General Talk Descriptions (in numeric order) (count 72)

We hope for the best. We work for it. But what if things don't work out right? What can go wrong? What will that future be like?

Lately colleges and other academic venues have been seeing a proliferation of theses and monographs that examine popular TV shows and discuss how they fit in with certain philosophies. There are several courses which use popular entertainment as examples in philosophy class, political science class, sociology class, etc. Why has television suddenly become acceptable to the academic crowd? And is this a good thing? What sorts of findings are they having?

We're all familiar with alternate histories. How about science fiction alternate histories? How might the field have been different if Stanley Weinbaum had lived, or if John Campbell had decided he'd rather write than edit, or if Robert E. Howard hadn't committed suicide? What if Harry Turtledove never wrote an alternate history?

What science fiction concept, other than space travel, would you most like to see realized? Flying cars? Matter replicators? Time travel? Why?

There was a lot of fuss made about the sales of the Harry Potter books and what it said for children's literacy and reading. Did it encourage kids to read? Will it have any long term positive effects? What can we do to encourage reading?

In the next ten years, what will the word "literacy" mean? Can you truly be literate in tomorrow's society if you can't use a computer? Are computer icons replacing the need to read? What's the future of libraries and bookstores.

Science fiction is filled with "alternate histories". But so are history books. "History is written by the victors," wrote Machiavelli. Time does its part for re-writing history, too. Alternate histories abound. Think American Indians were noblemen of the plains who all lived in harmony with the land? Guess again. Then there's Disney's version of Pocahontas. And don't forget Shakespeare's rewriting of Richard III.

"It must be true, I saw it on the Internet." How has pseudo-science infected popular culture lately? How does this kind of charlatanism interfere with progress and rational discourse? Are there things we can do to counter the untruths that are spread around?

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a...? What would happen if our technological dreams came true? If we had transporters or free, unlimited energy? And how would things change if we had them?

Television is filled with shows about science: the science of criminal forensics. How realistic are those shows and how much of what they portray is science fiction?

Aliens in science fiction come in virtually all shapes, sizes, and colors. But, if they're out there, what will real aliens be like? Not just physically. How will they think? Will they have the same type of emotions and moral/ethical feelings we do? How will we say Hello?

Which political ideologies from science fiction novels could and/or do work in real life? Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress or Starship Troopers? Margaret Atwood's The Handmaids Tale? The whole Star Trek universe?

Just what is Podcasting? How does it work and why should I care? And what roll does it have in the future of science fiction?

It's important to stimulate a child's mind early, to give them a desire to learn. Elementary school brings us into contact with reading, arithmetic, music, art, science, and more. Science fiction and fantasy, including fairy tales and mythology, can be used to inform children about all of these subject areas and more, and can excite them about reading and learning.

What will the blue collar jobs of future be? Mechanic for the hamburger flipping machines at McDonalds? What changes will we see for the white collar set?

Here are activities that give us great personal pleasure but somehow, down deep inside, we're just a bit ashamed to admit that we like the Smurfs... or bowling... or mud wrestling. Hear people reveal their Guilty Pleasures and why they indulge.

Has human nature changed through recorded history, or are we the same old apes with new technology?

Dragons abound in fantasy and fairy tales but not all dragons are alike. From Real Musgrave's Pocket Dragons to Naomi Novik's giants, with Anne McCaffrey's more traditionally-sized dragons in between, not only their sizes vary but their personalities and capabilities as well. Writers of dragon tales talk about the whys and wherefores of dragons.

The face of the American political system has been changed forever by the advent of electronic technology. Can our system handle it? What will our government be like in 100 years?

Writers are like gods. Whatever they want their characters to do, they do. If they want lightning to strike, the sky is shattered by electricity. Are they responsible for the themes, the ideas, and the actions in their works? Is there a responsibility not to show how to make a bomb? Should good always triumph over evil?

Some books have a profound effect on people. Come hear from our panelists which books had a major effect on them and share your own stories.

When we' re finally able to clone a chicken breast, will it be something that vegetarians will eat? Will it be Kosher? Halaal? Will it taste the same as the "original"? Will anyone want to eat it? Many science fiction authors have speculated about "vat-grown meat", but are we actually on the verge of having it to serve on the dinner table? Will it help end famine and starvation, or just make things worse?

