M51 Programming Brainstorm

The following is the list of ideas for panels/activities at Minicon 51. If you have an idea you'd like to add, you may either edit this page or send it to the Minicon 51 programming department.

Fandom and Zeitgeist

Hugo Nominees Reaction Panel

The Hugo Award nominees have just been announced! What is your reaction to the list? Will there be tears of joy or cries of anguish?

Gaming

How to Make Memorable Non-Player Characters

Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are controlled and (usually) created by the Game Master (GM). NPCs may be one of the more challenging elements for any GM to facilitate in a game, and hearing from other GMs about how they run their characters is often a good way to learn new ways to do it.

Literature/Writing

Mermaids, Sirens, Selkies, and Other Water Creatures & Spirits

Oceanic water creatures have captured the imagination of humans since antiquity, as well as fresh lake mythological creatures. What are the differences between types of water spririts, such as Naiads, Nereids, and Rusalka? Why have some been portrayed as benign and others as dangerous?

Media

How to Survive a Horror Movie

Well now you've gone and done it, or somebody in your Scooby gang has ... you're now in the middle of a monster movie plot. How do you avoid doing something incredibly stupid that is going to result in making you a tasty, late-night snack? What gear do you need to scrounge up to be able to make it until daybreak? Should you split up (duh)?

Science and Technology

Ice Cream Science

Ice cream can be used to teach about emulsions and foams in chemistry classes and demonstrate heat transfer in physics classes. What are the different types of saccharides? Why do monosaccharides such as fructose or glucose produce a much softer ice cream than disaccharides such as sucrose? What are the types of stabilizers used and what are their sources from the plant and animal kingdoms?