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Program
SciFact will have two fascinating tracks of programing: presentations and panels.
Presentations
The presentation track is given by people particularly knowledgeable in their field. These may be scientists, instructors, or just laypeople who are particularly well versed in a topic. Presentations run one to two hours and go particularly into depth in a specific topic.
Panel Discussions
The panel discussions are run by a combination of experts and interested enthusiasts. The topics covered will be more speculative than the presentations, discussing questions like "what is the future of computing?" and "how will extended lifespans affect our society?" The discussions will involve more audience participation than the presentations and will run for one hour.
We are still looking for panelists for discussions. If you are interested in being involved, email us.
Panels
Below is the preliminary list of panels. There is still room for a couple more if there is something really interesting that you would like to see discussed at SciFact. If you are interested in being on one or more of these panels, contact me with what panels you would like to be on and a brief bio.
The Future of Computing
Computing is undergoing many changes at the present. What will computers look like in ten years? Fifty years? What challenges and opportunities arise as mobile devices become more and more prolific. How will we interface with computers in the future? What technologies might emerge from current research directions?
High Bandwidth, Low Connection: Sustaining Personal Connection in the Internet World
Internet, text, cell phones, MMORPGs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn. Technology gives us many ways to connect, but is virtual contact the same as face to face contact? How do we maintain social connections in the real world with competition from the virtual world? How important is face to face connection?
The Next Big Epidemic
1918 Spanish Flu killed 50 to 100 million people. Black Death killed about 100 million. Where will the next killer bug come from? Are we prepared to deal with it?
Overmedicating
Scientists are starting to find notable amounts of psychiatric drug compounds in waste water. Psychiatry has drugs for most mental conditions. While some of these drugs are extremely helpful for those who need them, many people who do not need them are medicated. Why are drugs proscribed so often? What are the downsides of overmediation? What can be done about it?
Power Derives From The Barrel of Oil
Oil, the source of much of our energy, is a highly limited resource which we are burning at a prodigious rate. Soon we will run out. What technologies are on the horizon which could take the place of such a plentiful resource? Will we have to learn to live with less energy?
Moon or Mars, Where To Visit?
NASA intends to return to the Moon this century. Some others are talking about Mars. Where should we go? The Moon, Mars, or both? Which offers the greatest return for the risk? Which will ignite the imagination of the public? Where will the money come from?
You Got Cell Phone In My Computer! You Got Computer in My Cell Phone!
You can watch TV on your computer, check email on your phone, and take phone calls on your television. As technology becomes more pervasive and versatile, how will that change us as a species? What will the next big thing be? What are the dangers of these new technologies?
It's the End of the World As We Know It
Superbugs, Global Warming, Giant Asteroids, Rogue Black Holes, Killer Solar Flares. The number of ways that nature can wipe us out is startling and fascinating, and it makes for great movie premises. Join us for a delightfully morbid discussion of the science of the end of the world.
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