The Deco-Stop: 004 - No Word for Ocean with Yakup Niyazi

Here’s our fourth episode of The Deco-Stop; a deeper look into the humans behind deep-sea science and technology. We’ve done our science dive, and now it’s time to decompress, and discuss tales at sea, career paths and the social & political aspects of deep-sea science. We have gazed into the abyss, and now it's gazing back at us.

 

Alan and Thom speak with Yakup Niyazi, a marine geoscientist who first saw the ocean at the age of 27. This fourth instalment in the Deco-Stop series, which focuses on the human element of deep-sea research, is an inspiring episode about one man’s journey from the desert to the bottom of the ocean, his challenges, achievements, and the deep community support he received along the way. 

 

Check out our lovely new website, where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

In this episode…

Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, this month we have a heartwarming Deco Stop episode and are again exploring …‘the human element in deep sea stories..’ - Alan 

 

In our fourth instalment of the Deco-Stop series, Alan and Thom speak with Yakup Niyazi about his journey from the edge of the Asian Desert to the bottom of the ocean. An ethnic Uyghur who grew up in the city of Aksu, at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Central Asia, Yakup grew up not only physically but also emotionally and culturally removed from the sea. Yakup's early experiences pose some interesting questions: What is it like to grow up in a culture that doesn’t really have a concept of the ocean, and few descriptive words for the ocean? How do you interact with the ocean if your only experiences are from movies and television? 

 

His incredible story is filled with overcoming adversity, fulfilled dreams, landscapes (and seascapes) that come full circle, and a deeper appreciation of the ocean than most people will ever experience. Despite humble beginnings, Yakup has an impressive roster of achievements and a social circle of supportive connections who only want to see him succeed further. 

 

This inspiring episode reminds us that, regardless of our original circumstances, the world is a vast place filled with incredible opportunities. One day, you might find yourself exiting a hadal submarine,  surrounded by the heartwarming cheers of friends and colleagues, having successfully visited the bottom of the ocean you only saw for the first time at age 27. 

“I was a camel before, from the desert, but now I am a shark swimming in the ocean”- Yakup Niyazi

