so, is there a better way to create new islands and protect established ones? well, perhaps turning to nature will give us the answer. here in the maldives, sandbanks like this appear and disappear. they constantly change size and shape according to the seasons and the ocean s forces. and that really influences the way that the people live and adapt. in fact, you can see that the locals have really made the most of this particular idyllic paradise. so we have two seasons predominantly in the maldives. one is the south east and the north west monsoons. and, you know, literally, during these seasons, we say we see sand shifting and we see sand eroding from one end and then building up on another end. and as a physicist, i thought, you know, can we use this? sarah dole is sri lankan, but has been living
in the maldives for over a decade, and has dedicated herself to studying this natural shift of sand to find a way to create islands sustainably. so first of all, you know, we had to study the fundamentals. so at mit, they are studying the fundamental physics and engineering of it. so, like, trying to understand, how does a sandbank actually form? and that, we ve done through satellite imagery and drone footage and, you know, talking to other locals around here, trying to understand the historical data of how sandbanks appear and disappear. five years ago, sarah partnered up with the scientists from the self assembly lab at mit, the massachusetts institute of technology in the us. the growing islands project is about naturally accumulating sand in the ocean without sculpting or pumping sand, but letting the ocean
to create new islands and protect established ones? well, perhaps turning to nature will give us the answer. here in the maldives, sandbanks like this appear and disappear. they constantly change size and shape according to the seasons and the ocean s forces. and that really influences the way that the people live and adapt. in fact, you can see that the locals have really made the most of this particular idyllic paradise. so we have two seasons predominantly in the maldives. one is the south east and the north west monsoons. and, you know, literally, during these seasons, we say we see sand shifting and we see sand eroding from one end and then building up on another end. and as a physicist, i thought, you know, can we use this? sarah dole is sri lankan, but has been living
in the maldives for over a decade, and has dedicated herself to studying this natural shift of sand to find a way to create islands sustainably. so first of all, you know, we had to study the fundamentals. so at mit, they are studying the fundamental physics and engineering of it. so, like, trying to understand, how does a sandbank actually form? and that, we ve done through satellite imagery and drone footage and, you know, talking to other locals around here, trying to understand the historical data of how sandbanks appear and disappear. five years ago, sarah partnered up with the scientists from the self assembly lab at mit, the massachusetts institute of technology in the us. the growing islands project is about naturally accumulating sand in the ocean without sculpting or pumping sand, but letting the ocean accumulate it on its own and guiding it, or collaborating with the ocean to promote the accumulation in certain areas where you want
building up on another end. and as a physicist, i thought, you know, can we use this? sarah dole is sri lankan, but has been living in the maldives for over a decade, and has dedicated herself to studying this natural shift of sand to find a way to create islands sustainably. so first of all, you know, we had to study the fundamentals. so at mit, they are studying the fundamental physics and engineering of it. so, like, trying to understand, how does a sandbank actually form? and that, we ve done through satellite imagery and drone footage and, you know, talking to other locals around here, trying to understand the historical data of how sandbanks appear and disappear. five years ago, sarah partnered up with the scientists from the self assembly lab at mit, the massachusetts institute of technology in the us. the growing islands