saying what do
tomb and Lord Carnarvon saying what do you see and Carter says things wonderful
you see and Carter says things wonderful
you see and Carter says things wonderful things
god this place is beautiful there is no
god this place is beautiful there is no fine like this anywhere else this is
fine like this anywhere else this is
fine like this anywhere else this is extraordinary on every level it’s almost
extraordinary on every level it’s almost
extraordinary on every level it’s almost hard to put into words what this is
hard to put into words what this is
hard to put into words what this is going to mean for this story that we
going to mean for this story that we
going to mean for this story that we tell ourselves about where we came from
tell ourselves about where we came from
tell ourselves about where we came from we’re really after this story this is
we’re really after this story this is
we’re really after this story this is what excites us it’s not entirely clear
what excites us it’s not entirely clear
what excites us it’s not entirely clear at this point how it got there they’re
at this point how it got there they’re
at this point how it got there they’re so unusual it doesn’t seem to fit any
so unusual it doesn’t seem to fit any
so unusual it doesn’t seem to fit any currently known paradigm for fossil
currently known paradigm for fossil
currently known paradigm for fossil hominins unfortunately the level of co2
hominins unfortunately the level of co2
hominins unfortunately the level of co2 within this particular chamber of the
within this particular chamber of the
within this particular chamber of the cave system has spiked to a critical
cave system has spiked to a critical
cave system has spiked to a critical point so we need to leave we’re not all
point so we need to leave we’re not all
point so we need to leave we’re not all suffocating we need to get to the
suffocating we need to get to the
suffocating we need to get to the surface
surface
surface co2 zapped 2300 this first couple of
co2 zapped 2300 this first couple of
co2 zapped 2300 this first couple of days were probably some of the hardest
days were probably some of the hardest
days were probably some of the hardest most difficult days of their life
most difficult days of their life
most difficult days of their life physically because I was scared to leave
physically because I was scared to leave
physically because I was scared to leave people down there for too long I was
people down there for too long I was
people down there for too long I was trying to rotate them out which worse
trying to rotate them out which worse
trying to rotate them out which worse than to climb in and out this torture is
than to climb in and out this torture is
than to climb in and out this torture is bad and they of course we’re like horses
bad and they of course we’re like horses
bad and they of course we’re like horses chomping at the bit to get in there and
chomping at the bit to get in there and
chomping at the bit to get in there and get over ready to get out ready to go
get over ready to get out ready to go
get over ready to get out ready to go back in have a glass
to be face-to-face with these fossils
to be face-to-face with these fossils and to be touching them and handling
and to be touching them and handling
and to be touching them and handling them it’s very humbling and so just
them it’s very humbling and so just
them it’s very humbling and so just being able to be a part of this find is
being able to be a part of this find is
being able to be a part of this find is a wonderful honor
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