Wisdom in fragments

We have turned life into a business model- and have somewhat forgotten the reciprocity we have with nature rather; we just see it as a resource. We have maintained societies for thousands of years based on a reciprocal relationship with nature, and we need to.

Canadian science broadcaster and host of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet

In the 21st century, there are cameras everywhere except for where our food and energy come from, and where our waste goes. We are the most powerful species in the world, but we remain blind to the fundamentals that allow us to survive. How are we blind to our life support system?

Canadian science broadcaster and host of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet

We're outnumbered by bacteria 1.3:1, we're slightly more bacteria than we are human. We're also stardust. We are also 60% water, and that water in our bodies is billions of years old. At an atomic level, 98% of the hydrogen in our bodies came from the bigbang. We're incredibly ancient beings, perhaps we should see ourselves as aliens!

Canadian science broadcaster and host of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet

Our senses allow us to perceive, but they're incredibly limited. Science sees far beyond our human blind spots, and the reaches of this 'bubble' our senses create for us. When you're in a bubble, you inhabit a form of fictional reality, and we've seen the dangerous consequences of this in financial bubbles, stock market bubbles, real estate bubbles.

Canadian science broadcaster and host of Discovery Channel's Daily Planet

The idea that if you are proud to be British you need to be proud of British history is nonsensical. Does it mean you have to be proud of all of history? Of slavery? You might as well be proud of biology or jelly.

British journalist and author, wrote "The Boy with the Topknot

It's really complicated to work-out how much of our wealth came from empire, it's like trying to take the egg out of a baked cake.

British journalist and author, wrote "The Boy with the Topknot

Researching the story of empire didn't make me hate Britain, rather it gave me a deeper sense of belonging because it made me realise that we (brown people) have been here for centuries.

British journalist and author, wrote "The Boy with the Topknot

We're a multicultural society because we had a multicultural empire. The reason you and I are here talking is because some English people went to India and invaded it in the 17th century.

British journalist and author, wrote "The Boy with the Topknot

We have a very strange relationship with empire, a combination of selective amnesia and nostalgia. The amnesia comes from the fact we mostly identify as the nation that won World War 2 not as the nation which had the greatest empire in human history.

British journalist and author, wrote "The Boy with the Topknot

In 2012, I was put to the forefront of people's eyes during the Olympics. It was the first time I'd been on the cover of a magazine- and it wasn't about being a size-zero or really-skinny, it was about being strong and promoting what healthy looks like.

British Olympic heptathlon champion and gold medalist

There's so much data that's been collected around fitness, but a lot of this has been based on male subjects and isn't always right to apply to women. Having been through the journey myself, I want to help more women become body-literate and motivated to enjoy exercise.

British Olympic heptathlon champion and gold medalist

Ultimately, you have to fail at some stage with whatever you do, to get the successes that you need in the end.

British Olympic heptathlon champion and gold medalist

You can have athletes that are at their physical peak but without the right mental resilience and approach, their performance will not be where it needs to. I've focused on that a lot through my career- learning through experiences and trying to keep a perspective on what I'd achieved previously, what I was going to achieve, and how to get the most out of communication with the people around me.

British Olympic heptathlon champion and gold medalist

In space, and certainly on the International Space Station, everybody is a leader- there are so many complex, moving parts.. there are so many pressures on the system an teams around the world... It's an environment where listening is very important, and an environment where followership is equally as important as leadership.

British Astronaut & ISS Expedition Commander

Space is a pretty scary place. Here on Earth, we're surrounded by nature and a nice blue sky. You don't realise that 16km above you, things start to go black…. 100km it's an inhospitable vacuum that will kill you in less than 60 seconds. Think how far we've come as humanity- we're a living species who have managed to escape our own planet.

British Astronaut & ISS Expedition Commander

We fear the unknown, but the less you know about something the more knowledge there is to gain, and hence the less afraid you will be. When you understand a situation and are fully prepared having analysed the risks and mitigated them- you may well still be apprehensive, and that's normal.

British Astronaut & ISS Expedition Commander