VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 295
AIR DATE: 09 08 2023
FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

OPEN
((VO/NAT/SOT))
((Topic Banner))
Impact Artist
((SOT))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
Art for me is not just a beautiful object. It is a tool for us to transform our inner and outer lives.
((Animation Transition))
((Topic Banner))
Sculpting Statues
((SOT))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
It’s really enjoyable to see people with your work, standing around, talking about it, and knowing that it will continue long after I'm gone.
((Animation Transition))
((Topic Banner))
A Walk in the Woods
((Open Animation))

BLOCK A

((PKG)) IMPACT ARTIST
((TRT: 07:20))
((Topic Banner: Impact Artist))
((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Zdenko Novacki))
((Additional Camera: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 1 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 0 male))
((Blurb:
Defying physical limitations and societal pressures, Aida Murad found a unique voice in her healing journey as a Spiritual Artist, transforming the inner and outer lives of those around her through her impactful creations.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
Mental health is really important to me. And the intersection of mental health and art is extremely powerful and important. So I always say that art is not meant to be a luxury. Art is a critical tool for all of us to help us with our inner and our outer lives. Art helps us foster this, this contained emotions,
((Courtesy: Aida Murad))
not just foster them, but help whatever needs to come out, come out,
((End of Courtesy))
because our body stores emotions, stores memories. ((NATS/MUSIC))
Through art, I process my emotions. I connect through the beyond.
It's a form of meditation. It is a form of enjoyment. It is a form of self-love. It is a freeing experience.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
I remember the first day I painted, which was in 2014. And I painted that day because of two really sad news. One is, doctors said I’ll likely never use my hands again because I was having bone erosion, which I have now in this hand, though, which means that they're, they’re just permanently damaged. And they said at the rate that you're, the damage is happening, you'll likely never use your hands again. And at the same time, I was applying for jobs and people asked me, “Why should we hire you?” And I didn't have, again, the mental health language to say I am depressed. I just said, “I have no idea why you should hire me” because I genuinely thought, “I don't know what's special about me. I have no idea.” And again, I didn't know I was depressed at the time. So, after I left that interview, and with the news from the doctor, I was just like, “I have a unique fingerprint.” Like, “God, show me what is unique about me. There must be a reason why I'm here.” So, I just ended up going to the art store. And you know when you just walk somewhere, you don't really realize what you're doing. You're just somehow there. So I buy paint and I just repeat. I think for hours, just painting with my finger, trying to figure out, “Maybe if I keep repeating this, I will understand why I’m here.”
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
I always say, arthritis and that period was the worst but best part of my life. And I had it for about four and a half years. It came in two episodes.
So I identify myself as an Arab American, and
((Courtesy: Aida Murad))
I'm so proud to hold both cultures
((End of Courtesy))
in my way of being today.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
There are a lot of hard times in this process of being an artist. And even just living in this modern world, there's a lot that's hard.
But I would say, if I were to focus on the artist’s narrative, the hardest part was my mentality,
which was switching from the societal narratives that have been imprinted on us, which are: You have to be a starving artist. That if you are an artist, you will likely make little to no money. Or, if you are to be an artist, like they show this in film a lot, that you will create your best work when you are on substances or when you're depressed. And again, I've been through depression. I didn't want to go there again. I don't believe in substances. So, I didn't want to be any of these. I didn't want to be a starving artist, I didn't want to be an artist on substances, and I didn't want to be depressed. So, I was like, “How else can I be an artist?
((Courtesy: Aida Murad))
What, is there another way?” So just to even reprogram that, it took a lot of breaking down
((End of Courtesy))
and community to help me say, show me that, “Hey, Aida, you can do art and you can be thriving.”
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
So I'm the first artist in residence at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ah, part of my experience there, I would tell you a story that really stuck with me. So, after I installed all the paintings in the waiting room, I was just sitting there and watching the patients. And then, I met Sandra, who is a cancer patient there. And she just said, “Hey, are you the artist?” I said, “Yes”. And she's like, “I chose to sit next to this green one.” She's like, “It helps me feel calm.” And that sentence is everything. And then she proceeded to tell me about how difficult her journey has been. And when we dove into the art, she was just like the, “It's these small things that are actually not small.” Because they're smaller, you can design the experience to have people, I don't want to say look forward to coming, right? Because no one looks forward to, or at least I don't look forward to going to the doctors. But, this is where the arts comes in, to help ease the process and make it a bit more enjoyable and calming.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
I've helped people, who are going through deep depression, just paint with their bodies in my studio, to let it out. Because there are not enough safe spaces in this world that allow you to process the things that you try to shove in deep down inside because you're ashamed of them. So I actually say, “Come. Come with your anger. Come with your fear, and let's lay it out. Let's have a conversation with it.” Because only after you can have a dialogue with it, can there be space for joy to come in.
((Courtesy: Aida Murad))
That's why I call myself ‘an impact artist.’
((End of Courtesy))
((Aida Murad
Spiritual Artist))
Because art for me is not just a beautiful object. It is a tool for us to transform our inner and outer lives. And it is a tool to help you feel seen, heard, and loved. I mean, how can you put words to something that helps you connect with your deepest desire, or your deepest love, or feel understood?
It's these indescribable, non-verbal things that really, I would say, keep us going.
((NATS/MUSIC))

