On the 29th of August we travelled to Edinburgh to attend a talk by Google Vice President Dr. Vint Cerf, one of the people responsible for creating the internet. He answered questions on a wide range of subjects, submitted by pupils from the many different schools and colleges in attendance.

Some of the topics he discussed were his work on interplanetary networking (computer networking between different planets), his thoughts on how technology will evolve over the coming years, the possibilities of wearable computers such as Google glass, his work on creating the internet and his thoughts on how the internet has grown since its inception. Our favourite part by far was hearing about his work with NASA, and how computers are used on such a grand scale.

We all really enjoyed the experience of listening to Dr. Cerf speak about his life and his thoughts on the future. The high level of audience participation made us feel more in touch with his words. To have the chance to see such an inspirational figure, especially one who was so influential in the early stages of the internet, was an exciting opportunity.  Dr. Cerf is one of the most prominent figures in the computing industry and hearing of his many achievements motivates us to aspire to achieve more. Overall it was an extremely interesting talk and a wonderful opportunity.

Adam Richmond, Lee Trotter and Josh Tait