(1971–2023) was a transformative Canadian researcher, author, and entrepreneur who dedicated her life to bridge the gap between human technology and the natural world .
In 2022, Bakker published The Sounds of Life , a book that detailed how digital technologies act as a "planetary hearing aid". Her research highlighted groundbreaking discoveries, such as: karen bakker
Her story is one of relentless curiosity, moving from a focus on global water crises to a visionary exploration of how Artificial Intelligence could allow humans to "listen" to the hidden conversations of animals and plants. From Water Governance to Bioacoustics From Water Governance to Bioacoustics She passed away
She passed away in August 2023, shortly after delivering a powerful TED Talk on the prospects of deciphering animal communication. Her colleagues and students remember her as a scholar who was "insatiably curious about Earth’s long-term future" and who believed that by learning to listen, we might finally learn to cohabitate. was published posthumously in 2024.
Bakker's final work, Gaia's Web , was published posthumously in 2024. It explored the concept of "digital environmentalism," arguing that while technology can be used for surveillance, it also offers a way to regenerate the Earth and cultivate deep empathy for non-human species.
However, her most influential work emerged later in her life, when she began investigating the "hidden realm of sound." The Sounds of Life and Digital Hearing