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Credits

Logo image: Georgia Wells

Theme: Going Home by Harvey Jones

Episode Transcript

Alan: For this episode of Deco Stop, I was always looking for the human (00:12):
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Alan: element in some deep sea stories, and there's one such (00:16):
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Alan: person that I'd like to introduce and make the subject (00:19):
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Alan: of this very episode. (00:21):
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Alan: This is someone who actually (00:22):
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Alan: works here at the Deep Sea (00:23):
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Alan: Center. (00:24):
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Alan: The story goes back about three (00:25):
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Alan: and a half years ago when we (00:27):
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Alan: were advertising for a post-doc (00:28):
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Alan: geoscientist, and we've got a (00:30):
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Alan: few applications, and myself and (00:32):
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Alan: some geology friends got (00:33):
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Alan: together to do a series of (00:35):
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Alan: interviews. (00:36):
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Alan: We ended up getting a call from somebody who at the time was at (00:36):
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Alan: Deakin University asking, could he apply for this job? (00:40):
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Alan: They're not quite finished their PhD yet, but could still apply. (00:43):
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Alan: And they said yes. (00:45):
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Alan: And so we started interviewing this person and the interview (00:47):
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Alan: questions are quite prescribed. (00:49):
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Alan: And so I think sometimes when (00:50):
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Alan: you get to one of these (00:52):
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Alan: interviews, you feel that you're (00:52):
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Alan: not getting the most out of the (00:53):
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Alan: candidate. (00:54):
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Alan: So you throw them a curve ball. (00:55):
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Alan: And in this particular interview (00:56):
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Alan: I said to this guy, if we put (00:58):
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Alan: you on a ship with a multibeam (00:59):
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Alan: echosounder system on it and (01:01):
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Alan: just sent you out to the ocean (01:03):
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Alan: to map it, would you be good (01:04):
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Alan: with that? (01:05):
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Alan: And then suddenly this person (01:05):
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Alan: who you're going to meet in a (01:07):
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Alan: second sort of face just lit up (01:08):
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Alan: and sort of jokingly said, oh, (01:09):
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Alan: where I come from, we don't (01:11):
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Alan: really have a word for the (01:13):
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Alan: oceans. (01:14):
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Alan: I'm just like, what? (01:15):
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Alan: And I think that changed the tone of the entire interview, (01:17):
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Alan: that that one exchange was just like, okay, this is interesting. (01:19):
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Alan: So then we started talking about that, where he was from and how (01:22):
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Alan: he got where he ended up and stuff like that. (01:25):
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Alan: And so to the end of the (01:27):
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Alan: interview, the the person I was (01:28):
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Alan: interviewing with just looked at (01:30):
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Alan: me and said, you've got to get (01:31):
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Alan: this guy, you got to get this (01:32):
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Alan: guy. (01:33):
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Alan: And I'm going, yeah, we got to (01:33):
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Alan: get this guy, and we've got this (01:35):
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Alan: guy. (01:36):
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Alan: We've got to get this guy in the sub. (01:36):
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Alan: And so that was my introduction (01:38):
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Alan: to Doctor Yakub Niazi, who joins (01:40):
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Alan: us today. (01:43):
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Alan: Hi, Yakub. (01:44):
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Yakup: Hi Ellen and Tom, thanks for the nice introduction. (01:44):
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Yakup: Ellen, I'm really happy to be here. (01:48):
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Alan: First of all, there was an article that came out recently (01:49):
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Alan: about you and your journey, going back to what you said in (01:52):
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Alan: the interview about not really having a word for the oceans. (01:55):
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Alan: Could you explain where it is (01:57):
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Alan: that you come from and why that (01:59):
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Alan: relationship with the ocean is (02:00):
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Alan: quite obscure? (02:01):
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Yakup: Uh, so I am from a place called (02:03):
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Yakup: Aksu, which is in the edge of (02:06):
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Yakup: the Taklamakan Desert in the (02:09):
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Yakup: Central Asia, and is a place we (02:11):
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Yakup: live is. (02:13):
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Yakup: The waters are mostly from the (02:14):
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Yakup: ice mountains in Central Asia, (02:17):
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Yakup: the rivers just flowing down and (02:20):
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Yakup: then just disappears in the, in (02:23):
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Yakup: the desert. (02:25):
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Yakup: Um, so our region is one of the (02:26):
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Yakup: places that it's the farthest (02:28):
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Yakup: place from any of the ocean in (02:30):
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Yakup: the world. (02:32):
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Yakup: We actually have the word for ocean in our language, but not, (02:33):
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Yakup: uh, many stories. (02:38):
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Yakup: We do have some kind of sayings (02:40):
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Yakup: or fairy tales about the ocean, (02:42):
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Yakup: but you can count them by your (02:45):
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Yakup: fingers. (02:48):
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Yakup: So it's very limited information about the ocean, not only (02:48):
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Yakup: because it's so far and also like it's not accessible for us (02:52):
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Yakup: traveling or something like that from long ago until now. (02:57):
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Yakup: So we feel like when we say (03:01):
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Yakup: ocean, the information is mostly (03:04):
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Yakup: from the movies or TV shows (03:06):
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Yakup: saying like people swimming in (03:08):
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Yakup: the beach and laying down on the (03:11):
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Yakup: beach, swimming in the shallow (03:12):
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Yakup: water. (03:13):
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Yakup: So I can imagine most of us as (03:14):
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Yakup: imagine the ocean just two (03:17):
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Yakup: hundred meters from the coast (03:19):
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Yakup: to, you know, where they can (03:21):
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Yakup: see. (03:23):
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Yakup: But yeah, the power and the the resource is ocean. (03:23):
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Yakup: We have no idea about that. (03:28):
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Yakup: Even like the animals in the ocean, we only know, you know, (03:31):
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Yakup: everything looks like fish. (03:34):
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Yakup: It's a fish. (03:35):
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Yakup: And then the other animals, uh, we don't know. (03:36):
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Yakup: We don't have any idea about that. (03:40):
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Yakup: So. Yeah, that's, uh, where I'm from. (03:41):
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Yakup: And, uh, that's the previous link between, uh, me and ocean. (03:44):
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Alan: So this is the thing that I think is incredible. (03:50):
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Alan: What age were you when you first saw the ocean? (03:52):
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Yakup: It will be my twenty seven years old when I see the ocean. (03:55):
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Yakup: Yes. (03:59):
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Yakup: Before that I saw kind of the sea, which is like, uh, very, (04:01):
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Yakup: uh, restricted areas. (04:06):
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Yakup: Uh, and the waters are not, you (04:08):
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Yakup: know, not give you the feeling (04:10):
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Yakup: of ocean. (04:12):
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Yakup: It's just, uh, yellow. (04:13):
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Yakup: Very a lot of sediments on that. (04:15):
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Yakup: Yeah, but the real ocean, I saw it. (04:17):
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Yakup: It is, uh, when I was, uh, twenty seven years old. (04:21):
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Alan: So I reckon most people, the vast majority of human beings (04:25):
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Alan: probably don't recall the first time they saw the ocean. (04:28):
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Alan: Right. (04:30):
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Alan: It's just something that most of the world's population live (04:31):
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Alan: probably pretty close to the sea, or at least have been (04:33):
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Alan: exposed to that. (04:35):
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Alan: Do you have a reflection on what that was like? (04:36):
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Alan: You know, that moment when you were like a fully fledged, (04:39):
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Alan: mature, smart adult seeing something which everyone else (04:41):
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Alan: takes for granted and something which is so huge, but seeing it (04:45):
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Alan: for the first time, you know, what did that feel like? (04:47):
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Yakup: Yeah, I feel like, uh, very fresh, even that, Um, bring (04:49):
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Yakup: this, uh, from the ocean, and the, uh, water is like the the (04:55):
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Yakup: the beach or the sand. (05:01):
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Yakup: I was standing was, like, so wet. (05:03):
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Yakup: Always give me a kind of freshness of everything. (05:06):
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Yakup: Even before I saw the ocean, I feel like I don't want to show (05:09):
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Yakup: it, because once you attribute your dream, you feel a little (05:13):
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Yakup: bit empty, right? (05:17):
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Yakup: I don't want to have that kind of feeling. (05:18):
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Yakup: I just want to say, okay, I'm going to the ocean tomorrow. (05:19):
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Yakup: I'm going to see the ocean tomorrow. (05:22):
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Yakup: Yeah. (05:24):
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Yakup: So but when they come, I just (05:24):
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Yakup: jump down and then stay longer (05:28):
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Yakup: in the water, uh, feeling, you (05:30):
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Yakup: know, that the splashing all (05:32):
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Yakup: kind of different sounds and, (05:34):
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Yakup: uh. (05:36):
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Yakup: Yeah. (05:37):
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Yakup: Looking at, uh, what is (05:37):
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Yakup: underneath, looking at the (05:38):
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Yakup: sediments, looking at this, uh, (05:40):
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Yakup: sand ripples under the sea like (05:42):
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Yakup: it's, uh, quite unimaginable to (05:45):
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Yakup: previous me. (05:49):
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Yakup: We always have, like, you know, (05:50):
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Yakup: sand dunes repose or in the (05:51):
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Yakup: desert. (05:55):
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Yakup: But when I see the ocean, it has (05:57):
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Yakup: the same textures, it has the (06:00):
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Yakup: same dunes. (06:02):
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Yakup: So so I then I didn't feel so (06:04):
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Yakup: much unfamiliar or linked to the (06:07):
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Yakup: sea. (06:10):
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Yakup: It's just a changing of the (06:10):
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Yakup: medium from the air to the water (06:12):
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Yakup: that forms this different kind (06:17):
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Yakup: of environment. (06:19):
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Yakup: Uh, the water gives me like a more life and, uh, more, uh, (06:20):
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Yakup: fresh, more moisture. (06:25):
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Yakup: Everything is, uh, quite exciting. (06:27):
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Alan: Your career is obviously very heavily marine. (06:29):
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Alan: You are a marine geoscientist. (06:32):
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Alan: Uh, a very good one at that. (06:34):
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Alan: Did you already decide you wanted to be a marine scientist (06:35):
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Alan: before seeing the ocean, or was it the seeing the ocean that put (06:38):
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Alan: you down that path? (06:41):
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Yakup: Um, no, I can't say it is not because of my choice. (06:42):
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Yakup: It is something I had to. (06:46):
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Yakup: Because, uh, after my graduation, I. I tried to study (06:50):
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Yakup: overseas, but, you know, for graduate students, it's hard to (06:55):
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Yakup: get the scholarship. (06:58):
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Yakup: A lot of logistic and oil (06:59):
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Yakup: company as a geological (07:01):
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Yakup: engineer. (07:03):
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Yakup: But at that time, I was, uh, (07:04):
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Yakup: working, but still keep studying (07:06):
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Yakup: English. (07:08):
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Yakup: Um, so I see no future being an oil engineer in the land. (07:09):
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Yakup: Like, in every day we go out, we do a similar job. (07:15):
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Yakup: Yeah. (07:19):
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Yakup: Just, uh, calculating how much oil we have extracted. (07:19):
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Yakup: And what's the plan? (07:23):
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Yakup: Are we doing factory kind of things, and then, uh, it's, you (07:24):
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Yakup: know, everyone can do. (07:27):
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Yakup: And it's very routine job you do every day and no excitement. (07:28):
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Yakup: So I said, why don't I study or, you know, go to graduate school? (07:33):
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Yakup: For graduate school, we need to (07:39):
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Yakup: take many exams instead of doing (07:41):
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Yakup: that. (07:44):
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Yakup: If I try to study overseas, I (07:45):
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Yakup: just need to take English exam (07:47):
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Yakup: one exam. (07:49):
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Yakup: Yeah. (07:50):
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Alan: So so, so at this point in the story, where are you? (07:50):
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Alan: What country are you in at this point? (07:53):
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Yakup: Um, yeah, it is in China, in the northwest part of China. (07:54):
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Yakup: So, uh, at that time, if you (07:57):
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Yakup: want to do a graduate study, you (08:00):
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Yakup: need to take math, English, (08:03):
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Yakup: your, um, major course, and also (08:05):
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Yakup: politics. (08:08):
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Yakup: Like a lot of, uh, energy, you will need to, uh, consume for (08:09):
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Yakup: preparation for these exams. (08:14):
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Yakup: So instead of doing, like, uh, (08:16):
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Yakup: four or five exams, uh, learn (08:17):
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Yakup: just one subject, take the (08:19):
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Yakup: international English exam and (08:21):
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Yakup: then try to apply overseas (08:22):
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Yakup: universities. (08:24):
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Yakup: And yeah, I was applied, uh, several universities. (08:25):
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Yakup: And then very lucky enough, I (08:29):
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Yakup: got a scholarship from Haifa (08:30):
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Yakup: University in Israel to do a (08:33):
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Yakup: master's student. (08:35):
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Yakup: So I don't know much about the (08:36):
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Yakup: Haifa University, but I know the (08:39):
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Yakup: city was just close to, uh, the (08:41):
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Yakup: Mediterranean Sea. (08:44):
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Yakup: So I guess that maybe we can use the Mediterranean as a (08:45):
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Yakup: mediterranean sea, as a as a natural laboratory to house the (08:50):
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Yakup: earth developed like very good place for studying geology, (08:55):
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Yakup: especially marine geology. (08:59):
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Yakup: The other universities I have (09:01):
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Yakup: applied, they are mostly like a (09:03):
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Yakup: very traditional geological (09:05):
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Yakup: courses. (09:06):
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Yakup: So I wanted to try something a little bit advanced. (09:07):
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Yakup: And then from several universities I just picked up (09:10):
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Yakup: the University of Haifa. (09:13):
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Yakup: So these things are I can say it is not really from my choice. (09:15):
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Yakup: I just pick the ones that who gives me scholarship. (09:21):
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Yakup: So I went there, uh, and then. (09:24):
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Yakup: Yeah, quite, uh, happy from the study over there. (09:28):
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Yakup: Um, as I said, like, they, uh, have access to the Mediterranean (09:32):
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Yakup: Sea and also Dead Sea. (09:36):
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Yakup: Perfect examples to study paleoclimate, uh, plate (09:38):
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Yakup: tectonics and sedimentology. (09:42):
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Yakup: Everything about geology. (09:44):
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Thom: There was a really good story you told about feeling you were (09:46):
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Thom: quite a good swimmer, but most of the water you've experienced (09:49):
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Thom: is sort of glacial melt water. (09:52):
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Thom: And how different getting into (09:54):
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Thom: the ocean felt compared to those (09:56):
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Thom: water bodies? (09:57):
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Yakup: Oh, yes. (09:58):
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Yakup: Um, so we have a like a reverse, which is at most maybe like, uh, (09:59):
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Yakup: twenty meters wide and then, uh, maybe like five meters deep. (10:06):
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Yakup: So when, when I was a child, we, (10:10):
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Yakup: we just, you know, in the (10:13):
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Yakup: summer, we just go with friends (10:15):
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Yakup: and swim. (10:16):
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Yakup: We call it swim. (10:17):
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Yakup: I think, uh, we still can. (10:19):
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Yakup: We still swim, but it's like a different style. (10:20):
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Yakup: And then maybe it actually consumes a lot of energy. (10:24):
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Yakup: It's, um. (10:27):
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Yakup: It's a flowing river. (10:28):
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Yakup: So actually it was. (10:29):
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Yakup: I think it's, like, much easier to swim, uh, because of the (10:31):
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Yakup: water is moving. (10:34):
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Yakup: So I just need to move a little (10:35):
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Yakup: bit, and then the water just (10:37):
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Yakup: push you up, and then you can (10:38):
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Yakup: move around. (10:39):
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Yakup: When I was around the Mediterranean. (10:41):
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Yakup: So we went to the sea like we all are prepared to swim. (10:43):
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Yakup: Go! (10:48):
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Yakup: Go down! (10:49):
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Yakup: Uh, everyone is went down. (10:50):
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Yakup: And I also tried. (10:51):
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Yakup: But swimming in the ocean is really different. (10:53):
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Yakup: And, uh, it's very, uh, make me very tired, you know, like, uh, (10:56):
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Yakup: just swimming a couple of meters and then, uh, I need to go back. (11:03):
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Yakup: When we swim in the river, we just have, like, one position. (11:07):
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Yakup: We always keep our heads above the water. (11:10):
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Yakup: But when I see the other people swimming the ocean. (11:13):
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Yakup: Yeah, they can put their heads under the water and then like a (11:16):
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Yakup: proper swim, you know, but. (11:20):
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Yakup: So it was, like, really (11:22):
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Yakup: different, uh, experience (11:23):
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Yakup: swimming in different water (11:25):
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Yakup: bodies. (11:26):
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Yakup: And, uh, until that day, I was (11:27):
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Yakup: telling my friends, oh, I could (11:29):
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Yakup: swim, I could swim, but then, (11:30):
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Yakup: no, I could swim only in my, (11:31):
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Yakup: like, a village or town (11:34):
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Yakup: standard. (11:36):
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Yakup: But if you put me in the international criteria. (11:36):
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Yakup: No, I'm like a baby, you know, I couldn't swim. (11:41):
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Thom: Sweden and to get the Dead Sea as well, because that place is (11:44):
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Thom: that's a whole other level as well, the salt crystals and how (11:47):
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Thom: buoyant you are. (11:50):
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Thom: Did you get to go in it too? (11:51):
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Yakup: Yes, yes. (11:53):
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Yakup: So it was also like a very unique experience. (11:53):
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Yakup: Actually, we went several times (11:57):
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Yakup: like we have a few trips, as in (11:59):
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Yakup: my supervisor. (12:02):
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Yakup: Uh, yeah. (12:03):
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Yakup: Nicholas Waldmann took us like several students go there and (12:04):
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Yakup: even we do camping around the, around the sea. (12:07):
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Yakup: Uh, there are some, uh, uh, Bedouin tribes in around around (12:11):
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Yakup: the area as well. (12:16):
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Yakup: So we went there, uh, having their food, you know, and then (12:17):
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Yakup: they like, uh, dancing, singing their traditional, uh, songs. (12:22):
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Yakup: It was like, very unique, um, very unique experience coming (12:26):
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Yakup: from center of the desert to the Middle East in the. (12:30):
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Yakup: And then being a guest in the (12:34):
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Yakup: Bedouin tribes, uh, dancing with (12:36):
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Yakup: them. (12:38):
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Yakup: It was like a very unique experience. (12:38):
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Yakup: And at the same day we also went to the Dead Sea collecting some (12:40):
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Yakup: samples, use it to paleoclimate and like sea level construction (12:44):
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Yakup: kind of studies. (12:49):
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Yakup: Then also we went to like a real tour to swim, uh, go inside. (12:50):
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Yakup: So it was a very, very good place. (12:56):
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Yakup: The water is actually very, very (12:58):
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Yakup: clean and then can see that, uh, (13:00):
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Yakup: salts in the crystals under the (13:02):
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Yakup: water, but it's like really (13:04):
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Yakup: salty. (13:06):
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Yakup: And if you put your hands in the (13:07):
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Yakup: water and then if you try to (13:10):
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Yakup: open your eyes, it is the worst (13:11):
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Yakup: experience. (13:14):
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Yakup: And then you need to wash it again and again again. (13:14):
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Thom: And it's unexpected how quickly you float. (13:16):
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Thom: You get up to about your waist and then you bob up like a cork. (13:18):
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Thom: It's it's really strange. (13:21):
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Yakup: Yes, yes. (13:25):
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Yakup: Even the challenge is, uh, diving or sinking in the water. (13:25):
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Yakup: That's, uh, quite different from other other sea or oceans. (13:29):
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Thom: And if you only know fresh water, that is very alien. (13:34):
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Thom: That is a very strange place. (13:37):
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Yakup: Oh, yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. (13:38):
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Yakup: Yeah. (13:41):
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Yakup: It's like from seventy, you (13:41):
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Yakup: know, very low to extreme (13:43):
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Yakup: salinity. (13:44):
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Yakup: It was like, yeah, one extreme to another. (13:45):
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Alan: So I think at the point that we (13:47):
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Alan: first met, at that point, you (13:50):
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Alan: were already in Australia doing (13:51):
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Alan: a PhD. And I think for the (13:52):
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Alan: benefit of the listeners to (13:53):
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Alan: explain that Jakob's story has (13:55):
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Alan: this has another twist to it, (13:56):
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Alan: which I think makes it even more (13:58):
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Alan: interesting. (14:00):
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Alan: And sometimes a little tragic, is that Jakob is from the Uyghur (14:01):
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Alan: ethnic group, and we won't talk too much about the politics that (14:04):
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Alan: goes on there, but they're from northwest of China, and there's (14:07):
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Alan: lots of reasons why there's a very challenging time to be (14:10):
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Alan: where we are from. (14:14):
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Alan: And so you have to leave home, right? (14:15):
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Alan: You have to basically had to leave your country for (14:17):
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Alan: essentially for good. (14:18):
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Yakup: Yes. (14:20):
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Alan: Yeah. I think it's something (14:20):
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Alan: that I remember when we started (14:21):
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Alan: talking when you first started (14:23):
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Alan: here and there was there was (14:24):
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Alan: some stories that came out of (14:25):
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Alan: that which I just thought were (14:26):
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Alan: just insane. (14:27):
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Alan: In this day and age, that that's still a thing. (14:28):
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Alan: I feel that's another thread to the story that that makes where (14:30):
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Alan: you are now even more interesting and even more (14:34):
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Alan: admirable in terms of where you've come as a person And what (14:37):
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Alan: a lot of this probably means to you in one way or another. (14:41):
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Alan: But you started here. (14:43):
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Alan: You're now deep sea guy or. (14:45):
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Alan: Well, let's talk about your PhD for a second. (14:47):
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Alan: What was your PhD on? (14:48):
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Yakup: Um, so my PhD is in marine science. (14:50):
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Yakup: I can say, or marine (14:55):
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Yakup: environmental science because we (14:58):
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Yakup: don't have like a geology (15:00):
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Yakup: department, but we have a (15:02):
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Yakup: paleontology department. (15:03):
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Yakup: So that's, uh, where my PhD from. (15:05):
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Yakup: So it was like co-supervised (15:09):
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Yakup: with my supervisor, who is a (15:11):
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Yakup: habitat mapping person, and then (15:14):
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Yakup: a second supervisor is (15:16):
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Yakup: paleontologist, but third (15:17):
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Yakup: supervisor or my advisory board (15:19):
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Yakup: is from Geological Survey of (15:21):
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Yakup: Victoria. (15:23):
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Yakup: So they are not officially in my, uh, supervisor list, but (15:24):
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Yakup: they gave me a lot of support. (15:28):
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Yakup: So that's, uh, how I become a (15:29):
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Yakup: marine geoscientist or geologist (15:32):
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Yakup: in a school or university that (15:35):
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Yakup: doesn't have a Geological (15:37):
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Yakup: Department. (15:39):
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Alan: So then things start to get (15:40):
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Alan: really interesting here, because (15:41):
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Alan: when we started here, whatever (15:42):
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Alan: it was three or four years ago, (15:43):
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Alan: we were the intention was to set (15:45):
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Alan: up this, this deep sea centre in (15:47):
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Alan: Australia and use a ship called (15:48):
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Alan: Pangea, which was intended to be (15:50):
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Alan: your mapping platform, which it (15:53):
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Alan: was. (15:54):
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Alan: We did a did a couple of good (15:54):
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Alan: jobs on it, but I remember us (15:56):
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Alan: having a conversation about a (15:57):
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Alan: year and a half ago that you'd (15:58):
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Alan: already got yourself on a (16:00):
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Alan: massive Pangea trip out to (16:02):
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Alan: Christmas Island to do loads of (16:04):
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Alan: mapping there. (16:05):
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Alan: You'd already been on Dagon with (16:06):
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Alan: the deepest echo stand in the (16:08):
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Alan: world. (16:10):
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Alan: We just got you on Falkor as (16:10):
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Alan: well to go over to the East (16:12):
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Alan: Pacific. (16:14):
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Alan: I think at the time we just had (16:14):
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Alan: an offer to go and investigate (16:16):
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Alan: as well. (16:17):
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Alan: I think we didn't do that one. (16:18):
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Alan: In the end, it was it was (16:18):
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Alan: getting to the point where it (16:20):
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Alan: was just like, uh, everybody (16:21):
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Alan: wants a piece of Yakub, which is (16:22):
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Alan: great, but. (16:25):
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Yakup: That thing is good. (16:26):
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Thom: Well. (16:29):
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Alan: It's good until you realize how quickly you can generate a hell (16:29):
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Alan: of a lot of data. (16:32):
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Alan: Right? (16:33):
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Alan: And then you're like. (16:33):
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Yakup: Yes, yes, even like that time I was thinking, like, in three (16:33):
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Yakup: years time, I was like almost like four different ships. (16:37):
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Yakup: And then every each of the ship was like, so unique as it's like (16:40):
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Yakup: a world class research ship, you know, like it's so lucky to be (16:46):
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Yakup: to be part of that. (16:50):
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Alan: It just felt for like a year or (16:51):
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Alan: so, you're just knocking off (16:53):
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Alan: every major ship of the world (16:53):
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Alan: just like, oh, here's another (16:55):
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Alan: one. (16:56):
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Alan: And people, people are genuinely saying a lot of biological (16:56):
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Alan: ecology cruises are going out. (16:59):
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Alan: And they say, do you have a geoscientist? (17:00):
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Alan: Yeah, sure. (17:02):
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Alan: And then you go and get them out. (17:03):
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Alan: Yeah. (17:05):
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Alan: And I think the other sort of terminus was I mean, your work (17:05):
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Alan: ethic, I think you're doing so just for the part of the story. (17:10):
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Alan: I think Jack comes in every morning at nine o'clock and sits (17:13):
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Alan: at his desk till five o'clock. (17:17):
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Alan: He very rarely seem to break from that. (17:18):
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Alan: And you just sit there. (17:20):
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Alan: I'm so in admiration of the way (17:21):
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Alan: in which you work, because you (17:23):
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Alan: very rarely come off your (17:24):
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Alan: computer. (17:25):
undefined