TEASE
((VO/NAT/SOT))
Coming up…
((Topic Banner))
Sculpting Art
((SOT))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
A lot of my pieces, they are classical figure work. And you're trying to bring out an emotion there, which is mostly through body language.

BREAK ONE

USAGM SHARE
((LogOn Voice Diagnosis Tech (TV/R)
HEADLINE: LogOn: Could Your Voice Help Diagnose Your Next Illness?
TEASER: Technology analyzing thousands of voices may play a role in the future of medicine
BYLINE: Julie Taboh
DATELINE: Washington
PRODUCER: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum
SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, Amy R
TRT: 1:54 & 2:00
[[Voice experts have long known that a person's voice can provide important information about their emotional, physical and mental health. Now a U.S. government-funded project is collecting and analyzing thousands of voices and using artificial intelligence to diagnose illnesses. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.]]
((Courtesy: Allison Long/USF Health))
((NATS – patient’s voice being tested))
((NARRATOR))
Dr. Yael Bensoussan examines the vocal cords of a patient.
At the University of South Florida Health Voice Center, she treats patients with a range of voice disorders, such as upper airway, voice and swallowing disorders.
And lately, she’s been helping to lead a new project to build a database of 30,000 human voice recordings and train computers to detect diseases through changes in the human voice.
((Radio track: She spoke with VOA via Skype.))
((Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist)) ((SKYPE))
Not only to build that data, but also to develop the guidelines on how to share that data, how to collect that data, and also how to use that data for future AI [artificial intelligence] research. ((Courtesy: Weill Cornell Medicine))
((NARRATOR))
She works with a team of 45 investigators across 12 different universities in North America as well as a startup in Europe. ((NATS - Parkinson’s voice demo, Text on graphic: "Parkinson's disease"))
They study voice samples to help them detect illnesses like Parkinson’s disease…
((NATS - Glottic cancer voice demo, Text on graphic: "Glottic cancer"))
((NARRATOR))
cancer…
((NATS - Vocal fold paralysis demo, Text on graphic: "Vocal Fold Paralysis"))
((NARRATOR))
And voice disorders such as vocal fold paralysis…
The team also studies mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
((Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist)) ((SKYPE))
So when somebody is depressed, sad, has anxiety, of course their speech changes.
((NARRATOR))
((Courtesy: NIH))
The study is one of four data-generation projects funded by the National Institutes of Health's Bridge to Artificial Intelligence program, designed to use AI to tackle complex biomedical challenges.
((Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist)) ((SKYPE))
They realized that there was such a big gap between the technology that we had available, and the clinical knowledge, and what we use in clinical care in our hospitals.
((NARRATOR))
And doing it while maintaining participants’ privacy.
[[Radio track: Grace Peng is one of the coordinators of the National Institutes of Health’s Bridge2AI program. She spoke with VOA via Zoom.]]
((Grace Peng, National Institutes of Health)) ((Zoom))
We want to think about the ethics associated with collecting people's voices. And how do we keep it private? ((NARRATOR))
((Courtesy: NIH))
The study will start enrolling participants in the coming year. ((Julie Taboh, VOA News, Washington))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))

