TED2019
Ella Al-Shamahi: The fascinating (and dangerous) places scientists aren't exploring
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We're not doing frontline exploratory science in a huge portion of the world -- the places governments deem too hostile or disputed. What might we be missing because we're not looking? In this fearless, unexpectedly funny talk, paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi takes us on an expedition to the Yemeni island of Socotra -- one of the most biodiverse places on earth -- and makes the case for scientists to explore the unstable regions that could be home to incredible discoveries.
Ella Al-Shamahi - Paleoanthropologist, stand-up comic
Ella Al-Shamahi is a palaeoanthropologist specializing in fossil hunting in caves in unstable, hostile and disputed territories. In her spare time, she's a stand-up comic. Full bio
Ella Al-Shamahi is a palaeoanthropologist specializing in fossil hunting in caves in unstable, hostile and disputed territories. In her spare time, she's a stand-up comic. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
So I've got something that I'm
slightly embarrassed to admit to.
slightly embarrassed to admit to.
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At the age of 17,
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as a creationist,
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I decided to go to university
to study evolution
to study evolution
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so that I could destroy it.
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(Laughter)
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I failed.
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I failed so spectacularly
that I'm now an evolutionary biologist.
that I'm now an evolutionary biologist.
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(Applause)
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So I'm a paleoanthropologist,
I'm a National Geographic Explorer
I'm a National Geographic Explorer
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specializing in fossil hunting in caves
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in unstable, hostile
and disputed territories.
and disputed territories.
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And we all know that
if I was a guy and not a girl,
if I was a guy and not a girl,
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that wouldn't be a job description,
that would be a pick-up line.
that would be a pick-up line.
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(Laughter)
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Now, here's the thing.
I do not have a death wish.
I do not have a death wish.
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I'm not an adrenaline junkie.
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I just looked at a map.
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See, frontline exploratory science
does not happen as much
does not happen as much
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in politically unstable territories.
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This is a map of all the places
which the British Foreign Office
which the British Foreign Office
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have declared contain
red zones, orange zones
red zones, orange zones
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or have raised some kind
of a threat warning about.
of a threat warning about.
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Now I'm going to go out on a limb here
and say that it is a tragedy
and say that it is a tragedy
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if we're not doing frontline exploratory
science in a huge portion of the planet.
science in a huge portion of the planet.
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And so science has a geography problem.
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Also, as a paleoanthropologist,
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guys, this is basically a map
of some of the most important places
of some of the most important places
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in the human journey.
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There are almost definitely
fascinating fossils to be found here.
fascinating fossils to be found here.
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But are we looking for them?
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And so as an undergraduate,
I was repeatedly told
I was repeatedly told
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that humans, be they ourselves,
homo sapiens, or earlier species,
homo sapiens, or earlier species,
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that we left Africa
via the Sinai of Egypt.
via the Sinai of Egypt.
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02:00
I'm English, as you can
probably tell from my accent,
probably tell from my accent,
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but I am actually of Arab heritage,
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and I always say that I'm
very, very Arab on the outside.
very, very Arab on the outside.
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You know, I can really be passionate.
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Like, "You're amazing! I love you!"
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But on the inside, I'm really English,
so everybody irritates me.
so everybody irritates me.
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(Laughter)
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It's true.
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And the thing is,
my family are Arab from Yemen,
my family are Arab from Yemen,
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and I knew that that channel,
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Bab-el-Mandeb,
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is not that much of a feat to cross.
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And I kept asking myself
this really simple question:
this really simple question:
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if the ancestors to New World monkeys
could somehow cross the Atlantic Ocean,
could somehow cross the Atlantic Ocean,
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why couldn't humans cross
that tiny stretch of water?
that tiny stretch of water?
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But the thing is, Yemen,
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compared to, let's say, Europe,
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was so understudied
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that it was something akin
to near virgin territory.
to near virgin territory.
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But that, along with its location,
made the sheer potential for discovery
made the sheer potential for discovery
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so exciting,
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and I had so many questions.
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When did we first
start using Bab-el-Mandeb?
start using Bab-el-Mandeb?
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But also, which species of human
besides ourselves made it to Yemen?
besides ourselves made it to Yemen?
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Might we find a species
as yet unknown to science?
as yet unknown to science?
