Thrilled to be alive in this era but mindful of the strain on travel staff and infrastructure
Medical student, Caitlyn Tan, attending her first WiT conference, reports on a speech that left her “looking at the endless possibilities instead of the endless problems” and asking herself “if the one who’s going to make that change could be you”.
10am, second day of the WiT “Hello, New World” conference. “Exploration & Rejuvenation: Two Sides Of The Same Coin” by Fritz Demopoulos – the last session standing between me and the long-awaited coffee break.
As Fritz Demopoulos, who wears many hats, among them, CEO of Queen’s Road Capital, founder of Melon, the sci-fi festival, and board member, SETI, stepped on stage, the screens behind lit up with swirls of starry constellations, silhouetting him against the cosmos. I perked up immediately. Here was something different.
This was a speech I would remember beyond the rest. He started off with the James Webb Space Telescope, emphasising its significance as one of the most sophisticated scientific instruments ever constructed, and more importantly, one that heralded a new era of space exploration.
Interestingly, he also described how all the data collected from scientific initiatives via James Webb would be open to the public after a 12-month period. After that, anyone in the world can access the same data and perhaps discover things that the scientists may have missed. Case in point, he gave an example of a high school student from New York who discovered an exoplanet orbiting two stars just by looking at existing studies and data.
He then ran through the historical milestones of astronomical (forgive the pun) discoveries, speaking passionately of exploration being in our very DNA as human beings.
“Exploration is driven by deep-down energy, over-the-top passion, slightly maddening focus and consistent curiosity. I would argue that the same type of energy and passion is needed to rejuvenate the world we live in right now. They are two sides of the same coin.”
Now this was a declaration I wholeheartedly agreed with. Beyond all of it, what struck me most was the deep-down energy that drove his entire speech. From the first mention of the James Webb telescope to the clarion call to action at the end, it was clear that he found this era of exploration electrifying, with a sense of awe towards all that we have accomplished and the incredible speed at which technology has accelerated.
It was the sort of excitement that was contagious, that uplifted your spirits and made you feel immensely grateful to be alive in this era.
We’re hurtling towards the third age of digital travel, a new world of web, a different era of technology beyond people’s wildest imaginations. Everywhere is alight with buzzwords and it’s extremely easy to be caught up in all the excitement of exploring, breaking new boundaries and being at the cutting edge. He captured all this and more in his speech.
But there’s always a flip side of the coin. Even as (or perhaps especially because) we’re in this age of innovation, the industry is showing signs of strain. The pandemic plunged our world into extreme circumstances which exposed and exacerbated the challenges faced in different areas, from our frontline service staff, startups, tourism infrastructure to our very earth.
As Demopoulos stepped on stage, the screens behind lit up with swirls of starry constellations, silhouetting him against the cosmos.
Therefore, rejuvenation is paramount in tackling our current challenges. He asked the audience: Who’s going to come up with new solutions, ideas and approaches to better manage our people on a holistic level? How are startups going to pivot quickly enough, how can we tackle over-tourism with better models or new technologies, are there more effective ways to offset greenhouse gases and reduce carbon emissions? Who’s the next prospective entrepreneur that’s going to do that?
I felt that his key thrust wasn’t about encouraging complete overhaul of current models or reinventing the wheel per se. Beyond revamping areas that show strain, perhaps what he most wanted to see was a mindset where we’re constantly evaluating how things are done, consistently curious about how we can rethink and revitalise ways of the old. This sort of proactiveness comes from deep within and cannot be forced or faked.
I agree with him entirely in thinking that these challenges are not insurmountable, and in fact they may be solved by anyone out there because we all have within ourselves a deep-down energy, passion and creativity. That entrepreneurship can solve some of humanity’s greatest problems, that everyone can be an explorer and a catalyst for rejuvenation. While some talks that dissect the many challenges faced today only end up inducing a rather definite sense of bleakness, this one left me looking at the endless possibilities instead of the endless problems. His was a speech that left off on a hopeful note, leaving you to wonder at the future, asking yourself if the one who’s going to make that change could be you.
As Galileo once wrote, “You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.”
That’s why I love conferences such as the one hosted by WiT. Beyond insights, we receive inspiration. And to me, that is something beyond invaluable.
