Neptune's Wish

摘要

About halfway through our cover story on the next generation of manned submarines [page 32], you'll find a provocative dispute between two legendary figures over the respective merits of manned and unmanned exploration of the ocean. In this corner: Sylvia Earle, former chief scientist at the NationalrnOceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and one of the most revered deep-ocean explorers ever, who says a human mind (and peripheral vision) is essential for finding surprising stuff far below the surface of the sea. In the opposite corner: Bob Ballard, the famed oceanographerrnwho discovered thermal vents on the ocean floor and the sunken carcass of the Titanic, who believes that the best way forward involves sending robotic craft down and monitoring and controlling them from a distance.