Antarctica is famous for gigantic ice sheets and charismatic animals, but Antarctica is also one of the best places to search for meteorites– rocks that have traveled through space and survived passing through Earth’s atmosphere.

Mini Wadhwa is a planetary scientist who studies meteorites to learn about the formation of our universe and what conditions are like in other parts of our solar system. She is the Director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University and the Principal Scientist for the Mars Sample Return Mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Dr. Wadhwa discusses what it’s like to work in Antarctica, an accident that nearly killed her while on a field expedition, and why representation matters as a woman of color in science.

Learn more about Mini Wadhwa at https://search.asu.edu/profile/957644

Watch her TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iukJJ2u0vlo

McMurdo Antarctic Research Station: https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/mcmurdo.jsp

This episode of Wild World was produced with support from:

Lindblad Expeditions: https://www.expeditions.com

The Rice University Traveling Owls: https://alumni.rice.edu/travelingowls

Mentioned in this episode:

Lindblad Expeditions

Today’s episode of Wild World is sponsored by Lindblad Expeditions. Discovery is in the Lindblad DNA. Visit expeditions.com to see where in our wild world you’d like to explore next.

Antarctica 2023-25

JOURNEY TO ANTARCTICA: THE WHITE CONTINENT 14 DAYS | FROM $15,840 Scan QR code for itinerary details and current rates or visit expeditions.com/antarctic Aboard National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endurance, & National Geographic Resolution EXPEDITION DETAILS DATES National Geographic Explorer: 2023-2024 January, February, November, December 2025 January National Geographic Endurance: 2023-2024 November, December 2025 January National Geographic Resolution: 2023 January, February, December 2024 January, November, December 2025 February National Geographic Resolution departures route via Santiago instead of Buenos Aires.

Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions