“With such power to shape the
products and ideas of the future, it is important to foster the development of forward-thinking individuals.”
“As I had plenty of drive to explore the device-based domain (my parents) primarily encouraged the exploration of the physical domain. This helped me broaden my experiences and led to me finding some of my passions in life,” he explains. “My own tech-life balance leans strongly in the direction of tech. I read, learn, study, write, entertain, socialise, work and engage in creative pursuits, and make discoveries, all on one device or another. One of the most important skills to teach would be how to go about making the best use of your computer to accomplish whatever task you have in mind.” These are thought-provoking observations from two intelligent and insightful young people, with advanced educational accomplishments and bright futures ahead of them. They both credit their time at BHS with helping to prepare them for the rigorous academic paths they pursued. They each earned Bachelors degrees from the University of the West of England and Masters degrees from the University of Bristol. Emmanuel is presently in the second year of his doctoral studies in the field of AI, while Alex is part of a research team, funded by the UK Space Agency, looking into the problem of space debris in the earth’s orbit. “The structure of the (BHS) IB
programme aligns with the organisation of university courses. This correlation made the transition quite a comfortable experience,” says Emmanuel, with Alex adding, “The work loads I experienced at BHS exceeded those I experienced in
We’re surrounded: This image from NASA illustrates the potenitally hazardous field of “space junk” surrounding the earth, a problem Alex Thompson ‘10 is working to address as part of a team funded by the UK Space Agency.
the first and second years of University, leaving me with free time to pursue other interests, to further expand my knowledge base.”
That pursuit may have a profound impact on life on, and beyond, our planet. According to its website, NASA is tracking more than a half million pieces of space junk orbiting the earth, and these pose a serious threat to space travel.
“My first encounter with the space sector was as a young child visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This sparked my imagination and has kept my interest in the space sector burning since,” recalls Alex. “I focused on space debris after encountering the idea of the Kessler Syndrome. This is a theoretical scenario in which a collision of objects in low earth orbit causes a cascade of collisions to occur, resulting in an impassible field of high-speed debris. The resulting debris field could halt all missions to space, and block the use of satellites for generations.”
The two science enthusiasts are encouraged to see BHS ‘Leading the Way’ with the new Innovation Centre and implementation of a STEAM curriculum. “STEM is vital to the betterment of our society. Over the past few decades, each of these areas of knowledge has led to great advancements in our capabilities,” says Emmanuel. “This includes progress in areas such as medicine, environmental understanding, and the development of handheld supercomputers - phones!” Which brings the conversation
full circle to the characteristics of a technologically advanced society. “Think about it, we hold in our hands a connection to an endless supply of information and knowledge,” concludes Emmanuel. “With such power to shape the products and ideas of the future, it is important to foster the development of forward-thinking individuals. With its Innovation Centre, BHS is in a good position to achieve this goal.”
Torchbearer Spring 2018 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