The web isn't just for research, for posting comments on the latest episode of Lost, or to find porn. It can also be used to create communities. The best example of this is "craigslist", now with over 200 sites in 35 countries. Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist, and others, talk about what they're doing and why. And where we can go from here.

Religion is frequently ignored in science fiction and fantasy. But sometimes it isn't. How is it treated? Do we see standard Earth religions or all-new ones? Or ones that just think they're all new? Some authors seem to think that, come the future, all people will just abandon their religious beliefs. Does that seem likely?

Third world countries are starting to unite and stand up to the first world. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not. What does the future hold? Which countries will lead this power change (if any) and what are the implications? Is it inevitable? And desirable?

The founder and CEO of craigslist talks about how a small website to help find things to do in San Francisco has grown into the prototype for internet communities, with sites in over 200 cities and 35 countries.

Where to go and what to do before and after next year's Worldcon. And what should I know about the Japanese culture to keep me from insulting anyone by mistake?

Is it a real possibility or mere science fiction? Many SF novels take something like a world state for granted, as part of the background of their future universe. Yet if one talks about world government as a concrete political goal -- however distant -- people often dismiss it as hopelessly naive and utopian. What is the likelihood of it ever happening?

SF fans like to think of themselves as rebels and they like to read stories of people who are the same. But are Gordon Dickson's Dorsai and S.M. Stirling's Draka just a natural extension of today's militias? What about Heinlein's Farnhams Freehold? Are these militiamen the reality?

Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Einstein have included religion in their commentary. How have scientific methods changed over the centuries and how has it affected science's relationship with religion? When all actions can be described by physics and all life can be described by biology and chemistry, is there any room for the miraculous, the ineffable?

The crime labs of today make any major police department into a Sherlock Holmes. What will the future bring? Criminologists and others discuss what changes they're already seeing in their work and what they expect for the future.

H.L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, I.F. Stone, Germaine Greer, Gertrude Stein, Hannah Arendt all gained prominence as American public intellectuals through newspaper columns and books of collected essays. Is the Blogosphere spawning a contemporary generation of important public thinkers? Who are the ones you can't afford to miss? What are they saying?

Our distinguished panel of experts will identify unusual alien items and discuss their uses.

Congress keeps extending the life of copyrights. Is this good for authors and other creators or just for the mega-corporations? Where is "intellectual property" going in the US? In the world?

Gays have been around forever. It goes without saying, then, that they've always been a part of Fandom. How has fannish life changed over the years for Gay Fans and what's it like now?

Over the last few years, blogging has exploded. Not just for geeks anymore, even commercial sites now frequently have blogs. There are blogs on every subject and the media has started using blogs not just as marketing tools but as sources for news stories. Vox populi and all that but is this a good thing?

Some editors/publishers just don't like what you have to say. Is that censorship? Some don't want to publish anything controversial, to face the potential wrath of the Fundamentalists or the Parent Groups. It's their money; isn't it their choice?

What are the ethical problems of the Human Genome Project? Are we playing God when we fool around with genes and chromosomes? Can a world of all blonde and blue-eyed children be far behind? When we can work miracles on the molecular level, will the people in areas we can "correct" be discriminated against?

Bear, Benford, Brin, and Vernor Vinge talk about The Bullets You Don't Hear. Which ones will get us, and why worry?

With all the changes in our world -- political, social, economic, and scientific -- what will it be like for us, as people, to live in the future. What will the human condition be like?

There are straight men who write about Gay characters. Women who write about men. Men who write about women. Gays who write about Straights. Is that very different from writing about Martians?

Science fiction is more than just stories; it's ideas and inspiration. But can it change the world? Some people who are trying to do just that, by inspiring people through their works or who have been inspired by science fiction and are trying to take action, talk about what they're doing and what you can do.

Language and culture are linked. What concepts need words? How does the environment affect the language? What does it take to create a realistic, usable language?

Is there one? Where is it going? Is there any hope for stabilization, let alone peace, in their (and our) future?

Who will the future consider to be heroes? John Brown's stock went up considerably with time. If some scientists are correct about global warming and the threat to the environment, will future historians consider Eco-Terrorists heroes? Who will the future revere?

How do you explain your, um, hobby to your spouse, in-laws, friends, co-workers, etc.? Do they ever get it?

None of us would be here if we simply kind of liked science fiction or fantasy. We're here because we need to be here, to interact with other people as impassioned as we are. What makes these stories resonate within us? What draws us here?