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And it turned out, I wasn't the only one
who had noticed Yemen's potential.
who had noticed Yemen's potential.
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There was actually
a few other academics out there.
a few other academics out there.
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But sadly, due to political instability,
they moved out, and so I moved in.
they moved out, and so I moved in.
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And I was looking for caves:
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caves because caves
are the original prime real estate.
are the original prime real estate.
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But also because if you're looking
for fossils in that kind of heat,
for fossils in that kind of heat,
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your best bet for fossil preservation
is always going to be caves.
is always going to be caves.
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But then, Yemen took
a really sad turn for the worse,
a really sad turn for the worse,
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and just a few days
before I was due to fly out to Yemen,
before I was due to fly out to Yemen,
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the civil war escalated
into a regional conflict,
into a regional conflict,
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the capital's airport was bombed
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and Yemen became a no-fly zone.
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Now, my parents made this decision
before I was born:
before I was born:
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that I would be born British.
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I had nothing to do
with the best decision of my life.
with the best decision of my life.
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And now ...
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Now the lucky ones
in my family have escaped,
in my family have escaped,
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and the others, the others
are being been bombed
are being been bombed
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and send you WhatsApp messages
that make you detest your very existence.
that make you detest your very existence.
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This war's been going on for four years.
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It's been going on for over four years,
and it has led to a humanitarian crisis.
and it has led to a humanitarian crisis.
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There is a famine there,
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a man-made famine.
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That's a man-made famine,
so not a natural famine,
so not a natural famine,
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an entirely man-made famine
that the UN has warned
that the UN has warned
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could be the worst famine
the world has seen in a hundred years.
the world has seen in a hundred years.
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This war has made it
clear to me more than ever
clear to me more than ever
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that no place, no people
deserve to get left behind.
deserve to get left behind.
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And so I was joining these other teams,
and I was forming new collaborations
and I was forming new collaborations
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in other unstable places.
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But I was desperate
to get back into Yemen,
to get back into Yemen,
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because for me, Yemen's really personal.
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And so I kept trying to think
of a project I could do in Yemen
of a project I could do in Yemen
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that would help highlight
what was going on there.
what was going on there.
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And every idea I had just kept failing,
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or it was just too high-risk,
because let's be honest,
because let's be honest,
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most of Yemen is just too dangerous
for a Western team.
for a Western team.
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But then I was told that Socotra,
a Yemeni island,
a Yemeni island,
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was safe once you got there.
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In fact, it turned out there was a few
local and international academics
local and international academics
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that were still working there.
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And that got me really excited,
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because look at Socotra's
proximity to Africa.
proximity to Africa.
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And yet we have no idea
when humans arrived on that island.
when humans arrived on that island.
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But Socotra, for those of you who know it,
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well, let's just say you probably know it
for a completely different reason.
for a completely different reason.
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You probably know it
as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean,
as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean,
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because it is one of the most
biodiverse places on this earth.
biodiverse places on this earth.
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But we were also getting information
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that this incredibly delicate
environment and its people
environment and its people
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were under threat
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because they were at the frontline
of both Middle Eastern politics
of both Middle Eastern politics
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and climate change.
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And it slowly dawned on me
that Socotra was my Yemen project.
that Socotra was my Yemen project.
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And so I wanted to put together
a huge multidisciplinary team.
a huge multidisciplinary team.
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We wanted to cross the archipelago
on foot, camel and dhow boat
on foot, camel and dhow boat
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to conduct a health check of this place.
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This has only been attempted
once before, and it was in 1999.
once before, and it was in 1999.
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But the thing is, that is not
an easy thing to pull off.
an easy thing to pull off.
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And so we desperately needed a recce,
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and for those of you who aren't
familiar with British English,
familiar with British English,
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a recce is like a scouting expedition.
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It's like a reconnaissance.
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And I often say that a really big
expedition without a recce
expedition without a recce
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is a bit like a first date
without a Facebook stalk.
without a Facebook stalk.
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(Laughter)
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Like, it's doable, but is it wise?
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(Laughter)
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There's a few too many
knowing laughs in this room.
knowing laughs in this room.
