How the world’s most beloved scientist taught us about life, the universe, and everything.

I once met Professor Stephen Hawking as he was coming out of the elevator at the John Lewis store in Cambridge (UK – The original one), where we both lived at the time.

And although I’ll admit this might be far from the most interesting Stephen Hawking story out there, it’s still one of my favourites. Being in his presence was an incredible feeling. I felt ridiculously honoured to have bumped into him in this ordinary shop.

What made Stephen Hawking so special wasn’t just the fact he was a genius. He was, above all, a fantastic teacher
Share on X

Now, after his death, I feel much the same way about having had the honour of sharing the same time-space with him. In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, he was our steadfast voice of reason. Right to the end, he advocated for the things he felt passionate about, such as defending the National Health Service against the likes of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt who – with a level of misguided arrogance I can’t begin to comprehend – actually chose to argue with him (with entirely predictable results).

And all this he achieved with wit, wisdom, and a wicked sense of humour, which endeared him to millions around the world. When combined with the inspiring way in which he defied an illness that should have killed him and transcended the disability which left him only able to move a few muscles on his face, he is indeed a formidably inspirational figure.

But what made Stephen Hawking so special wasn’t just the fact he was a genius. He was, above all, a fantastic teacher. Someone who found a common language for incredibly complex ideas, so we could all share the infinite wonders he saw in this universe of ours.

The world without Stephen Hawking feels like a much scarier place
Share on X

As I return to Dubai to cover the Global Education and Skills Forum, I find myself amazed all over again by the many stories of how teachers inspire and enable us to reach higher and become better people. Which is why I’m an enthusiastic supporter of the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize, which recognizes their monumental contribution to society, so often underappreciated.

So it wasn’t really a surprise when I found this video of Professor Stephen Hawking, announcing the 2016 finalists of that prize and talking about how he, too, had been encouraged and nurtured by a teacher at a crucial point in his early life.

In an age dominated by megalomaniac leaders, the fact that arguably the smartest man in the world never took himself too seriously was enormously refreshing, and that world feels much emptier and scarier now that he’s no longer amongst us.

I remember when I went to watch the Monty Python comeback show in the O2 a few years ago, one of the sketches had Brian Cox popping up on the giant video screen on stage, ranting against the scientific inaccuracies of the Pythons’ “Galaxy Song” only to be run over by Hawking, who was then sucked up into the ether to sing out the rest of the song while surfing through a brilliantly animated universe. That is how many will remember him, and I don’t think he would have minded.

In an age dominated by megalomaniac leaders, the fact that arguably the smartest man in the world never took himself too seriously was refreshing
Share on X

A fan of cult comedy Sci-Fi series Red Dwarf, Hawking also graced several episodes of hit geeky TV show The Big Bang Theory and was the only guest to ever appear in Star Trek playing himself. Most people will also recall his appearance in The Simpsons, and an action figure of his incarnation from the show sat proudly on his Cambridge desk as he featured in John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, in a segment aptly entitled “People Who Think Good”

This Tweet from a BBC reporter sums up that sense of humour beautifully, as he was certainly not adverse to playing a prank:

Hawking story was doing rounds at Newsnight. Producer left in room setting up for interview. Pulled out lead for light and Hawkins slumped forward in chair like disconnected something vital. Producer runs for help, returns to room to find Hawking chuckling. #RIPStephenHawking

— Jim Reed (@jim_reed) March 14, 2018

The world without Stephen Hawking feels like a much scarier place. You somehow felt that if aliens invaded or a meteor was hurtling inexorably towards earth, he’d be the one on speed-dial, the sort of person who could come up with a “42” type of answer to our troubles, like in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Yet that also feels a bit selfish, because he gave us so much, and maybe it was just time for him to go on a new adventure. So I will echo President Obama’s wish, and picture him, much like in the Monty Python song, happily gallivanting through the universe.

Have fun out there among the stars. pic.twitter.com/S285MTwGtp

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 14, 2018

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter

The post Remembering Stephen Hawking appeared first on Tech Trends.

We’re heading over to Dubai for the biggest event in Education Innovation.

#GESF 2018 will see the launch of The Next Billion Prize - awarded to the Ed-Tech project destined to impact the developing world
Share on X

Now in its sixth year, the Global Education and Skills Forum is an initiative by the Varkey Foundation. Tech Trends was at last year’s event, and we’re excited to see what’s in store for this year, where the theme is “How do we prepare young people for the world of 2030 and beyond?”

Ed-Tech has the huge potential to change young people’s lives for the better - @sunnyvarkey_
Share on X

As that implies, technology and innovation will be a big focus at GESF 2018, as in the Digital Age they must play a big part in the Varkey Foundation’s mission of improving the quality of education for children throughout the world.

Start-ups from all over the world will pitch their EdTech products to a panel of expert judges including Tech Crunch Editor-at-large @mikebutcher
Share on X

Hence the fact that a large part of the conference will be dedicated to EdTech. The GESF FutureZone is billed as the largest ever showcase of innovative tech dedicated to education, and will feature some big players in the tech space such as Blippar CEO Ambarish Mitra, who will be talking about the potential of emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality and AI to democratize access to learning all over the world.

From digital tests to new subjects, this is how technology will be changing the #classrooms of the future https://t.co/vrRvTlWNBB #GESF pic.twitter.com/HqsHgUkh4t

— Global Ed & Skills (@GESForum) March 11, 2018

The FutureZone will feature an Immersive Learning Showcase, where there will be demonstrations of VR/AR/MR applications and a series of Future Talks exploring how Immersive Tech will transform education, and will also host the launch of The Next Billion Prize – the first prize of its kind that will be awarded to the Ed-Tech project destined to make the biggest impact in the developing world.

Technology and innovation will be a big focus at #GESF 2018
Share on X

Dozens of start-ups from all over the world will pitch their innovative products to a panel of expert judges including Tech Crunch Editor-at-large Mike Butcher. The winner will receive a US $50,000 prize in addition to expert mentoring and support in implementing and scaling up their solution, conducting pilots in public schools in selected countries for a year to demonstrate proof of concept and access new markets and opportunities.

“In a world where access to quality education is a real issue for millions of children, Ed-Tech has the huge potential to change young people’s lives for the better,” says philanthropist Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation. “ The FutureZone will showcase the latest innovative Ed-Tech poised to make a real difference in emerging markets and the developing world where problems of accessing education and getting the best quality teaching are most pressing. The event will also help the creation of a community of practice around education technology,” he concludes.

As usual GESF attracts a host of high-profile attendees and there are plenty of familiar names on the speaker list such as Al Gore, Simon Schama, Nicolas Sarkozy and Rory Bremner to name but a few. And if last year’s Global Teacher Prize ceremony – where the trophy was delivered by a parachuting Bear Grylls and winner Maggie MacDonnell was announced from the International Space Station and congratulated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – is anything to go by, we can expect a few surprises for this year too. The fact that none other than Bill Gates announced sets the tone:

The FutureZone will feature an Immersive Learning Showcase highlighting how VR/AR/MR technologies will transform education
Share on X

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, GESF 2018 Takes place at The Atlantis, The Palm from the 16^th to the 18^th March 2018. Follow the latest right here and on Twitter @techtrends_tech

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter

The post Tech Trends at #GESF 2018 appeared first on Tech Trends.