Click Here to link to Boskone 61 in Boston, MA Feb 9-11.
It was a great conference, and a lot of fun was had by all! Learnt a lot about Quantum Computers and met some wonderful people on the panels and in the hallways and at events. Below is a list where I took part in the panels and other events.
Harvesting Space for a Greener Earth
Lots of great discussions about solar energy transmission, resources, possible ways to space colonization and feedback to help Earth in climate and environmental issues.
How Science Fiction Inspires Science
Fun talk about how many things have stimulated the imagination of people, and many on the panel expressed how scifi stimulated them to become scientists and writers in the genre.
Poorly Depicting Modern Tech in SFFH
Oh woe to those death rays and ray guns and artificial gravity, winged jet fighters for space battles, and so on and so.
Kantian Ethics vs Consequentialism for AIs
First thing I saw earlier in the week was a headline in New Scientist: AI prefers violence and nuclear war to, well, peace, diplomacy and negotiations. Not surprising if the data feed is biased in the direction of war considering the people using the AI ‘Chatbots’ feed are military institutions. Old story for me who saw a lot in the 1980’s SDI (Space Defense Initiative, commonly known as Star Wars). Kantian aspects discussed and ethics concerns raised – mostly the ethics of programmers and business leaders, but most agreed: AI isn’t there yet, it’s abused, and it really depends on the bias of the data fed it.Then there are many types of AI as well, and misuse of them abounds!
Boskone Book Party:
Autographed books and sold some too!
Reading from both currently available AoD books
Small audience but well received!