BLOCK B

((PKG)) JEFF HALL, SCULPTOR WHO CHALLENGES HIMSELF

((TRT: 08:05))
((Topic Banner: Sculpting Art))
((Reporter: Faiza El Masry))

((Camera/Editor: June Soh))
((Map: Lovettsville, Virginia))
((Main characters: 0 female; 1 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 0 male))
((Blurb:
Sculptor, Jeff Hall, spends most of his time doing what he loves most, working in his studio, a century-old tin-roof barn. Hall finds freedom in challenging himself, going from one medium to another. The happiest moment for him is when any of his sculptures, displayed locally and nationwide, become an integral part of people’s everyday life.))

((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
This is bonded bronze. It's 80% bronze powder and 20% resin. And so when you mix the bronze powder with the resin and you pour it in a mold, all the bronze powder falls to the surface.

((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
I'm Jeff Hall. I'm a sculptor, and we're here in my studio about an hour outside of Washington, D.C.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
It's very country. We moved here in [19]85 to an abandoned farm. And the idea at the time, because I had a lot of art school friends from the Maryland Institute College of Art, that's where I graduated in Baltimore, and we moved out here, we were going to start an art commune. And the place needed a lot of work. We had to strip this barn. It was built a hundred years ago. From there, all my friends kind of dispersed. They all went their own ways. And so, I was just here making art by myself.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
Some sculptures just develop. You start them, and as you live with it, you add to it and it changes just from life. You know, as you go through life, you see different things, and then with this in mind, you want to apply that part of your experience in life to the piece. I started with this, you know, seeing a guy come out of the water and I thought the splash was great. So, I've gotten that far. Exactly what he's doing, I'm not sure yet, but it'll come to me.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
I started out as an airbrush artist, and then when I went to school, I started doing more woodworking there. I took those, which is working 3D, and found that to be a challenge and much more interesting. And when I would do wood projects, I'd build a little clay model. And then eventually I decided that I liked the clay better than working with the wood. And I slowly evolved from that into sculpting the figure,
((Courtesy: Jeff Hall))
which I really took off from Frederick Hart. He's a well-known sculptor.
((End Courtesy))
He did the facade at the National Cathedral, and he did the Vietnam soldiers. And I worked with him for 11 years and really developed sculpting the figure with him.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
Fabrication from scratch, I probably started that five years ago.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
Virginia Beach put out a national call for a Skate Park sculpture and this was the winning design. I won this from a national competition.
This is the model for the Skate Park piece. The bottom will be lit, so light will come through here. That’s what the yellow part is. And then this is the Skate Park. Skaters doing various tricks on skateboards, bikes. And so this will be mounted on top of this piece here and sort of look like this. This is standard steel, cold rolled steel. Took me about seven days to cut all these squiggles out. So, this part is finished and painted and I'm still working on the base.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
When I finish one project, I feel so fired up. It's very exciting and gratifying and it just makes me want to start the next project.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
This piece is part of the City of Angels series. It's classically sculpted. [I] do the layers of stucco over brick. It mimics different parts of human emotion or the strength of someone underneath their exterior. It also shows part of my process of building an armature, which would be the brick, and then laying over clay to sculpt a piece.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
Clay has gone through an evolution. The clay I work with a lot is an oil-based clay. It doesn't dry out and they always use the sulfur in that. And the sulfur on your hands, if you rubbed your eyes, your eye would burn. And it was also really infectious. If you had the tiniest cut, it would infect up, cut really easily. And so, but it had a really nice…the sulfur made it really creamy and really nice to work with. And the new clays without sulfur are kind of crumbly and they're just, you have to warm them up more to get them to be creamy. I finally found one that was, had more wax in it and no sulfur. So, it makes mold making easier. The rubber doesn't stick to the clay as much.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
Now, this is my clay box. It warms the clay. So, when I come out in the studio, it's ready to go, and you need to warm clay to make it nice and pliable.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
A lot of my pieces, they are classical figure work, and you're trying to bring out an emotion there, which is mostly through body language.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
This is one of my favorite pieces that I've created. It's a piece about man's balance with nature. He's balanced on the world. The elements are swirling up around him. There's fish that come up representing the water and they turn into birds representing the air. He has a hoop, trying to get the elements to jump through the hoop and control the uncontrollable. It's about a 20-year project. Glad to see it finally realized to the scale.
This is a replica of a seven-foot bronze that is of Martin Luther King, civil rights activist.
((Courtesy: Jeff Hall))
The bronze piece is in Aurora, Colorado, at the Martin Luther King Library, just outside of Denver.
((End Courtesy))
The real interesting part of doing public work is learning about various people and finding out more about them and what they did.
((Courtesy: Jeff Hall))
There is one, I have one in Washington, D.C. It's of President Kemal Ataturk. He was the first president of Turkey.
((End Courtesy))
I was very proud to get this as my first commission that I won through a competition. It's the only piece on U.S. soil. And there are thousands of sculptures of him all around the world.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
This, my brother said, “You're always so serious with your art.” And so I thought, “Well, I'll create something more amusing.” And it was sculpted partly from a reference from George Burns, where he's a comedian, a well-known comedian. He said, “I’ve been in the business 80 years.” And so I thought of doing a jester, an older jester with all the wrinkles in his face from all the life of laughing.
((NATS))
((Jeff Hall
Sculptor))
This is a model of Stanley Caulkins. He was…him and Arthur Godfrey started the Leesburg Airport in Leesburg, Virginia. He's down in Leesburg on Main Street, sitting on a bench. And he gets a lot of attention, a lot of people sitting, taking pictures with him. So, it's really enjoyable to see people with your work, standing around, talking about it, and knowing that it will continue long after I'm gone.
((NATS))

