The 1998 Everest Expedition consists of an expert team of climbers, doctors, and scientists. The mission is scientific: put geological and surveying apparatus in place, conduct experiments in physiology and tele-medicine. It's shaping up to be one of the most powerful and exciting expeditions ever to go to Everest. There is deep value, scientifically, educationally, ecologically, in sending expeditions of this sort that stretch technology to probe extreme environments.

From a technological standpoint, the new systems being tested could have big impact back on earth. Medical systems like the ones we're making might revolutionize medical care and health awareness. The summit camera and weather probe is a real challenge, and will be a coup if it works. If we can put one on the summit of Everest, we can put one almost anywhere -- at every UNESCO world heritage site, on every highway sign in Los Angeles to watch traffic, or in parts of the environment that are either too hazardous or too fragile for human visits. It seems likely that the world climate is undergoing serious changes, and yet world civilizations have an appalling lack of real information because there are very few real probes in the world.

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