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Anyway, so then our recce team thankfully
were no strangers to unstable places,
were no strangers to unstable places,
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which, let's be honest,
is kind of important
is kind of important
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because we were trying to get
to a place between Yemen and Somalia,
to a place between Yemen and Somalia,
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And after calling in
what felt like a million favors,
what felt like a million favors,
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including to the deputy governor,
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we finally found ourselves on the move,
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albeit on a wooden cement cargo ship
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sailing through pirate waters
in the Indian Ocean
in the Indian Ocean
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with this as a toilet.
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(Laughter)
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Can you guys see this?
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You know how everybody has
their worst toilet story?
their worst toilet story?
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Well, I've never swam
with dolphins before.
with dolphins before.
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I just went straight to pooping on them.
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(Laughter)
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And also, I genuinely discovered
that I am genuinely less stressed
that I am genuinely less stressed
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by pirate waters
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than I am with a cockroach infestation
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that was so intense
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that at one point I went belowdeck,
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and the floor was black and it was moving.
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(Audience moans)
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Yeah, and at night there was
three raised platforms to sleep on,
three raised platforms to sleep on,
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but there was only --
let's say there was four team members,
let's say there was four team members,
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and the thing is, if you got
a raised platform to sleep on,
a raised platform to sleep on,
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you only had to contend
with a few cockroaches during the night,
with a few cockroaches during the night,
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whereas if you got the floor,
good luck to you.
good luck to you.
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And so I was the only girl in the team
and the whole ship,
and the whole ship,
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so I got away without
sleeping on the floor.
sleeping on the floor.
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And then, on, like,
the fourth or fifth night,
the fourth or fifth night,
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Martin Edström looks at me and goes,
"Ella, Ella I really believe in equality."
"Ella, Ella I really believe in equality."
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(Laughter)
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So we were sailing on that
cement cargo ship for three days,
cement cargo ship for three days,
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and then we slowly started seeing land.
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And after three years of failing,
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I was finally seeing Yemen.
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And there is no feeling on earth
like that start of an expedition.
like that start of an expedition.
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It's this moment where
you jump out of a jeep
you jump out of a jeep
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or you look up from a boat
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and you know that
there's this possibility,
there's this possibility,
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it's small but it's still there,
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that you're about to find something
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that could add to or change our knowledge
of who we are and where we come from.
of who we are and where we come from.
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There is no feeling like it on earth,
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and it's a feeling
that so many scientists have
that so many scientists have
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but rarely in politically unstable places.
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Because Western scientists
are discouraged or all-out barred
are discouraged or all-out barred
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from working in unstable places.
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But here's the thing:
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scientists specialize in the jungle.
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Scientists work in deep cave systems.
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Scientists attach themselves to rockets
and blow themselves into outer space.
and blow themselves into outer space.
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But apparently,
working in an unstable place
working in an unstable place
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is deemed too high-risk.
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It is completely arbitrary.
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Who here in this room
wasn't brought up on adventure stories?
wasn't brought up on adventure stories?
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And most of our heroes
were actually scientists and academics.
were actually scientists and academics.
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Science was about going out
into the unknown.
into the unknown.
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It was about truly global exploration,
even if there were risks.
even if there were risks.
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And so when did it become acceptable
to make it difficult for science to happen
to make it difficult for science to happen
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in unstable places?
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And look, I'm not saying
that all scientists should go off
that all scientists should go off
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and start working in unstable places.
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This isn't some gung-ho call.
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But here's the thing:
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for those who have done the research,
understand security protocol
understand security protocol
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and are trained,
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stop stopping those who want to.
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Plus,
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just because one part of a country
is an active war zone
is an active war zone
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doesn't mean the whole country is.
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I'm not saying we should go
into active war zones.
into active war zones.
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But Iraqi Kurdistan looks
very different from Fallujah.
very different from Fallujah.
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And actually, a few months
after I couldn't get into Yemen,
after I couldn't get into Yemen,
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another team adopted me.
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So Professor Graeme Barker's team
were actually working in Iraqi Kurdistan,
were actually working in Iraqi Kurdistan,
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and they were digging up Shanidar Cave.
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Now, Shanidar Cave a few decades earlier
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had unveiled a Neanderthal
known as Shanidar 1.
known as Shanidar 1.
