On Tuesday 27th September, College was fortunate enough to hear a talk by one of the academic world’s most original thinkers, author and astrobiologist Professor Lewis Dartnell. During his captivating presentation, the best-selling author of Origins and The Knowledge discussed the practical life skills that can be drawn from the fundamental sciences, especially after an apocalyptic event, such as a global pandemic.
In addition to learning that the contents of the average supermarket could support a single human for 55 years, the audience heard Professor Dartnell compare post-apocalyptic life to the award-winning game Minecraft, a sandbox concept where the objective is to create civilisation from scratch using natural resources. He explained how to create fire from a fire alarm and steel wool, how to build a rocket stove, and how to create glass from sand, chalk and seaweed potash.
Dartnell’s thesis was that in a world of discrete, specialised knowledge, we should be prepared for a day when we might not have easy access to the skills needed for our way of life. To that extent, he showed the audience a Kindle, which was connected to solar panels and loaded with thousands of useful manuals. This, Dartnell argued, was the most effective way of transferring information, given the susceptibility of books to decay and fire.
Our lives today have a vast disconnect from the fundamental and practical skills of our ancestors. There is so much to know in the world and no one can know it all. However, an inquisitive and informed mind can take the basics of chemistry, physics and biology and put them to a practical use.
Professor Dartnell’s talk combined elements of the academic with the practical in a most informative and interesting way.
Elise, UC5 (Year 11)
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