Fringe and Geekery

A set of discussions on various “science fiction” scenarios which sound futuristic, but are (close to) reality today: Each discussion will be headlined by a simplistic scifi short story, putting technology hot topics into plainspeak context, and thereby provoke relevant debate.

Outline

Let me tell you a crazy science fiction story.
Then let me tell you why it isn’t that crazy.
After that, we’ll debate how realistic the story’s premise is.

Rinse, repeat, have lots of fun.

For those who want more details:

Every week some new technology buzz phrase goes viral. The nerd subspecies of human debates its risks and returns, while the rest of humanity, including most policy makers, blissfully ignores all but the dumbed down headlines on the topic.

Many of these seemingly innocuous or esoteric technological advances, individually or in conjunction with other developments, present disruptive opportunities for improving humanity’s quality of life - or threaten our familiar way of life. By translating science and tech into real-world contexts, it is possible to identify such potential opportunities better, or perhaps mitigate some of the risks.

The format of this session uses storytelling, in the form of ostensibly futuristic science fiction short stories, to remove the veil of technological obscurantism from selected scientific jargon. In the process, those of us who ignore various developments as “too technical for me”, can instead participate in useful dialogue on those subjects and how they can or should impact our near future.

The session will consist of 3 brief science fiction stories, with related technology URLs for those who want them, each followed by 10-odd minutes of audience debate on the technological developments thus touched upon. Prior knowledge of hard science or technology is not required or expected from the audience.

Requirements

A general awareness of science and technology headlines over the last few years, or even just an interest in science fiction!

Speaker bio

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/anindo-ghosh/6/3a1/a82

The speaker has credentials in a diverse range of disciplines spanning corporate strategy consulting, electronics design, project management, CAD, corporate governance, product engineering, software development, photography and teaching. It is hoped that this diversity will significantly enhance the experience for every participant.