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Now, for a BBC/PBS TV series
we actually brought Shanidar 1 to life,
we actually brought Shanidar 1 to life,
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and I want you guys to meet Ned,
Ned the Neanderthal.
Ned the Neanderthal.
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Now here's the coolest thing about Ned.
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Ned, this guy,
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you're meeting him before his injuries.
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See, it turned out
that Ned was severely disabled.
that Ned was severely disabled.
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He was in fact so disabled that
there is no way he could have survived
there is no way he could have survived
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without the help of other Neanderthals.
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And so this was proof that,
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at least for this population
of Neanderthals at this time,
of Neanderthals at this time,
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Neanderthals were like us,
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and they sometimes looked after
those who couldn't look after themselves.
those who couldn't look after themselves.
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Ned's an Iraqi Neanderthal.
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So what else are we missing?
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What incredible scientific discoveries
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are we not making
because we're not looking?
because we're not looking?
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And by the way, these places,
they deserve narratives of hope,
they deserve narratives of hope,
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and science and exploration
can be a part of that.
can be a part of that.
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In fact, I would argue
that it can tangibly aid development,
that it can tangibly aid development,
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and these discoveries
become a huge source of local pride.
become a huge source of local pride.
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And that brings me to the second reason
why science has a geography problem.
why science has a geography problem.
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See, we don't empower
local academics, do we?
local academics, do we?
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Like, it's not lost on me
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that in my particular field
of paleoanthropology
of paleoanthropology
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we study human origins,
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but we have so few diverse scientists.
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And the thing is, these places
are full of students and academics
are full of students and academics
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who are desperate to collaborate,
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and the truth is
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that for them,
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they have fewer security issues than us.
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I think we constantly forget that for them
it's not a hostile environment;
it's not a hostile environment;
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for them it's home.
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I'm telling you,
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research done in unstable places
with local collaborators
with local collaborators
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can lead to incredible discoveries,
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and that is what we are
hoping upon hope to do in Socotra.
hoping upon hope to do in Socotra.
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They call Socotra
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the most alien-looking place on earth,
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and myself, Leon McCarron, Martin Edström
and Rhys Thwaites-Jones could see why.
and Rhys Thwaites-Jones could see why.
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I mean, look at this place.
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These places, they're not hellholes,
they're not write-offs,
they're not write-offs,
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they're the future frontline
of science and exploration.
of science and exploration.
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90 percent of the reptiles on this island,
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37 percent of the plant species
exist here and nowhere else on earth,
exist here and nowhere else on earth,
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and that includes this species
of dragon's blood tree,
of dragon's blood tree,
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which actually bleeds this red resin.
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And there's something else.
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People on Socotra,
some of them still live in caves,
some of them still live in caves,
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and that is really exciting,
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because it means if a cave
is prime real estate this century,
is prime real estate this century,
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maybe it was a few thousand years ago.
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But we need the data to prove it,
the fossils, the stone tools,
the fossils, the stone tools,
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and so our scouting team
have teamed up with other scientists,
have teamed up with other scientists,
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anthropologists and storytellers,
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international as well as local,
like Ahmed Alarqbi,
like Ahmed Alarqbi,
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and we are desperate
to shed a light on this place
to shed a light on this place
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before it's too late.
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And now, now we just somehow
need to get back
need to get back
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for that really big expedition,
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because science,
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science has a geography problem.
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You guys have been
a really lovely audience.
a really lovely audience.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ella Al-Shamahi - Paleoanthropologist, stand-up comicElla Al-Shamahi is a palaeoanthropologist specializing in fossil hunting in caves in unstable, hostile and disputed territories. In her spare time, she's a stand-up comic.
Why you should listen
Ella Al-Shamahi sometimes calls herself an "adventure-scientist" -- but to her, it's less about the adventure of working in places like Yemen, Iraq, the Nagorno-Karabakh and northern Cyprus. She believes in using expeditions to shed light on some of the most misunderstood and disadvantaged people and places on earth.
Al-Shamahi is a TV presenter and stand-up comic, partly because she realized that it was an incredible way to communicate science. She performs stand-up and nerdy-science stand-up in the UK and internationally. She was named a 2015 National Geographic Emerging Explorer.
Ella Al-Shamahi | Speaker | TED.com