Teachers of all grade levels are using science fiction to encourage kids to read. And through SF's use of extrapolated scientific, political, and sociological ideas, it's also helping to get them to think. Educators talk about their experiences using the "literature of ideas" within their curriculum to stimulate and excite students.

Was Heinlein right? Is this our future? Who will be Nehemiah Scudder?

Genetic modification from food to people; how far is too far?

Over one hundred years ago, Jack the Ripper cut a bloody swath through London. But compared to modern serial killers, Jack was a flyweight. So why has he held such a fascination for so many writers through the years? And just who was Jack the Ripper?

What courses should you take? What should you major in? Where should you go?

Experts discuss what changes the future will bring to our system of law and justice. The topics they'll cover will include Constitutional issues, intellectual property, cloning, eugenics, etc.

What changes will the future bring to the concept of the big city? Will the megalopolises continue to grow, until we have literal city-states, or will we see a move back to the 'burbs?

Before there was writing, people were telling horror stories. Today, tales of horror, of vampires, of slasher killers, of nameless things that go bump are amongst the biggest selling books. What is it about us that makes us want to be scared to death?

If we were to read a story written in the 23rd Century but set in our time, what might we find wrong with it?

Growing seemingly beyond their ability to sustain, is there a future for mega-cities like Los Angeles, Tokyo, Mexico City? What about smaller cities? Their budgets are stretched to the point of snapping, too. What can be done to save cities

You don't have to be a rock star or Tom Cruise to have a fuss made over you. Celebrities in a variety of fields talk about what's different for them from "before" and what it's like to deal with their popularity. Is it all it's cracked up to be?

Whatever it was, it was one of the most undigested movements in America. Has there been a lasting effect? What have we learned?

Who would have thought that we would live to see an international plague, the fall of the Iron Curtain, or the virtual end of the Space Program? What's next that we aren't expecting?

Science fiction has always been a medium for prediction: what will the future be like. Well, gang, the future's here. What did the science fiction of the '30s - '60s say about the turn of the century? Were they accurate at all? Which predictions do we wish would come true? Which are we glad haven't come to pass?

It's been predicted several times but it still hasn't arrived. What's keeping books around? What are the alternatives? Why aren't they making a louder noise?

Why do the descendants of rebels love reading about kings and wizards?

An awful lot of 'hard SF' is set in a military milieu. Is that to be our destiny in space? Or are Gordon Dickson, Robert Heinlein, and Jerry Pournelle just giving us some rip-roaring adventures? Besides, what's wrong with militarism?

It's a system we all know is broken but what really needs to be done? What can be done? Our panelists share their thoughts with audience participation encouraged.

What new technology is out there, knocking on our doors, just waiting for us to make use of? Some of it's useful, some of it's good (some not), and some of it's just silly.

Thirty years since the first energy crisis and what have we accomplished? The cost of gasoline has gone through the roof and is going higher while the supply dwindles away. Hydrogen power is in the distance but does it even make sense (other than to the oil companies)? What about windmills and solar panels? Ethanol and bio-diesel? Nuclear fission (or even fusion) are another kettle of fish, plagued with problems and bad PR. What's to be done?

What should we expect from our many religions as we enter the new century? If we ever leave Earth will we take our religions with us? Should we?

SF once was primarily a written medium which inspired countless young people to seek careers as engineers, scientists, and astronauts at NASA and in the aerospace industry. Today, SF covers a broad range of media, and many of its most well-known incarnations -- e.g. Star Wars -- present the visual window-dressing of science fiction without attempting to ground it in anything resembling science fact. Does contemporary science fiction still inspire young people to have science and engineering careers?

Were Pohl & Kornbluth right in The Space Merchants? Will the future see mega-corporations instead of countries? Where is business going? What will it be like 50 or 100 years from now

Batman has become the "Dark Knight". The X-Files is filled with conspiracies and people wearing dark clothes walking around in dark rooms. Before that, the great New Wave of SF, which called itself literary, was deeply pessimistic. Is this mature, childish, or the swing of a pendulum?

Right now robots are pretty much remotely-controlled devices to conduct certain tasks like bomb disposal or mindless repetitive-motion machines for chores like vacuuming rugs. But what will "real" robots be like? Will be Asimov's dutiful three-laws obeying pals or our sneaky lords and masters a la the Magnus comics? The singularity suggests, perhaps, the latter. Or will it be somewhere in between?