A Report on a Thought-Provoking Trip to Liverpool for the Thriving Minds Conference
Written by Paige S.
Our day began with a talk on Aristotle: how humans and animals differ, and The Holy Grail.
We were then separated into groups of 6–7 students from other schools, with 28 groups in total. We were given a list of questions to discuss, based on the story of Darius of Persia by Herodotus. We discussed and got to know each other while learning about different perspectives and each other’s opinions on the question, ‘Is custom king?’ This discussion was enlightening and made us think about how the traditions we hold currently will change due to changes in perception in future years – just as our customs towards ideas such as slavery, women’s rights, and how we treat children have changed from different eras. This led into an inquiry session about whether the things you decide on are socially accepted or universally wrong.
During the talk on nanotechnology, we learnt about how, in science, we can make healthier versions of food using WOW (Water in Oil in Water).
Our favourite part of this day was the debate. We watched students from different schools share their points and their opinions on the statement, ‘Should animals have rights?’ We nominated Tom as the student from our school who was to share their opinion with the room. Thomas shared with 250 staff and students about how he believed animals should have rights, but not the same as we humans do. If any human was stuck in a room with a lion, the lion would show no mercy, as their life is dedicated to ‘survival of the fittest,’ meaning they have to work for their food.
The Thriving Minds Conference, hosted by Liverpool College, was a great experience which made our brains think and develop further into inquiry. We are thankful for having this wonderful opportunity.