“It’s not about Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, it’s about the scientists and engineers.”
That was Segway inventor Dean Kamen’s attempt to persuade those in attendance at Third Way’s innovation lecture that kids today need to have different heroes than athletes and pop singers.
But he has a way to go. Throughout his discussion Wednesday, nothing he said would convince any kid from putting down the basketball or turning off his iPod.
Things such as “not the Super Bowl, but the superconductor,” “put down your rocks and sticks” (his analogy for baseball) and “bouncing a ball is not an important skill” were some of his attempts to convince those in attendance the only teams kids should join are the little league teams that participate in his annual FIRST science competitions.
Oddly, he never mentioned the word ‘Segway’ once or discussed his current work developing the PUMA — a part Segway, part car hybrid — with GM and the Obama administration.
“Scientists are young, cool people that drive sports cars and make lots of money,” he said.
Sure they are.
