Speaker: Jules Jaffe - Research Oceanographer Emeritus, Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego
Abstract: Of the many wonders of our planet, the saltwater that covers most of it harbors a host of ecological, physical, and bio-geochemical secrets that mitigate life. As in all scientific endeavors, the role of observation is paramount. Yet, our capabilities to monitor what was, what is, and most importantly, what will be, are limited. As has been sadly evidenced this past year, the smallest living organisms can make a huge difference. This is also true of the biological life in our oceans. In this talk, Jules will describe a variety of technical innovations that he has accomplished over his career. These range from the development of underwater microscopes to observe life at some of the smallest scales, to the passive listening to underwater soundscapes to infer fish habitat and ambit, to the development of swarms of small autonomous floats, or robots, to infer how plankton are transported. Thinking, now, of the future, the advances in decreasing fabrication via 3-D printing, the maker movement for low cost electronics, and the current trends in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence bode well for an increased understanding of what is happening on our planet in the oceans, perhaps even hinting about what we might do about it.
Bio: Jules S. Jaffe is currently a Research Oceanographer, Emeritus, at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)/ UC San Diego. Throughout his career he has maintained a program in developing technology for ocean exploration as well as the dissemination of that information via public outreach. He currently maintains an active program with funding in developing a next generation of maker based instruments to explore various aspects of the ocean in addition to a project with the Office of Naval Research to accelerate and display the computation of sound propagation. Jules’ degrees are in Physics with a minor in Art History and Computer Science (SUNY, Buffalo), Information Science (Georgia Tech) and Biophysics (UC Berkeley). Upon graduating from CAL, he spent several years working as an image processing consultant in Silicon Valley (Diasonics and KLA Tenecor) and was hired as a research scientist at the Woods Hole Institution of Oceanography in 1984. He was hired by SIO in 1988 and has been there ever since. He was a visiting Miller Professor at UC Berkeley in 2006. He was editor-in-chief for Methods in Oceanography (Elsevier) from 2012 – 2016.
His work has encompassed the invention, with variations, of approximately 20 systems for underwater optical imaging, a number of single and multi-dimensional systems for acoustic imaging and tracking, and a swarm of miniature (1.5 liter) passive robots for tracking currents in coastal waters. His 2002 article on thin laser sheet microscopy was cited by the journal Nature as a “milestone in microscopy”. More recently, his publication in Nature Communications that related the invention of a diver, handheld, microscope is widely regarded as a harbinger of ensuing technology. In addition, an article in Nature Communications that described a swarm of underwater miniature vehicles has been well cited and is also an early example of “swarm sensing”, a technology that is necessary for 3-D observation in an environment that has decorrelation times at many different scales.
Jules also maintains a keen interest in communicating his work to the public via incorporation into exhibits at major museums. His AUE vehicles were featured in the American Museum of Nat. History’s Exhibit: "Unseen Oceans" that included a personal profile. (March 12, 2018 - August 18, 2019). Now a traveling exhibit. The M-AUEs were also featured in the London Museum of Science Exhibit: "Driverless: Who is in Control?” (2019 - 2021). At the request of this museum, the vehicles are now in their permanent collection. Jules is also an avid woodworker, his most recent design winning an award at an international design contest (A’Design Award and Competition, 2020). Overall his design philosophy in both science and furniture can be summarized by a statement of the artist Paul Klee (Creative Credo, 1920): “It takes time for a dot to start moving and to become a line, or for a line to shift its position so that a plane is formed. The same is true of the plane that moves and thus defines a space.” Perhaps oceanographers will eventually catch up with Paul Klee’s message.