Treating the Universe to a Cup of Coffee, or Two | Jessica Gaskin | TEDxModena Women

The link between space exploration and its value to individuals and society feels increasingly tenuous for some. This might be due to various reasons, such as socioeconomic concerns, complacency in our ability to explore space, or a perceived lack of effort to push our boundaries. As humanity innovates to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Universe and prepares to work and eventually live beyond Earth's immediate vicinity, this talk examines the return on investment and the tangible benefits of our endeavors, especially as the costs of exploration grow beyond that of a simple "collective cup" of coffee. For over 20 years, Dr. Jessica Gaskin has been exploring the cosmos as a NASA astrophysicist. She doesn't just study the Universe; she invents the tools to see it in brand new ways, creating groundbreaking technologies to view everything from the most powerful and violent events in space to imaging the surfaces of planets. She has led projects, like flying a powerful X-ray telescope on a massive balloon high into the atmosphere and designing a future observatory for the International Space Station. Now, she's at the forefront of a monumental task: helping to define the next generation of great space telescopes that will follow in the footsteps of legends like Hubble, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the James Webb Space Telescope. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx