Field of Screams

On this episode of Expanded Perspectives the guys start the show off talking about how recently a man named Chris Bertish has become the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a paddle board. This was no ordinary paddleboard. Bertish, a big-wave surfer and sailing enthusiast, worked with naval architect Phil Morrison to create a custom-built 20-foot vessel with a tiny cabin and an even tinier sleeping berth. That’s where he stashed GPS equipment, a satellite weather system, radios, a satellite phone, and an autopilot system. On top of the craft they installed solar panels to keep all those gadgets charged, and Bertish also kept an emergency kit—complete with a life raft and flares—nearby just in case. He also had shark repellant handy, because, well, sharks are scary. The whole getup cost over $120,000 to build. Miraculously, the 42-year-old South African paddled his way from Morocco to Antigua, alone, in just 94 days. That’s 4,500 nautical miles of unassisted and unsupported ocean-faring. Then, A University of Nebraska senior, Brevan Jorgenson, shelled out a mere $700 for open source software that he used to turn his vehicle into a self-driving car. Jorgenson was an early beta-tester for the ucomma.ai, an ultimately unsuccessful company that had hoped to make autonomous driving affordable and easy to apply to any car. While fortune did not side with ucomma.ai, it seems to have smiled upon Jorgenson, who was able to utilize what he knew to let his car drive itself on the freeway.

Then, a popular diving site filled with spectacular coral reefs has been severely damaged in West Papua, New Guinea, after a British-owned cruise ship got caught in low tide and slammed into it. Because of this, It could take years for the reefs to bounce back, and tha may never regain what they originally looked like. Local officials want the company to pay for the damage. The coral reefs are located at Raja Ampat, an Indonesian island chain. On March 4, a 295-foot-long, 4,290-ton ship called the Caledonian Sky ran aground along a stretch of beach, damaging the pristine reefs below. Then, Virginia has made robotics history. The commonwealth is the first state to pass legislation allowing delivery robots to operate on sidewalks and crosswalks across the state. The new law goes into effect on July 1 and was signed into law by the governor last Friday. The two Virginia lawmakers who sponsored the bill, Ron Villanueva and Bill DeSteph, teamed up with Starship Technologies, an Estonian-based ground delivery robotics company, to draft the legislation. Robots operating under the new law won’t be able to exceed 10 miles per hour or weigh over 50 pounds, but they will be allowed to rove autonomously. The law doesn’t require robots to stay within line of sight of a person in control, but a person is required to at least remotely monitor the robot and take over if it goes awry. Robots are only allowed on streets in a crosswalk.

After the break Cam brings up some strange encounters experienced by outdoorsman. Thanks for listening and supporting Expanded Perspectives! Please fill out this free survey to help us continue to bring you the show for 100% free.

Show Notes:

• This Maniac Just Crossed the Atlantic on a Paddleboard
• A Student Spent $700 to Make His Car Drive Itself
• Cruise Ship Smashes Into One of the World’s Most Beautiful Coral Reefs
• Virginia is the first state to pass a law allowing robots to deliver straight to your door
• Podcast Survey

Sponsors:

• GAIA

Music:

All music for Expanded Perspectives is provided by Pretty Lights. Purchase, Download and Donate at www.prettylightsmusic.com.

Songs Used:

• Pretty Lights vs. Led Zeppelin
• Fly Away Another Day
• Can't Stop Me Now
• Country Roads