Alan: It's just writing, writing, (17:26):
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Alan: writing, analyzing, analyzing, (17:27):
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Alan: analyzing. (17:28):
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Alan: Five o'clock out, gone. (17:29):
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Alan: I just think it's the most consistent people I've ever I've (17:31):
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Alan: ever worked with. (17:34):
undefined

Alan: It's brilliant. (17:35):
undefined

Alan: building. (17:36):
undefined

Alan: And so because and that's part (17:36):
undefined

Alan: because we were generating all (17:37):
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Alan: this data. (17:39):
undefined

Alan: So we have all this stuff from (17:39):
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Alan: across the Pacific trenches and (17:41):
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Alan: some seamounts and everything (17:43):
undefined

Alan: else. (17:44):
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Alan: Well, what spurred this whole conversation on was the last (17:44):
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Alan: expedition that our ship Dagon did before it went to drydock. (17:48):
undefined

Alan: This year, we decided after Antarctica and the Falklands (17:53):
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Alan: escarpment to go and have a little look around some of the (17:56):
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Alan: fracture zones in the Atlantic. (18:00):
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Alan: And I left that expedition to Jacob and Denise from work to, (18:02):
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Alan: to do what they wanted. (18:07):
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Alan: Really. (18:08):
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Alan: So, you know, at that point I had mentally checked out. (18:08):
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Alan: I was like, here you go. (18:10):
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Alan: Have have a trip on the ship. (18:11):
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Alan: Go and do something. (18:12):
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Alan: So tell us about that trip. (18:14):
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Yakup: That trip was, uh, fantastic one. (18:15):
undefined

Yakup: It was my first trip as a co scientist. (18:18):
undefined

Yakup: Denise and I are, like, doing all of the planning, (18:23):
undefined

Yakup: coordination and the necessary permits if needed. (18:28):
undefined

Yakup: It is, uh, quite a lot of work. (18:32):
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Yakup: I never thought, like, you know, chief scientist. (18:34):
undefined

