Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is in the Kootenays to speak at the Columbia Basin Symposium this weekend.
Friday morning Hadfield spent half an hour talking to the media. He started out the conversation by responding to a question about what kind of messages he would like to pass on to young people.
sa国际传媒淭he things we accomplish in life are kind of a reflection of the edges of our expectations,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淥ften our accomplishments in life are sort of limited by the horizons we have seen growing up. A large part as one of Canadasa国际传媒檚 astronauts where I have had tremendous privilege, but also a pretty amazing perspective sa国际传媒� is to let other people perhaps see opportunities that they might not have realized existed.sa国际传媒�
When Hadfield speaks to students in Cranbrook later on Friday, he said he will feel his talk is successful if, sa国际传媒渟a国际传媒he students come away with a slightly expanded view of the world and their place in it.sa国际传媒�
He also spoke about the advantages that human invention has brought to the world.
sa国际传媒淲e are at an absolute zenith of quality of life around the world,sa国际传媒� said Hadfield. He listed the eradication or near eradication of diseases such as smallpox and polio and the jump in global literacy rates.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 technology and human inventiveness that allow those types of things to happen,sa国际传媒� added Hadfield. sa国际传媒淚 think that is something to focus on sa国际传媒� What do we need to do next and where should we be focusing?sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淲hat should people be doing here in the Columbia Basin next week? Thinking about their role within the province, their role within Canada, and Canadasa国际传媒檚 role within the world. To me, that is really the focus of what we ought to be looking at.
sa国际传媒淲hen you get to ride on some of the most cutting-edge technology and see the world in a way we have never seen it before, makes you think about all of those opportunities but also responsibilities. With privilege, which I have been lucky to receive so much of, comes, I think, also a great level of responsibility.sa国际传媒�
Hadfield spoke to the fact that technology can only go so far sa国际传媒� it takes humans to interpret the facts in a meaningful way.
sa国际传媒淓xploration isnsa国际传媒檛 just scientific and technical, itsa国际传媒檚 human sa国际传媒� otherwise we would just send robots to do it,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淩obots donsa国际传媒檛 care sa国际传媒� we are the ones that matter. To have people interpreting what is happening is what is of real value and interest.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淥nboard the space station it seems a little remote and technical and clinical, but it is actually just six people up there,sa国际传媒� explained Hadfield. sa国际传媒淭hey are imperfect and doing their best and they are six emissaries of the other seven and a half billion on the surface.sa国际传媒�
Hadfield was happy to come to this corner of Canada, and as a skier, he said he was looking outside and wishing the snow was falling heavier.
sa国际传媒淭he Columbia Basin Trust that you folks have sa国际传媒� what a lovely legacy, what an enabling organization in order for people to see beyond just the regular day-to-day,sa国际传媒� said Hadfield of the organization that is sponsoring the event and asked him to be their keynote speaker.
The symposium sa国际传媒� SHIFT! Thriving in Change sa国际传媒� is taking place in Kimberley, but will be streaming online at .
