Jonathan Silvertown Inaugural Lecture

Inaugural Lecture, 22nd February, 2017, University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the home of the Scottish Enlightenment and to this historic milestone of intellectual achievement it adds a panoply of accolades: the architecture and townscape of a World Heritage Site, the first UNESCO City of Literature, the largest arts festival in the world, the greenest city in Britain, the capital of Scotland and the seat of the Scottish Parliament. Edinburgh University ranks in the UK top 4 and in the global top 20. Through the middle of this assortment is thrust the City's own volcano, like a skewer through a kebab of delights. In this lecture I will propose adding one more delicacy to the dish: Edinburgh - First Global City of Learning.

The idea is to turn the entire city and its environs into a pervasive, interactive learning environment, visible to the world. Through a smartphone or other device, anyone in Edinburgh will be able to learn about the rocks beneath their feet, the buildings and trees around them, the history of every location and the art in every vista, carry out their own investigations and make their own contributions to knowledge. Realising this vision requires a technical infrastructure that we have begun to build and that we have named Edinburgh Cityscope. Physical borders define the uniqueness of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Cityscope will present this in a borderless showcase.

Last updated: 05 Feb 2018 at 14:42
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