M47 Programming Brainstorm

Minicon 47 Programming Ideas

What we already have:

The Death Panel

Despite modern medicine and the promises of science fiction, immortality continues to elude us. Instead of bringing salvation, advances have made it possible to hang onto life well past when some would consider it desirable. Sarah Palin criticized the growing need for end of life decisions, but perhaps "death panels" are just what we should have. We will examine dying in American hospitals, options for end of life care, and how decisions should be made. How do you want to die?

Let's Play God

Scientists and doctors are often accused of "playing God," but no one seems to have specified what, exactly, God does that can so easily be imitated. Or what is wrong with imitating it. What sorts of things are considered godlike behaviors or experiments? What are the potential rewards or punishments? Are there any lines that should not be crossed, or slippery slopes that we are standing too close to? Should God be worried?

Futurists and Futures

Futurists (futurologists) are professionals; not mere fiction writers. But they've also been known to get the future wrong. How do they compare with sf writers? Do they make the same mistakes, for the same reasons?

Believable Antagonists

Why does Lex Luthor on Smallville, or Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica work better than Anakin Skywalker in Episode III? Is the antagonist more about motivations, or contrast with the protagonist? What makes an antagonist believable?

Practical Applications of D&D Alignments

What's the benefit of D&D alignments when applied to real world situations like politics or workplace interactions? If the 700 Club is Lawful Evil, then Westboro Baptist is Chaotic Evil. What characteristics define people who are "Chaotic Neutral," and how are they best handled in the workplace?

Make Your Own Minion

Build Your Own Minion Puppet. Donated materials provided. There may be time at the end for the sock puppets to discuss whether Scott Adams is merely brilliant or a true genius.

Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?

Up to five panelists talk about their interesting careers. Description will be based on panelists.

Folklore and Fairytales

Description forthcoming

Electronics Demonstration

Cool technology toys that do cool things. Including demonstrations and discussion of how they can be used in the real world. What will these tools do to change the world we live in?

An introduction to fanzines

What makes a good fanzine? What kind of writing works and why? How does the history of fanzines inform the present? Panelists will read from and discuss the best of the best.

Appending Our Cultural Heritage

Public domain works such as Dracula, Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, Alice In Wonderland and Tarzan inspire new stories. How does an author make a topic uniquely their own, and still respect the original story? How does fan fiction fit into this?

Defined By Marketing

People are put into marketing categories based on credit card purchases, magazine subscriptions, browser history, Tivo viewing history, and countless other categories. Is this just a way to vote for what we want, or is this intrusive? What are the implications of this concerning privacy? How about when the marketers get it wrong?

She Wrote It. The Life and Works of Joanna Russ (1937-2011)

Joanna Russ is perhaps best known for her 1975 work "The Female Man," the 1972 short story “When It Changed,” and her 1983 writing guide "How to Suppress Women's Writing." The dialogue regarding sexism in the field of science fiction and fantasy benefited from her voice, and her contributions still influence and impact how that discussion is carried out.

ASL Music Performance

ASL interpreters perform lyrics some of their favorite songs.

Crossing over from SF to Mystery

What are some of our favorite authors who successfully navigate the blending of the two most popular pulp styles? Needs better description.

Convention T-Shirts

What are con T-shirts for? What do we use them for? What have been the best ones we've gotten?

Rocky Horror Reading

A reading, in costume if possible, of the Rocky Horror Show. With singing if possible, too.

Current State of Fanzines

Do podcasts count as fanzines? How are fanzines doing these days?

Steamdrunk

Are we sick of steampunk yet? Isn't it just apologia for imperialism?

History Stranger than Fiction

Weird stuff we've found in our researches that actually happened. No, really. You think we could make this stuff up?

What has happened since "Is there a Fannish Accent"?

A few years ago, we had a panel about how fans talk and communicate. How has wisdom from this panel entered the fannish imagination? Has more research been done since then? Perhaps we could ask Callie Soukup to read her description of the original panel.

Science Reporting: Threat or Menace?

Why is science reporting so often so wrong?

Ted Chiang panels

A panel about every single story Ted Chiang has written.

Where do I find your work, Ted?

Our Author Guest of Honor's work is published in a variety of venues. How has he chosen where to publish them?

Failing the Turing Test

What's our current definition of intelligence, how have AI surpassed that and what do we do when humans don't pass it?

Talking Back to Creationists

How to discuss fundamental issues with fundamentalists.

How Intelligence Works

Related to Ted Chiang's "Understand" -- what does it mean to be intelligent? What is intelligence? What would it mean to be super-intelligent?

Worth Repeating

Ask a Scientist

Not "Boxing with Scientists".

The following Events will happen at Minicon 47, but are already staffed or otherwise not taking panelists.

Music and the Mind

How does music affect the brain? How much of our reaction to music is hard-wired and how much is cultural? What is the relationship between music and memory? Did human beings sing before they spoke? What is the significance of the sacred geometry of music? What's so naughty about the Forbidden Interval?

Art Show Reception: Meet the Artists

Cheese, art, and a minimal amount of snootyness*. This is a chance to meet the artists involved in the Minicon Art Show, and get answers to your questions about the art on display. (The Minicon Art Show makes no guarantees as to frequency or amplitude of snootyness.)