- A hundred years ago, archaeology was for the rich.
50 years ago, it was for men,
but we are expanding it to the world.
I wish for us to discover the millions
of unknown archaeological sites around the world,
by creating a 21st century army of global explorers.
We'll find and protect the world's hidden heritage.
So, how are we going to do this?
(soft music)
- They had a big idea to change the world,
but they couldn't do it alone.
- So, my wish-
- For my wish-
- My wish- - So, my wish-
- And now, here's my wish.
- I am an archaeologist, and I specialize
in using satellite imagery to map ancient landscapes.
The really fun title is space archaeology.
You, of course, maybe wanna record how thick something is,
which you can't measure from space,
whether that's soil, whether that's snow.
When I won the prize, I had to present this
completely crazy wish.
I had to present the case for archaeology to the world.
Why does it matter?
So what?
The reality is there aren't enough of us scientists.
We've got to give more people opportunities
to become explorers.
(paper shuffling)
GlobalXplorer is an online crowd-sourcing platform
that allows anyone in the world to help map ancient sites
by looking at satellite imagery.
And it's this idea that everyone in the world
can make a contribution to science.
It can be anyone.
- I'm Doris Jones.
I'm 90 years old.
I live alone, except for my two kitties.
And I need something to do.
I play games; I like Sudoku.
I play Mahjong with friends on Friday.
(clinking)
And I'm an armchair archaeologist.
Why don't you wanna work?
Down,
down, let's work.
- Doris is one of our top contributors.
She's a space archaeologist.
She's looked at many, many, many thousands of tiles.
People like her are just a gift to GlobalXplorer.
- Right now, I'm running out of tile,
but well, it has a wall probably for animals.
But it has a number of what look more like trails than roads.
I'll go to the next one.
- All you have to do is look at an image,
and look carefully,
and you see that there could potentially
be a new site there.
Doris just has this passion and energy
and excitement for exploration.
You know, she's able to give back and really contribute
in a meaningful way.
(Skype ringing)
- Doris!
- Hi!
- I'm actually crying right now because I'm, like,
overwhelmed with emotion.
- Well, thank you. - To just see your face and say, “Thank you.”
I just really admire what you're doing.
And I really enjoyed the program.
- When did your love for archaeologist and paleontology
and science start?
- Well, in the middle ’50s,
my husband and I were in the backyard, digging a garden.
It was late fall; and we were getting ready for next spring.
And I saw a strange looking white rock on the ground.
I picked it up, and he said,
"Let me see that."
I showed it to him and he said,
"You know what this is?"
I told him I didn't.
He said, "This is a fossil."
Then we took out to the creek
and started looking for fossils.
From then on, there was no turning back. (laughing)
- That's wonderful.
- So, then I collected for years.
After all those years, of course,
I've got all those memories.
That a type of thing- it's not just hunting the fossils,
but the experiences.
And you just learn and really just live and enjoy.
And I think the fun is in the hunt.
You know, it's like, well, like the rainbow, you know.
The end of the rainbow's a pot of gold.
So, GlobalXplorer was kind of my rainbow.
And even in my age, I can continue to hunt
for lost civilizations.
- I want to tell you about some of the incredible things
that have happened as a result of your discoveries.
We're now beginning to take thousands of features
that people like you have found,
and we're sharing them with archaeologist who work in Peru.
They're beginning to confirm the things the crowd has found.
So, in other words, the platform works.
Ultimately, you know, this technology is helping us
to rewrite our history.
- We need to know our history.
We're all one peoples.
It's all our history; we're all here on this
little ball of dirt.
- I believe we have barely scratched the surface
in terms of what's left to discover.
And the greatest story ever told is the story
of our shared human journey,
but the only way that we're going to be able to write it
is if we do it together.