In an IDEAS exclusive, James Cameron talks about his recent expedition to Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench - the deepest place in the world's oceans. Shortly after he returned to the surface, he recorded this conversation on board the Mermaid Sapphire with the expedition's electronic journalist and backup physician, Dr. Joe MacInnis. For more about the National Geographic-Rolex sponsored expedition, visit the National Geographic Deep Sea Challenge website.

Canadian filmmaker James Cameron has been all over the news of late. When he's not announcing plans to mine metals from asteroids, he's overseeing the 3-D release of Titanic, and planning the first of two projected sequels for Avatar.  And you'll probably remember that he recently piloted his own research sub to the deepest spot in the world's oceans - seven miles down to the very bottom of the Mariana Trench. Cameron's success depended on a team of thirty electronic, mechanical and life-support specialists working on a ship called the Mermaid Sapphire. They spent two months in the Western Pacific struggling against lethal ocean forces including wind, waves, currents and pressure that bends steel.

Dr. Joe MacInnis was Cameron's electronic journalist and backup physician. He posted daily blogs on National Geographic's website and helped the team navigate through sixty days of sustained stress.

Dr. Joe studies leadership in-life threatening environments - he calls it "deep leadership" - and how its components can enhance our personal and professional lives. He's spent time with astronauts who constructed the International Space Station and traveled to Afghanistan to interview Canadian soldiers fighting the Taliban. In fact, he's previously reported on both those missions for IDEAS.

In this Ideas episode, he takes us to the bridge of the Mermaid Sapphire for a 'conversation' with James Cameron shortly after he returned from his seven-mile dive.

Photograph: James Cameron and Dr. Joe MacInnis aboard the Mermaid Sapphire

Deep Leadership: Essential Insights from High Risk Environments by Dr. Joe MacInnis is published by Knopf Canada and will be released in September.


Related Websites:

Dr. Joe MacInnis

National Geographic DeepSea Challenge