Science, adventure, exploration, great white sharks — and giant ocean waves — were the subject of a lively Upper School talk in Baker Theater on Thursday, September 18.

Susan Casey, New York Times bestselling author of both The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogue, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean, and The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s Great White Sharks, spoke about her long career in journalism and nonfiction writing, as well as her work telling stories about the mystery and huge power of our oceans. 

She also surprised everyone with a special Zoom call from Laird Hamilton, an American big-wave surfer whose exploits riding monster waves were detailed in her 2010 book The Wave. 

Casey said that she first became interested in ocean waves and especially rogue waves after learning that huge, 600-foot ships regularly and swiftly vanish in the global seas. 

A visit to the worldwide insurer Lloyd’s of London confirmed the phenomenon; Casey said that science now offers an explanation for the monstrous, sudden, ominous, and out-of-the ordinary waves that appear with no warning and sink ships.

“We now know a lot more about giant waves than we did,” she told students. 

“And one of the reasons we know how to explain most rogue waves is because of the advent of non-linear physics and quantum mechanics. The ocean is non-linear.

“So some waves can suddenly become 10 times their size or eight times their size  because the energy is going not linear — one plus one equals two, but one plus one suddenly veers into eight.”

Casey introduced another subject of her book, surfer Laird Hamilton, who drew warm applause and answered questions from the boys. 

Hamilton said that giant surf reminds him to stay humble, which he believes “is the proper way to go about being in the universe.” He said if you approach surfing with a “puffy chest,” then you will quickly find out how “tough you are not.”

Both Hamilton and Casey encouraged the audience to pursue what they love with passion and heart.

“When you dedicate your life to something, and you refine a skill and you have some mastery, there will always be value in that,” Hamilton said.

“Be a good man,” he continued. “Be a good woman. Be a good human. The most challenging thing I’ve ever done is walk the line of goodness.”

Later in the day, Casey, whose books were featured as The Brunswick Trust Summer Read, met with environmental science classes and hosted an evening discussion with parents.