Meet the Future, Science & Technology Summit 2010

Last updated April 23, 2019

Redmond O'Hanlon (on the left) is interviewed by a Dutch reporter of the VPRO RedmondO'Hanlan.png — Redmond O'Hanlon (on the left) is interviewed by a Dutch reporter of the VPRO

Video impression of the summit

Meet the Future, Science & Technology Summit 2010 was a one-day science and technology convention ^[1] held at the World Forum Convention Center in The Hague, Netherlands on November 18, 2010, organized by Platform Bèta Techniek (PBT), an organization which has been empowered by the Dutch government to increase the number of beta students in the Netherlands.

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.

Technology is the collection of techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives, such as scientific investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques, processes, and the like, or it can be embedded in machines to allow for operation without detailed knowledge of their workings. Systems applying technology by taking an input, changing it according to the system's use, and then producing an outcome are referred to as technology systems or technological systems.

A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom. Trade conventions typically focus on a particular industry or industry segment, and feature keynote speakers, vendor displays, and other information and activities of interest to the event organizers and attendees. Professional conventions focus on issues of concern along with advancements related to the profession. Such conventions are generally organized by societies or communities dedicated to promotion of the topic of interest. Fan conventions usually feature displays, shows, and sales based on pop culture and guest celebrities. Science fiction conventions traditionally partake of the nature of both professional conventions and fan conventions, with the balance varying from one to another. Conventions also exist for various hobbies, such as gaming or model railroads.

The summit offered Dutch science and technology related companies and educational institutions an opportunity to showcase their latest products, research and developments.

There was a gathering with selected international guests on the following day (November 19).^[2]

Notable guests

There were keynote speeches by several famous and influential persons such as Neil Armstrong ^[3]^[4]^[5] (who said in his speech that he would offer his services as commander on a mission to Mars, if he was asked, even though he was 80 years old at the time),^[6] Steve Wozniak (who predicted in his speech^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11] that Android would be dominant over the iPhone market-wise but the iPhone would retain the quality edge),^[12] Spencer Wells (geneticist and anthropologist and professor at Cornell University), Robbert Dijkgraaf (president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and Kishore Mahbubani (professor at the National University of Singapore).

Neil Alden Armstrong was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who was the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System after Mercury. In English, Mars carries a name of the Roman god of war, and is often referred to as the "Red Planet" because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance that is distinctive among the astronomical bodies visible to the naked eye. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.

Stephen Gary "Woz" Wozniak, is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer, philanthropist, and technology entrepreneur who in 1976 co-founded Apple Inc., which later became the world's largest information technology company by revenue and largest company in the world by market capitalization. He and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs are widely recognized as pioneers of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.

Other prominent guests were Sarah Darwin (biologist and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin) and author Redmond O'Hanlon, who had both featured in the Dutch VPRO television series Beagle: In Darwin's wake ^[13] (Beagle: In het kielzog van Darwin), Olympic gold medal swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband, and also Jeroen van der Veer (chairman of Platform Bèta Techniek and former Shell CEO) and Maxime Verhagen (Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Deputy Prime Minister), who was presented with the results of the Deltaplan Bèta Techniek, which lists measures to increase the participation of students in technical studies.

Sarah Catherine Vogel FLS is a British botanist.

Charles Robert Darwin, was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. His proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors is now widely accepted, and considered a foundational concept in science. In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding.

Redmond O'Hanlon, FRGS, FRSL is an English writer and scholar.

Criticism

There was criticism by science journalist Hidde Boersma that the summit painted a too rosy picture of the efforts by the Platform Bèta Techniek to interest young people to take up a technical education.

Although he also noted that many schools used the Summit as a study day for their students and thus the summit could still help to achieve the PBT's goals of increasing the participation in technical studies by inspiring students.^[5]

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References

↑ (in Dutch) Meet the Future – Science & Technology Summit 2010 (Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine .)
↑ Summit 2010 English site Archived January 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine .
↑ Neil Armstrong in The Hague, Part 1. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
↑ Neil Armstrong in The Hague, Part 2. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
1 2 (in Dutch) Meet The Future laat te rooskleurig beeld zien, bionieuws, Hidde Boersma, 27 November 2010 (Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine .)
↑ (in Dutch) Neil Armstrong wil nog best naar Mars (Neil Armstrong still wants to go to Mars), Nu.nl, 18 November 2010
↑ Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 1. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
↑ Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 2. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
↑ Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 3. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
↑ Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 4. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
↑ Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 5. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15
↑ iPhone vs. Android: Steve Wozniak Says Android Will Be Dominant One Day. Nexus404.com. 2010-11-18 Archived November 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine .
↑ "Beagle website". VPRO. Retrieved 10 September 2014.

External links

(in Dutch) Summit 2010 (official site; archive)
Platform Bèta Techniek (official site)
Impression of the event. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-20

Coordinates: 52°05′32″N4°16′59″E / 52.092360°N 4.283044°E / 52.092360; 4.283044

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[1] (in Dutch) Meet the Future – Science & Technology Summit 2010 (Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine .)

[2] Summit 2010 English site Archived January 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine .

[3] Neil Armstrong in The Hague, Part 1. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[4] Neil Armstrong in The Hague, Part 2. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[bionieuws-5] 1 2 (in Dutch) Meet The Future laat te rooskleurig beeld zien, bionieuws, Hidde Boersma, 27 November 2010 (Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine .)

[6] (in Dutch) Neil Armstrong wil nog best naar Mars (Neil Armstrong still wants to go to Mars), Nu.nl, 18 November 2010

[7] Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 1. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[8] Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 2. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[9] Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 3. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[10] Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 4. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[11] Steve Wozniak in The Hague, Part 5. Youtube.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-15

[12] Phone vs. Android: Steve Wozniak Says Android Will Be Dominant One Day. Nexus404.com. 2010-11-18 Archived November 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine .

[13] "Beagle website". VPRO. Retrieved 10 September 2014.