Woodstock of the mind

It was Bill Clinton who described Hay Festival as the “ Woodstock of the mind” after his visit in 2001. (He arrived by helicopter and some locals still remember it but then its not everyday that the President of the United States arrives by chopper into a field in this sleepy market town on the Welsh borders though one would hardly describe Hay in those terms now because it has become gentrified out of all recognition of its former self.
 
Today lived up to this. This morning went to a talk on robotics- how soon will they take our jobs ? asked an anxious member of the public.
 
"Not for a long time," replied Fumiya Lida the young Japanese scientist from Cambridge, “ despite all the media hype”.
 
However driverless cars are around the corner. It’s not a case of if but when and that depends on whether there is a demand for them.
 
He did show a video though of robots dancing to hard rock music and they were impressive.
 
   
Serendipity plays a huge part in the Hay experience. I had just been to a talk by Booker prize-winner Peter Carey when I saw this trio of young filmmakers from London. They are members of Renaissance-Foundation, a charity set up to help young people in Tower Hamlets. They wanted to show them what life was like outside London. Well they had no idea what to expect and they were blown away by the experience on this their first day…