TEASE
((VO/NAT/SOT))
Coming up…
((Topic Banner))
Artfully Joe
((SOT))
((Joe Baker
Artist))
People love my flower pictures. I've drawn a lot of
sunflowers and roses and other flowers.

BREAK TWO
USAGM
((LogOn Underwater Drones (TV, R)
HEADLINE: LogOn: Underwater Drones Take Off Like Those in the Air
TEASER: The discovery of the Endurance shipwreck in Antarctic waters this year has encouraged hobbyists to take up underwater drones
BYLINE: Genia Dulot
VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot
PRODUCER: Genia Dulot
SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn
TRT: 2:01
[[As they overcome the challenges of operating in water, underwater drones are becoming more available for hobbyists, researchers and public agencies. Genia Dulot reports.)) ((NARRATION))
Jesuit Robotics, a high school robotics team from Sacramento, California, has been designing remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, for more than a decade.
[[For Radio: Charlie Diaz, a member of the Jesuit Robotics team]]
((Charlie Diaz, Jesuit Robotics))
We developed the grippers ourselves, the cameras, our modularly adjustable buoyancy systems.
((BROLL: Shots of Jesuit Robotics team))
((NARRATION))
Jesuit Robotics recently exhibited its underwater drone at a competition in Long Beach, California. Called the Manatee, this underwater drone can map shipwrecks or work on environmental projects.
((Charlie Diaz, Jesuit Robotics))
We have our custom AI detection software. … Our bottom gripper helps us to restore seagrass beds.
((NARRATION))
((Courtesy: FALKLANDS MARITIME HERITAGE TRUST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC / AFP))
Entrancing many, the recent discovery by ROV of the Endurance, which sank in Antarctic waters in 1915. That effort cost an estimated $10 million.
ROVs have been slow to take off among hobbyists, however. Several startup companies are making design changes and adding technology to make drones work better underwater and reduce costs.
Blue Robotics, a Los Angeles firm, works on waterproofing underwater drone parts such as the thruster, which propels the ROV in the right direction, and has added various sensors measuring temperature, pressure and depth.
[[For Radio: Rustom Jehangir is founder and CEO of Blue Robotics]]
((Rustom Jehangir, CEO Blue Robotics))
Instead of trying to protect the motor from the water, why don’t we make a waterproof motor? That’s really the innovation here.
((Courtesy: Blue Robotics))
((NARRATION))
These new underwater drones cannot go to the deep sea, but they are being used in conditions unsafe for human divers, and by hobbyists, says Fritz Stahr, an ocean technology expert.
[[For Radio: Fritz Stahr, a judge at the competition, and chief technology officer at Open Ocean Robotics, a marine technology firm.]]
((Fritz Stahr, Ocean Tech Expert))
The ability for everybody or more people to be that explorer, to be that person who understands what’s going on in their local environment, is really important.
((NARRATION))
Unlike aerial drones, technology has yet to solve the problem of underwater communications. For now, these drones are controlled by a tether.
((Genia Dulot for VOA News, Los Angeles))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


