What if some of the most important discoveries left to make are hidden beneath our feet?

In this episode of RGS Presents: The Future of Exploration, cave explorer and microbiologist Professor Hazel Barton joins host Matt Pycroft to explore the world underground.

From unexplored cave systems in Borneo and Mexico to microscopic life living in extreme environments, Hazel reveals how exploration can begin with something that doesn’t make sense. A rope that mysteriously lost its strength led to new questions about cave formation. Microbes found around mineral deposits opened up possibilities for capturing carbon and creating new materials, and ancient animal remains discovered while following the flow of air helped reveal a lost cave entrance and a different landscape from 10,000 years ago. For Hazel, this is what exploration is really about, following the clues, noticing anomalies and asking better questions.

The conversation also asks what exploration looks like in the age of AI and robotics. Can a machine map a cave more efficiently than a human? Are curiosity, intuition and human judgement qualities that technology can ever truly reproduce? Hazel also challenges the image of the lone heroic explorer. Modern exploration is increasingly a team effort, bringing together scientists, mappers, expedition teams and local expertise to generate knowledge that can help tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.