A mysterious millionaire and the quest to live under the sea

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 938 Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2025

⏱️ 19 minutes

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Summary

Before billionaires dreamed of setting up communities on Mars, the ocean was seen as the next frontier in human habitation. Reviving this dream is Deep, a project backed by an anonymous millionaire to the tune of more than £100m that aims to establish a ‘permanent human presence’ under the sea from 2027. Guardian Seascape editor Lisa Bachelor visited the project just outside Chepstow on the Welsh border, and tells Madeleine Finlay what scientists hope to learn about the ocean by spending extended periods living underwater. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:02.0	Do you dream of discovering rugged coastlines, lush landscapes and lively city markets,
0:15.7	then sail from Portsmouth or Plymouth directly to Santander with Brittany Ferries and experience Spain like never before.
0:23.0	Wind through the city's charming streets before sampling Santander's succulent fresh seafood.
0:28.3	Trace your way through history at the Palacio de Magdalena, then absorb the panoramic views of the white sand bays.
0:34.8	Reimagined your Spanish adventure and visit the Guardian.com forward
0:38.6	slash Brittany Ferries Cantabria. This message was paid for by Brittany Ferries.
0:46.5	Science Weekly is supported by Hive. You've probably already heard of Hive and there's smart
0:53.2	thermostats that allow you to control
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1:22.7	at a cheaper rate while you sleep. It's all connected by the Hive app, giving you total control so you can
1:30.1	track your energy all at the touch of a button. Hive, know your power. Visit Hivehome.com. T's and
1:38.6	C's apply. I came to learn that a group of individuals were working on a project to build human habitations under the ocean.
1:57.4	Lisa Batchela is editor of the Guardian series Seescape.
2:01.5	When she came across a project called Deep, it intrigued her.
2:07.5	The slogan that they sort of operate under is, we want to make humans aquatic.
2:12.6	What they really mean is they want to enable people to be able to stay underwater for long periods of time.
2:19.4	So she decided to go and find out more and headed out to visit their site, a 20 hectare campus near
2:26.8	Chepstow on the Welsh border.
	...

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