BLOCK C

((PKG)) ARTFULLY JOE
((TRT: 6:38))
((Previously aired August 2022))
((Topic Banner: Nature as Art))
((Producer: Faiza El Masry))
((Camera/Editor: June Soh))
((Map: Bristow, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 female; 1 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 0 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((NATS: Joe and Colleen))
Colleen: So today, you're going to do something from Mimi's Garden.
Joe: I guess but I don’t have to do all of it.
Colleen: Well, you can get started on it. Okay. What colors are we going to need?
Joe: Red. Oh, a dark red orange and yellow and light orange.
Colleen: Yeah, it looks like it goes from dark orange to yellow. And then what other colors?
Joe: Brown.
Colleen: And?
Joe: Green.
Colleen: Green. So, let's go ahead and get some of those colors out.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Joe Baker
Artist))
My name is Joe and I am 21 years old. I did a lot of good arts, like animals and insects and all that. And I did some background paintings. 2003 or something, I think that's when I started. I was in preschool then. I was really, really little.
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s Mother))
He was diagnosed with autism
((Courtesy: Colleen Baker))
when he was just turning four. We suspected some things before that. And at his second-year appointment, the doctor said, “Well, why don't we do something called
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s Mother))
Child Find which, where they do the early screening.”
((Courtesy: Colleen Baker))
I have a daughter also who is five years older than Joe. So, wanting to support her and give her as much attention as I wanted to
((Courtesy: Colleen Baker))
and also give Joe the attention that he needed,
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s Mother))
sometimes that was, that was difficult.
((NATS/MUSIC))
As he got a little bit older and he was diagnosed with epilepsy in middle school, he started to use drawing not only for,
((Courtesy: Colleen Baker))
for fun, but I think it was also a way to cope, a way to process ((Colleen Baker
Joe’s Mother))
maybe some feelings he was having. I still think he does that.
((NATS: Colleen))
Colleen: It might be a tiny bit too much water. That's okay. Put a little bit more paint.
((Joe Baker
Artist))
When my friends and other adults see my art, they say, “Way to go, Joe.”
((NATS: Colleen))
Colleen: You probably have enough to cover that whole thing. Has to dry. This one has to dry.
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s mother))
I was a teacher, an educator. I enjoyed being with the children. And as Joe got into high school and his epilepsy became a little more intense, I found I was just juggling. It just got overwhelming. I think I just got to the point where I knew I had to choose and that there was no choice. It was just to be home with Joe and I had to make that decision. It was not a great time. It was sudden. It wasn't exactly how I wanted to leave teaching, you know. I guess I always planned on retiring but it worked out. It was an adjustment but it definitely brought us some new opportunities.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Joe Baker
Artist))
I started my website like after when I finished and was done with high school. It was like the year of 2019 to 2020. Artfully Joe, it's called now.
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s mother))
I had Joe home for about a year before we started Artfully Joe. And, you know, we were doing things, starting a bank account, and learning about different occupations, and nothing really excited Joe. So, I thought, “Okay, let's take a hobby. Let's take Joe's passion which is drawing, and make it a job.”
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s mother))
But Bonanza is the website where his booth is. And there's a picture of his booth. Right now, he has about 29, 30 items, a lot of which are custom items that people can commission him to order.
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s mother))
He calls me a “momager.” So, I do a lot of those tasks that maybe he would have a little bit of difficulty with or that he really doesn’t prefer to do. He would just like be happy doing the art.
((NATS))
((Colleen Baker
Joe’s mother))
These are some pieces that he's already done in various sizes. Berries and a beautiful botanical that he did.
Joe's expanded into some note cards and we did a Valentine this year. And for 2022, he did a logo, a butterfly for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. And he did a T-shirt also with that logo. And we did some spring insects and farm animal note cards. But this one's going to be a gift. Since this is from my parents’ garden, Joe wants to give this to them.
((NATS: Colleen and Joe))
Joe: I feel very glad about that.
Colleen: We're all done for today. Good job.
Joe: Good job.
((NATS/MUSIC))