Yakup: This would be so busy. (18:36):
undefined

Yakup: I should like only that other scientists will do the work. (18:38):
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Yakup: But it's not. (18:42):
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Yakup: So I think it's. (18:43):
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Yakup: Everyone is very, uh, worthwhile to everyone to be to be a chief (18:44):
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Yakup: scientist once in a while. (18:48):
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Yakup: So they know the workload. (18:49):
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Alan: Yeah, they know the pain we have to go through. (18:51):
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Yakup: Yeah. So originally we planned it, like. (18:53):
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Yakup: Yeah, we planned everything, uh, diving points, landing points. (18:57):
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Yakup: We put, like, I think we spent, like, quite a period of time, (19:00):
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Yakup: uh, on the planning. (19:04):
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Yakup: But at the end, it doesn't go as we planned. (19:05):
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Yakup: So we had to change our plan to Authentic Fracture zone based on (19:08):
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Yakup: our, uh, next plan. (19:12):
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Yakup: After the expedition, we started this as a from zero again. (19:15):
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Yakup: And then we need to find a good, (19:18):
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Yakup: uh, locations, uh, geologically (19:20):
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Yakup: and biologically. (19:23):
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Yakup: So. Yeah, we choose that, uh, fracture zone. (19:24):
undefined

Yakup: It is quite exciting. (19:27):
undefined

Yakup: We all the people we, uh, (19:29):
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Yakup: gathered in Brazil and then on (19:31):
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Yakup: board. (19:32):
undefined

Yakup: Uh, yeah. (19:33):
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Yakup: Going through the target area, which I think we have spent like (19:34):
undefined

Yakup: four days and night. (19:38):
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Yakup: It's around like one thousand three hundred kilometers away (19:40):
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Yakup: from the port. (19:44):
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Yakup: And then we always had knots per hour. (19:45):
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Yakup: Yeah. (19:48):
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Yakup: So it's like, uh, quite a time to arrive the region. (19:48):
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Alan: Uh, the problem we have with it is that geological problem. (19:53):
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Alan: Because the big trenches, by the nature of subduction and the (19:56):
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Alan: forearc is the trenches are always near land. (19:59):
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Alan: And so you can get to ten thousand meters of water in less (20:02):
undefined

Alan: than twenty hours from the nearest port sometimes. (20:05):
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Alan: But the fracture zones, because they're part of a spreading (20:08):
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Alan: center, they're mid-ocean ridge. (20:10):
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Alan: And so it's just. (20:12):
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Yakup: From any land. (20:15):
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Yakup: Yeah. (20:16):
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Alan: Yeah. So even when we're planning it, next year's (20:17):
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Alan: operations in the fracture zones, every single one starts (20:18):
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Alan: with a four day transit and a four day transit back. (20:21):
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Alan: There just aren't any close. (20:24):
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Alan: Whereas from Guam to Challenger Deep is less than a day. (20:25):
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Alan: Yeah, yeah. (20:29):
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Yakup: Yeah, exactly. (20:30):
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Yakup: Like four days. (20:32):
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Yakup: Yeah. We plant again and again, like everything's changing. (20:33):
undefined

Yakup: I think the most of the (20:36):
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Yakup: unfortunate thing is like when (20:39):
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Yakup: we did our first lander day, and (20:40):
undefined

Yakup: then second day is like a diving (20:43):
undefined

Yakup: day. (20:45):
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Yakup: But that day we found a fishing ship around our expedition area. (20:45):
undefined

Yakup: And then we need to stay away (20:51):
undefined

Yakup: because, uh, we don't know how (20:53):
undefined

Yakup: they are operating and if they (20:56):
undefined

Yakup: are using any kind of net or (20:58):
undefined

Yakup: not. (21:00):
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Yakup: So, uh, we changed our plan. (21:01):
undefined

Yakup: It was like, very nice weather. (21:03):
undefined

Yakup: So we need to go north a little bit. (21:05):
undefined

Yakup: But then the the plan was changed and then our other plan, (21:07):
undefined

Yakup: all the deployments were postponed to the next day. (21:11):
undefined

Yakup: Yeah. (21:14):
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Yakup: Eventually we did two very good diving on the transform fault (21:15):
undefined

Yakup: and then yeah lenders as well. (21:20):
undefined

Yakup: At the beginning we planned like six diving days, but uh, we only (21:23):
undefined

Yakup: did uh, two for many reasons. (21:27):
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Yakup: But it's like a like quite a good expedition especially we (21:30):
undefined

Yakup: are planning to come this region or around this place. (21:35):
undefined

Yakup: So I think it's very good pilot study. (21:39):
undefined

Yakup: We have observed very rich of sea cucumbers. (21:42):
undefined

Yakup: Yeah. (21:45):
undefined

Yakup: Some very interesting geological formations like the sinkholes or (21:46):
undefined

Yakup: depressions we have presented in the conversation article. (21:51):
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Alan: So it was cool because remember when we were organizing this (21:54):
undefined

Alan: idea was to not be involved in this particular trip. (21:57):
undefined

Alan: It was very much to let you and you and Denise decide where it (22:00):
undefined

Alan: is you want to do and how you're going to do it. (22:03):
undefined

Alan: And I think she came to me one (22:04):
undefined

Alan: day and says, how do you decide (22:06):
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Alan: who dives? (22:08):
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Alan: Because, I mean, I kind of do it most of or I have historically (22:09):
undefined

Alan: probably done more than anyone. (22:13):
undefined

Alan: But that's because historically I've been only one there. (22:14):
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Alan: But now there's lots more people in the mix and it's like, that's (22:17):
undefined

Alan: a good point. (22:19):
undefined

Alan: How do you prioritize if you give it to someone who's never (22:20):
undefined

Alan: done it before, but then shouldn't you give it? (22:23):
undefined

Alan: If you've only got one left to do, shouldn't you give it to the (22:25):
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Alan: person who's going to get the most out of it, or the who's (22:28):
undefined

Alan: best at it. (22:31):
undefined

Alan: So it's a difficult one. (22:31):
undefined

Alan: There's no right or wrong answer to. (22:32):
undefined

Alan: How do you decide which scientist goes in the sub? (22:35):
undefined

Alan: Anyway, she came in, she's like, well, you know, should I just do (22:38):
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Alan: the first two and then be like, yeah, I could do the two or do (22:40):
undefined

Alan: one by one. (22:42):
undefined

Alan: And then and I remember just saying, oh that doesn't matter. (22:42):
undefined

Alan: Just put your in it, just do it. (22:45):
undefined

Alan: I think she emailed me actually from the ship and she's like, (22:47):
undefined

Alan: here are my options. (22:49):
undefined

Alan: It's like because that would be a great story. (22:50):
undefined

Alan: It's like, and here we are totally paid off. (22:53):
undefined

Alan: So anyways, yeah, tell us about the dog actually die. (22:55):
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Yakup: I think it was before I go. (22:59):
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Yakup: I know perhaps I do the diving and then I talk to my family. (23:02):
undefined

Yakup: She's saying, okay, I'm a little (23:07):
undefined

Yakup: bit worried, you know, I, I (23:09):
undefined

Yakup: said, don't worry, it's all (23:11):
undefined

Yakup: okay. (23:12):
undefined

Yakup: We have so well experienced technicians pilot. (23:13):
undefined

Yakup: Everyone is like, you know, so (23:16):
undefined

Yakup: experienced and then don't (23:18):
undefined

Yakup: worry. (23:19):
undefined

Yakup: But when I really went to that (23:19):
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Yakup: point, I'm going to inside the (23:23):
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Yakup: sub. (23:26):
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Yakup: I was a little bit worried. (23:27):
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Alan: Well, your first mistake is telling your family. (23:30):
undefined

Alan: You don't tell your family (23:31):
undefined

Alan: you're going to dive in a (23:32):
undefined

Alan: submarine. (23:33):
undefined

Alan: I said categorically I was going out with this outfit, but I will (23:34):
undefined

