In March 2014 students from over 20 schools, including as far away as Chennai, India, gathered at the King’s School for our first ever conference. We 
were lucky enough to have chemist Harry Kroto join us as our first ever keynote speaker. At the conference, he ran two workshops and titled his talk “The Educational Revolution and the Goo-You-Wiki World”. He helped the audience to appreciate the beauty, symmetry and elegance of mathematics and he spoke about the ways in which the internet has helped spread and democratise science. At the end of the day, he later joined the panel discussion. As Christina says, “…the students were swept along with his with his passion for science and roguish humour…” He then presented the student poster presentation winners with their prize before joining the rest of the speakers for the speaker’s dinner.
Co-founder and mentor, Christina Astin was first introduced to Harry in 2012. He had discovered us online and was keen for us to collaborate with his GEOSET project (Global Educational Outreach for Science, Engineering & Technology).
Following the conference, we collaborated further on GEOSET and had started to discuss a TV science project with various organisations in the UK when he became ill. In the short time Christina was lucky enough to know him; she “became infected with his limitless ambition and passion for science communication”.
“We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic but is somewhat beauty and poetry.” – Maria Mitchell
The quote above is something we think Harry Kroto was driven from – full of imagination and creativity, and spent his life inspiring these qualities in others.
We were proud to support Harry’s Geoset project. We were deeply honoured to count him amongst our Ambassadors.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife and champion Margaret and to his GEOSET collaborators Steve and Colin. The world has lost a disruptive genius and a lovely man.
You can view a full tribute from Christina here