The View From My Study 18th November
The Adidas Predator football boot, famously worn by David Beckham and Jonny Wilkinson, is a product of curiosity and perseverance. For those unfamiliar with the boot, it was introduced in the late 90s and had a revolutionary textured layer which yielded extra power as well as better control and grip, allowing the wearer to emit more spin and curl on the ball. The concept was invented by a former player who was curious to know what would happen if he sliced up a rubber bouncy ball and stuck the pieces to his boot. Almost instantly the power was improved and after scientific tests and many re-designs, the boot was launched to huge success. Many boots today follow a similar design.
The development of the boot started with the question, “I wonder what will happen if…” and then required collaboration, determination and resilience to see the idea through. Perhaps one of the most curious minds in history belonged to Thomas Edison and he summed up this inventing process neatly in two separate statements:
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.”
At BG, we believe fully in the power of curiosity and that is why we encourage a creative spirit through music, art, design, drama and sport. It is also why there is an emphasis on play in the early years, because imagination is where it all begins.
This week’s Team Project Week has once again been the perfect platform for the development of core learning skills. The mixed-age teams were given a simple title, “What if…”, and from there they created their own investigations and presentations, all of which required curiosity, collaboration, determination and perseverance. Topics have varied from “What if aliens landed on earth?” to “What if you lost a sense?” Perhaps my favourite idea was “What if no-one failed?” which is a thought-provoking concept of which Mr Edison would have approved. And that’s what we want running through BG – discussion and debate, fuelled by curiosity.
Gareth Jones, Headmaster
