A timeline of Ariel’s projects and the projects/programs she’s contributed to.
Projects Timeline
“Ariel Waldman defies classification and produces a steady stream of amazing projects busting science out of its tidy boxes.” – Gizmodo
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2023
Antarctic Long Term Ecological Research
Embedded researcher on a two-month Antarctic expedition to study the long-term ecology of microscopic animals in soil, frozen lakes, and glaciers in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.
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2023
Out There
Wrote the book Out There: The Science Behind Sci-Fi Film and TV. Published by Running Press.
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2021
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
Chaired the advisory board for NIAC, advising on emerging tech and research that can radically change future human, robotic, and astrophysical space missions.
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2021
MBARI Bioinspiration Lab
Participated as a science communicator and microscopist on an MBARI research vessel expedition to the Monterey submarine canyon in the Pacific Ocean. The expedition's mission was to test various imaging technologies developed by MBARI's Bioinspiration Lab that can create 3D scans of delicate, gelatinous deep sea creatures.
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2020
Life Under The Ice
Created lifeundertheice.org, an exploratory tour through the microscopic world of Antarctica. The project was created as a grantee of the NSF Antarctic Artists and Writers program.
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2018
Antarctic Artists & Writers
Led a five-week expedition to Antarctica as part of the NSF Antarctic Artists and Writers program. The focus of the expedition was to film microorganisms in high fidelity to capture their behaviors, characteristics, and motility.
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2018
NASA SUBSEA
Participated as a science communicator and public outreach coordinator on a NASA expedition aboard the E/V Nautilus research vessel. The expedition sought to aid NASA’s search for life beyond Earth by exploring the hydrothermal vents of underwater volcanoes. The expedition was a collaboration between NASA, NOAA, and the Ocean Exploration Trust. SUBSEA stands for Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog.
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2018
Offworld
Creator, producer, and host of Offworld, a show and podcast on Adam Savage's Tested that evaluates the intersection of science and science fiction, inviting discussion between researchers, sci-fi authors, journalists, and pop culture experts.
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2016
What's It Like in Space?
Wrote the book What's It Like in Space?: Stories from Astronauts Who've Been There. Published by Chronicle Books. Received YALSA award for “Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers”.
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2016
Surgical Robot
Designed the hardware controls and software interface for a new, breakthrough surgical robot by Auris (later renamed to Monarch).
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2015
Spaceprob.es
Created Spaceprob.es, a catalog of the active human-made machines that freckle our solar system and dot our galaxy.
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2014
Human Spaceflight Committee
Appointed as a National Academy of Sciences' committee member to the congressionally-requested NRC Human Spaceflight Committee, tasked with advising NASA, the U.S. Congress, and The White House with how to build a sustainable human spaceflight program to the 2040s and beyond. Co-authored the final report, Pathways to Exploration: Rationales and Approaches for a U.S. Program of Human Space Exploration.
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2012
Democratized Science Instrumentation Guidebook
Wrote a guidebook to digital and physical tools that enable citizen science. The project was commissioned by the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) and presented to the Obama White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP).
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2010
Science Hack Day
Created and organized Science Hack Day in San Francisco and became Global Director of Science Hack Day, helping it grow across 30 countries. Science Hack Day served as the prime inspiration for NASA's International Space Apps Challenge, the largest-ever global hackathon. As a result of this work, Ariel Waldman was awarded by the Obama White House as a "Champion of Change" in Citizen Science.
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2010
The Sims 4
Worked as a Senior Interaction Designer on The Sims 4 from Electronic Arts (EA).
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2008
Spacehack.org
Created Spacehack.org a directory of ways to participate in space exploration. Ahead of its time, Spacehack.org was a trailblazer for showing how anyone, with or without a formal science background, can actively contribute to space exploration.
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2008
NASA CoLab
Served as Program Coordinator to NASA CoLab. NASA CoLab connected communities inside and outside of NASA to collaborate.
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2008
Movie Gadget Friday
Columnist for Engadget, writing the popular Movie Gadget Friday column that highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of sci-fi cinema.
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2008
CupcakeCamp
Created CupcakeCamp, ad-hoc community gathering born from the desire for people to share and eat cupcakes in an open environment, based off of the BarCamp model of events. CupcakeCamp grew to be held in over 60 cities across the world for several years.
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2007
Pownce
Served as Community Manager for a new social network similar to Tumblr.
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2006
Shake Well Before Use
Wrote a popular blog about the intersection of art, advertising, sex and technology. The name was inspired by the lyrics from Underworld's "Dirty Epic" track.
Thumbnail image by Christopher Michel. Header image by Helena Price.