((PKG)) NATURE KICKER: A Walk in the Woods
((TRT: 02:04))
((Topic Banner: Nature: A Walk in the Woods))
((Camera/Editor: Jeff Swicord))
((Location: Keedysville, Maryland))
((Description: A walk in the woods during fall as the leaves change color in Keedysville, Maryland.))

CLOSING BUMPER
((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect


BREAK THREE
USAGM SHARE

((LogOn: Space Camera (TV, R)

HEADLINE: LogOn: Giant Camera Focuses on the Invisible

TEASER: Camera will document the universe for 10 years, gathering data for dark energy and dark matter research

BYLINE: Matt Dibble

VIDEOGRAPHER: Matt Dibble

PRODUCER: Matt Dibble

SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, Reifenrath

TRT: 1:55

[[In California, a camera the size of a car is being prepared for its mission: documenting unseen phenomena in the universe. Matt Dibble has the story.]]

((Courtesy: SLAC))

((NARRATOR))

At the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California

((Courtesy: SLAC))

((NARRATOR))

engineers are building the world’s largest digital camera. The LSST camera, as it’s called,

((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA))

((NARRATOR))

will be installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in southern Chile to record images of the night sky over a ten-year period.

((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA))

((NARRATOR))

By observing a wide swath of the universe over time, researchers expect to gain insight into some of science’s biggest questions.

[[For Radio: PhD student Theo Schutt is running final tests on the camera.]]

((Theo Schutt, Stanford University Ph.D Student))

How old is the universe, how fast is it expanding, why is it expanding?
So we're really like going for the 95% of the universe that we basically don't understand at all.

((Courtesy: NASA))

((NARRATOR))

Scientists theorize that 95% of the universe is made up of dark energy and dark matter, which can’t be seen directly.

((Courtesy: SLAC))

((NARRATOR))

However, the effect that dark energy has on its surroundings can potentially be detected if observed over time.

[[For Radio: ...says astrophysicist Aaron Roodman, who leads the camera project.]]

((Aaron Roodman, Rubin Observatory Deputy Director))
We can study it by looking at galaxies, ((Courtesy: NASA))

studying how the light from distant galaxies has been bent by all the matter between us and the distant galaxy.

((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/ Todd Mason Productions))

((NARRATOR))

The camera will record on most nights, essentially compiling a time-lapse movie.

((NARRATOR))

Each image will be made up of about 3 billion pixels, ((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA)) about 300 times the size of a smartphone image. ((end courtesy))

((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory CG: SLAC))

Funded by the US government, the project will share images ((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA))
with international researchers, directing attention to short-lived phenomena as they happen.

((Aaron Roodman, Rubin Observatory Deputy Director))
Within two minutes, we will compare ((Courtesy: NASA))

the objects we see in it — the stars, galaxies, asteroids ((end courtesy)) — with how they previously appeared in prior images. And we will flag any differences.

((NARRATOR))

Researchers are eagerly expecting the unexpected.

((Matt Dibble for VOA News, Menlo Park, California))

BUMP IN ((ANIM))


SHOW ENDS