Alan: never dive in the submarine. (23:37):
undefined

Alan: And then the phone rang one day from a mysterious foreign phone (23:38):
undefined

Alan: number, and she picked up the phone and said, you did a dive (23:41):
undefined

Alan: in the submarine, didn't you? (23:44):
undefined

Alan: And I was like, yes. (23:45):
undefined

Yakup: Oh. (23:47):
undefined

Alan: It's better to tell him after you've done it. (23:48):
undefined

Alan: Just a little. (23:50):
undefined

Yakup: Yes, I. I just told them like before I fly. (23:51):
undefined

Yakup: And then I said maybe. (23:54):
undefined

Yakup: And then, like, the day I was diving, I didn't tell her, but, (23:55):
undefined

Yakup: you know, it's like a twelve hours time difference. (24:00):
undefined

Yakup: And then, like, I didn't call her in time. (24:04):
undefined

Yakup: And then she realized that maybe I am doing something that I (24:06):
undefined

Yakup: don't want to tell her. (24:11):
undefined

Yakup: She told me, like, she stayed, (24:13):
undefined

Yakup: um, awake all night waiting for (24:14):
undefined

Yakup: my message. (24:17):
undefined

Yakup: And then after I finished dive, I talked to her like, after, you (24:17):
undefined

Yakup: know, all the celebrations and then reading your email. (24:22):
undefined

Yakup: It was, like, so emotional as at that point I called her like, (24:25):
undefined

Yakup: oh, she was so happy, so happy. (24:29):
undefined

Alan: I thought you thought you were going to say she was mad. (24:31):
undefined

Alan: So after all that, then I tell her off from the life. (24:34):
undefined

Yakup: Yeah, at the beginning, a little bit mad, but yeah. (24:38):
undefined

Yakup: Then, uh, like, all good and all went good. (24:40):
undefined

Yakup: So she's so happy. (24:42):
undefined

Yakup: Yeah. (24:44):
undefined

Yakup: So from my point of view, like at the when I was standing on (24:44):
undefined

Yakup: the sub, like I was a little bit worried, but then, okay, like (24:48):
undefined

Yakup: it's this point and then or like we have the best team. (24:53):
undefined

Yakup: So I just jumped in and then talked to just I think I talked (24:57):
undefined

Yakup: a lot like from that from surface to the bottom. (25:02):
undefined

Yakup: I just keep talking to Reuben like from, like his family. (25:05):
undefined

Yakup: Uh, and then my family, all (25:11):
undefined

Yakup: like, work have been done (25:12):
undefined

Yakup: before. (25:14):
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Alan: I definitely prefer the better conversations that happened in (25:14):
undefined

Alan: that sub are incredible because so many people spend, you know, (25:17):
undefined

Alan: some days up to eight hours in a confined, darkened bowl. (25:22):
undefined

Alan: You've got nothing else to do but talk to someone. (25:25):
undefined

Alan: So it's a very quick way of learning a lot about someone. (25:28):
undefined

Alan: So yeah. (25:31):
undefined

Yakup: Yeah, yeah. (25:31):
undefined

Yakup: True. You know, you cannot like (25:32):
undefined

Yakup: it's a very rare chance to speak (25:34):
undefined

Yakup: with someone, you know, only two (25:38):
undefined

Yakup: of you together and then, you (25:40):
undefined

Yakup: know, like a two hours or eight (25:41):
undefined

Yakup: hours together. (25:43):
undefined

Yakup: It's like a very rare chance, like. (25:44):
undefined

Yakup: So. Yeah, we, um, at the (25:48):
undefined

Yakup: beginning also like, a little (25:50):
undefined

Yakup: bit very, very, uh, very is a (25:52):
undefined

Yakup: little bit strong, not not (25:54):
undefined

Yakup: strong. (25:56):
undefined

Yakup: But when we are on the sub and the, on the surface, uh, before (25:56):
undefined

Yakup: detaching from the ship, it's like a little bit shaking. (26:00):
undefined

Yakup: And then I have some seasickness. (26:03):
undefined

Yakup: So I got some, I got some, uh, pills. (26:05):
undefined

Yakup: So I feel much, much better, but, uh, but I just, like, you (26:08):
undefined

Yakup: know, I have a close eye, so it will be, like, very cold. (26:13):
undefined

Yakup: So I have a much clothes on, but at the surface, it's, like, (26:18):
undefined

Yakup: really, really hard, like thirty two degrees, but with the (26:22):
undefined

