Space exploration has given us spin-offs from freeze-dried food to cordless vacuum cleaners, but what has exploring the oceans ever done for us? In this talk, Jon Copley counts down some of the spin-offs from studying the ingenuity of nature beneath the waves, from better crash-helmets based on the shells of “scaly foot” snails at scalding hot springs on the ocean floor, to healthier ice cream thanks to an antifreeze protein in a deep-sea fish. From some of the largest creatures in the ocean to the microbes in a drop of seawater, this talk counts down examples of how exploring life on our blue planet has so much to offer for our everyday lives and our future.

Speaker: Jon Copley