Yakup: moisture, it's really. (26:25):
undefined

Yakup: Yes. (26:27):
undefined

Alan: Yeah. (26:28):
undefined

Yakup: Yes. And then. (26:28):
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Yakup: And then going down. (26:29):
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Yakup: Going down like we have, uh, (26:30):
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Yakup: like after we reached like (26:32):
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Yakup: fifteen degrees. (26:34):
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Yakup: It was so comfortable as R1 is (26:34):
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Yakup: like, uh, is dark but very (26:37):
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Yakup: quiet. (26:40):
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Yakup: It's the only sound is from the south, but otherwise it's like (26:40):
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Yakup: very, very quiet. (26:44):
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Yakup: And then I start to sink all my journey from the desert to the (26:45):
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Yakup: ocean, and then from the ocean surface to the ocean bottom. (26:49):
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Yakup: It was like, actually, I was (26:52):
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Yakup: like, quite moved by all my (26:53):
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Yakup: decisions. (26:56):
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Yakup: And, um, my, I can say maybe my (26:58):
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Yakup: hard work or my, like, very (27:01):
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Yakup: strong determination that takes (27:04):
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Yakup: me from, uh, my, you know, my (27:06):
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Yakup: hometown, my small village to to (27:08):
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Yakup: Australia and then from (27:10):
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Yakup: Australia to Mid-Atlantic Ridge, (27:12):
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Yakup: not only the expedition itself (27:15):
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Yakup: now even going to the down of (27:17):
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Yakup: the bottom of the sea, it was (27:19):
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Yakup: like quite touching and like, (27:21):
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Yakup: sometimes, you know, I, I think (27:23):
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Yakup: these kind of things and then I (27:25):
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Yakup: appreciate everyone and also (27:26):
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Yakup: like, I think I was like moved (27:28):
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Yakup: by myself, you know, like, you (27:30):
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Yakup: know. (27:32):
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Yakup: Okay. (27:32):
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Yakup: Jacob, you are so strong. (27:32):
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Yakup: You know, you just leave this and then it's like very, very (27:34):
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Yakup: short time period. (27:38):
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Yakup: Like, I mean, I just finished my PhD in twenty twenty two and (27:39):
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Yakup: then in just like three years, I could be a scientist and then (27:43):
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Yakup: doing an expedition explorer. (27:47):
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Yakup: Yes. (27:50):
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Yakup: And then deep sea explorer. (27:50):
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Yakup: It was like quite amazing. (27:51):
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Yakup: This is I don't know how many people will have this privilege (27:54):
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Yakup: to do this. (27:59):
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Yakup: You know. (28:00):
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Alan: I've had conversations about (28:01):
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Alan: this with people on the bottom (28:02):
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Alan: as well. (28:03):
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Alan: Particular I don't know if you know, a guy called Al Scott (28:04):
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Alan: who's one of our pilots. (28:06):
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Yakup: Oh, yes. (28:08):
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Yakup: Yes, yes. (28:08):
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Alan: He's a Scottish guy as well. (28:09):
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Alan: And there was one time early (28:10):
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Alan: last year we were in the sub (28:12):
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Alan: down at, I don't know, it was (28:13):
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Alan: like eight thousand meters or (28:14):
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Alan: something. (28:15):
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Alan: And we were sort of driving along the bottom. (28:16):
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Alan: I think we just released the weights were coming up and he (28:17):
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Alan: was talking about, He said that you were born in Irvine, right? (28:20):
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Alan: Irvine's a town in Scotland. (28:23):
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Alan: I was like, yeah, he lives near there. (28:25):
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Alan: And he goes for two guys called Alan, who were born into one of (28:27):
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Alan: the most deprived areas of Scotland in the seventies. (28:30):
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Alan: Wow. (28:33):
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Alan: We didn't do that, did we? (28:34):
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Alan: And it was kind of like, yeah, we're doing all right. (28:36):
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Alan: Hey, you know, it's not your average life. (28:38):
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Alan: But yeah. (28:41):
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Alan: And I think it is a quite an emotional thing, right? (28:42):
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Alan: It does. (28:44):
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Alan: Yeah. (28:45):
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Alan: It does make you reflect a little bit on like, how the hell (28:45):
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Alan: did I get here? (28:48):
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Yakup: Definitely. (28:50):
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Alan: Yeah, yeah. (28:52):
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Alan: So what did you go? (28:53):
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Alan: What's the big number? (28:55):
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Yakup: Uh, the biggest number is four (28:56):
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Yakup: thousand nine hundred eighty (28:58):
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Yakup: meters. (29:00):
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Alan: Nice. (29:01):
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Yakup: Yeah, almost. (29:02):
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Yakup: Almost five kilometers. (29:03):
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Yakup: Yeah. (29:04):
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Alan: Yeah. Solid. (29:05):
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Alan: Good. (29:06):
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Thom: Confidently. (29:07):
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Thom: Abyssal. (29:07):
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Alan: Exactly. Confident that the. (29:08):
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Alan: No fringes anywhere on that. (29:11):
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Thom: Yeah, yeah. (29:12):
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Thom: No skirting the edges. (29:12):
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Thom: That's right in the middle. (29:13):
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Alan: So that was right up the axis of the fracture zone, right. (29:16):
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Alan: Yes, yes, it must have been. (29:18):
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Yakup: Yeah. (29:19):
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Alan: So what did you see? (29:20):
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Yakup: Actually, it looks like, um, from the biologically it is. (29:21):
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Yakup: We have a lot. (29:27):
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Yakup: We see a lot of, uh, sea cucumbers. (29:28):
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Yakup: Um, but we don't see any fish or something like that. (29:31):
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Yakup: So as a geoscientist, a little bit resembling where I am from, (29:35):
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Yakup: it's not like, quite desert, but I can feel, you know, it's like (29:40):
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Yakup: a little bit not repulsed, but like very, uh, large size (29:43):
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Yakup: undulation of the sea floor. (29:48):
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Yakup: And sometimes we could see kind of like, uh, sargassum, uh, (29:50):
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Yakup: settled down a little bit brownish on the on the ground, (29:54):
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Yakup: it looks like. (29:59):
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Yakup: Yeah, very, very similar to, like, the desert or the Gobi, (29:59):
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Yakup: you know, like, I love. (30:04):
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Alan: That you've been on this massive journey that took decades all (30:06):
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Alan: around the world. (30:08):
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Alan: Through everything else, you (30:09):
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Alan: finally get to the bottom of the (30:10):
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Alan: ocean. (30:11):
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Alan: You never knew that. (30:12):
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Alan: It's just the same as home. (30:13):
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Yakup: That is like a circle of life. (30:15):
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Yakup: You know, you do so much effort And then at the end you find, (30:16):
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Yakup: okay, it's the same like. (30:20):
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Yakup: Yeah. (30:22):
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Alan: It was like where I grew up. (30:22):
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Alan: Oh well. (30:23):
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Yakup: Yeah. From uh, that point it's like a little bit similar, but (30:24):
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Yakup: also, uh, some unsimilar or unique things are that, uh, (30:28):
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Yakup: that, uh, sea cucumbers, there are a lot in number. (30:33):
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Yakup: Um, so even like the other dive (30:37):
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Yakup: as well, we mostly sea (30:41):
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Yakup: cucumbers. (30:43):
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Yakup: So, uh, we don't know why there are so many in here, and then (30:43):
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Yakup: why we don't have, um, other species living in this place. (30:47):
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Yakup: And also, we like it was like, quite soft sediments. (30:51):
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Yakup: We rarely were. (30:56):
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Yakup: We didn't see any big rocks. (30:58):
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Yakup: Very few places. (31:00):
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Yakup: There are some big rocks, but it's like very soft sediments. (31:01):
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Yakup: So I think that's because we have a lot of, uh, earthquakes (31:05):
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Yakup: because it's like just on the axis of the transform fault, (31:08):
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Yakup: earthquakes and, um, landslides, you know, just. (31:12):
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Yakup: Yeah, producing more weathering that kind of sediments and then (31:15):
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Yakup: that accumulates on the pockets. (31:20):
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Alan: Was it your dive? (31:22):
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Alan: You found those mysterious holes? (31:23):
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Yakup: It was another dive in the (31:25):
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Yakup: junction of the transform fault (31:27):
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Yakup: and the the mid-ocean ridge (31:30):
undefined

Yakup: axis. (31:32):
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Yakup: So it was another dive in my dive. (31:33):
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Yakup: Like almost all of them are like soft sediments and then sea (31:35):
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Yakup: cucumbers every time we see one, uh, special fauna or animal in (31:39):
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Yakup: my world, we just come closely and then take a photo and then (31:44):
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Yakup: we continue our dive. (31:49):
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Yakup: So, yeah, it was like a quite (31:51):
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Yakup: unique, uh, with full of sea (31:53):
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Yakup: cucumbers and, uh, full of soft (31:55):
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Yakup: sediments. (31:58):
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Yakup: No rocks, no bad rocks exposed, exposed. (31:59):
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Yakup: So, yeah, that's very different. (32:02):
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Thom: Could I ask you both something? (32:04):
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Thom: Actually, that might be might be impossible to put into words (32:06):
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Thom: like, uh, I've probably watched hundreds of hours of the deep (32:09):
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Thom: sea bed, but it is always through a machine. (32:13):
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Thom: And even though you think that's like super accurate, like it has (32:17):
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Thom: its own white balance, it has its own autofocus. (32:21):
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Thom: There's these things that remove you from it. (32:23):
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Thom: Is there anything that just feels different when it's with (32:25):
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Thom: your own eyes, when it's with your own hardware? (32:28):
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Thom: Yes. (32:30):
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Thom: And can you put it into words? (32:31):
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Thom: No, no. Okay. (32:33):
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Yakup: So I think it will be different (32:37):
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Yakup: because I have glass always on (32:39):
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Yakup: me. (32:42):
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Yakup: So I have an eye issue. (32:43):
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Yakup: I feel like it was this lens or (32:45):
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Yakup: this glass is just it makes me (32:48):
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Yakup: see better. (32:51):
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Yakup: But I feel like there is kind of a wall between me and then the (32:52):
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Yakup: things I am looking at. (32:56):
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Yakup: So I believe that there is definitely a that window or from (32:58):
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Yakup: the viewport is really doing something for our observation. (33:03):
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Yakup: And there is a CC button. (33:08):
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Yakup: Maybe it's not physically or Scientifically, but from my (33:11):
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Yakup: heart or from my feeling, I feel there's still a wall between me (33:16):
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Yakup: and the and the sea floor. (33:21):
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Alan: I would I would turn this whole conversation on its head and (33:24):
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Alan: say, I've seen the ocean on TV. (33:27):
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Alan: Loads and loads and loads is a different. (33:29):
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Alan: Seeing it in real life, like there is. (33:32):
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Alan: Right? (33:34):
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Alan: Yes. (33:34):
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Alan: It's all the other little things. (33:35):
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Alan: All the. (33:36):
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Alan: Yeah. (33:37):
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Alan: Things. (33:37):
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Alan: And so you can describe the ocean without ever seeing it. (33:38):
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Alan: But. (33:41):
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Yakup: Yes. Yeah. We just. (33:42):
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Alan: Can't make. (33:43):
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Yakup: A decision there. (33:43):
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Yakup: Yeah, yeah. (33:44):
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Thom: That's how Antarctica felt. (33:46):
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Thom: It was like I got there and it was like. (33:47):
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Thom: It's exactly as I thought it was going to be, but I wasn't (33:49):
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Thom: prepared for it. (33:52):
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Thom: Yeah. (33:53):
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Thom: Yes. (33:53):
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Thom: It looks like the pictures, but (33:53):
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Thom: it doesn't feel like the (33:54):
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Thom: pictures. (33:55):
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Alan: It was like that old analogy that Patrick Leahy from Triton (33:56):
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Alan: used to use about. (33:58):
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Alan: Imagine your daughter's wedding. (34:00):
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Alan: If you watch the whole thing on video, you would know everyone (34:01):
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Alan: was there, what everyone was wearing, what all the speeches (34:04):
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Alan: were, what the songs were, who danced with who. (34:06):
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Alan: You'd know everything. (34:08):
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Alan: But that's not the same as being there yourself. (34:09):
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Yakup: Yes. That's true. (34:11):
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Yakup: Yeah. (34:12):
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Alan: Yeah. So but yeah, it is very difficult to put into words. (34:12):
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Alan: It's very difficult to articulate what's different, but (34:15):
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Alan: it is different. (34:19):
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Alan: It just is. (34:19):
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Alan: All right. (34:20):
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Alan: Trust me. (34:20):
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Alan: Anyway, back to the story. (34:23):
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Alan: Right? (34:24):
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Alan: So whilst you were underwater, there was a few texts and emails (34:24):
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Alan: flying back and forth to me when I was in Edinburgh and we were (34:27):
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Alan: having little chats about various things that were (34:30):
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Alan: basically agreed, like, you know, when Jacob gets out of (34:32):
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Alan: that sub, make sure there's a big bash goes, make sure there's (34:35):
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Alan: a big party. (34:38):
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Alan: So tell us about what happened when you got out at the end of (34:38):
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Alan: the big dive. (34:41):
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Yakup: Well, yes. (34:42):
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Yakup: Like it was like very big surprise. (34:43):
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Yakup: I know it is like, you know, (34:45):
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Yakup: it's mostly myself doing what it (34:48):
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Yakup: means to me, but I, I didn't, (34:52):
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Yakup: uh, think also like the other (34:57):
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Yakup: members of science team or crew (35:00):
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Yakup: or captain, I didn't, uh, think (35:03):
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Yakup: they also took it to another (35:06):
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Yakup: level. (35:08):
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Yakup: You know, when I just getting (35:08):
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Yakup: off the sub, like I see everyone (35:10):
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Yakup: is coming to the deck and then (35:12):
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Yakup: taking photos. (35:14):
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Yakup: Uh, when I come down, like, you know, I hug with everyone and, (35:16):
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Yakup: uh, there's a champagne. (35:20):
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Yakup: They couldn't open it correctly, (35:22):
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Yakup: so, like, I'm a bit delayed with (35:25):
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Yakup: that, but but it was, like, (35:27):
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Yakup: quite emotional. (35:28):
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Yakup: I, um, I was excited, but I can (35:29):
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Yakup: feel that my, uh, fellow, they (35:33):
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Yakup: even. (35:35):
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Yakup: They excited even more than me. (35:36):
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Yakup: Especially Dennis and Hayley. (35:38):
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Yakup: You know, it means a lot to me, but. (35:40):
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Yakup: But I feel like they're also so happy for me. (35:41):
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Alan: I mean, it meant a lot to them, too. (35:45):
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Alan: You know, I think you're one of (35:47):
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Alan: these guys who people see, you (35:48):
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Alan: know? (35:50):
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Alan: Yeah, yeah. (35:51):
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Alan: The story of how you got there, (35:51):
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Alan: and they were just really super (35:53):
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Alan: happy for you, as was I, as was (35:54):
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Alan: everybody else. (35:55):
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Alan: It was a great day, actually. (35:56):
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Alan: I think it was one of those if you had to write the five years (35:58):
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Alan: of the Deep Sea Center's history, you know that the day (36:00):
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Alan: you did that dive would be up there in one of the big (36:02):
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Alan: highlights because it was just, you know, it was just cool. (36:05):
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Alan: It was just super cool. (36:07):
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Alan: And it was those things happened here. (36:08):
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Yakup: Yeah. And after that, like, most of the crew members could be on (36:11):
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Yakup: the deck, but it was only the one couldn't come as a chef. (36:14):
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Yakup: And then when we come to dinner, even the chef was like, you (36:17):
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Yakup: know, he made a very nice cake. (36:22):
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Yakup: And then, uh, come to like, a very quietly beside me. (36:24):
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Yakup: I didn't even, I didn't notice, (36:29):
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Yakup: uh, so like suddenly saying, you (36:31):
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Yakup: know, congratulations. (36:33):
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Yakup: Your big dive. (36:34):
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Yakup: So I was like, yeah, so happy. (36:36):
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Yakup: Um, everyone is happy for me as an I. So they are happy for me. (36:38):
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Yakup: I even more happier, you know, like the reaction the chemistry (36:42):
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Yakup: last like couple of days. (36:47):
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Yakup: You know, this kind of. (36:48):
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Yakup: Yeah. (36:49):
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Alan: I did get a message from the ship saying it looks like we've (36:50):
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Alan: got Yacub two point oh. (36:52):
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Alan: I think you must have been walking around with a particular (36:53):
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Alan: swagger on after that. (36:56):
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Alan: People thought you had been upgraded. (36:57):
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Yakup: Yeah, yeah, I told them like, uh, I was a camel before in the (37:00):
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Yakup: from the desert, but now I am a shark swimming in the ocean. (37:04):
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Alan: Uh. Very cool. (37:09):
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Alan: Love it, I love it. (37:10):
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Alan: It's such a great story. (37:11):
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Alan: I think we're at a point that we're, you know, this this was a (37:12):
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Alan: great thing, but this is not what it ends. (37:15):
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Alan: You know, I'm talking to, you know, Jakob, that's. (37:17):
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Alan: You know, there will be more, you know, we we we're doing this (37:19):
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Alan: now for, for years. (37:22):
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Alan: So now we just need to think of (37:24):
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Alan: more and more ridiculous ways to (37:25):
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Alan: outdo yourself. (37:26):
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Thom: Yeah. How do you one up this. (37:27):
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Alan: Or go longer? (37:30):
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Alan: Go faster. (37:30):
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Alan: Go! (37:31):
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Alan: Uh, Jakob, thank you very much (37:34):
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Alan: for joining us on the go stop (37:37):
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Alan: today. (37:38):
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Alan: I'll see you in about 30s when you open your office door. (37:39):
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Thom: Don't let him in. (37:41):
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Thom: Don't let him. (37:42):
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Yakup: In. I will, I will not open. (37:43):
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Alan: If you don't open the door, you don't dive again. (37:47):
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Yakup: Okay? (37:49):
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Yakup: Yeah. Thank you so much for listening. (37:51):
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Yakup: My story. (37:54):
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Yakup: And, uh. (37:55):
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Yakup: Yeah. (37:56):
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Yakup: See you next time. (37:56):
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Yakup: Or 30s. (37:57):
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