My panel suggestions for BayCon

[gridlore]

Here are the suggestions I'm making for BayCon panels.

Manifest Destiny: Cargo hauling in space.

A staple of science fiction has been the interstellar merchant. But what cargoes would be hauled from star to star? How do you make money as a trader?

Be All That You Can Beep - Robots and the Military

Predator drones, remote sensor platforms... the military is moving ever closer to robotic warriors. What will the battlefield of the future look like? Will humans even be present?

The Future of Family

We are currently experiencing a debate on what constitutes a family. What is the history of family structures, and what might we see in the future?

Are Star Empires Feasible?

A standard of science-fiction has been the star-spanning empire. But are such nations inevitable? How do you govern a state that crosses hundreds of parsecs? Discussion will cover how governments work, and the effect of speed of communication on government.

Blasters vs. BFGs

Discussion of guns, bullets, and how bodies are damaged. Why lasers are unlikely to replace slug-throwers in the foreseeable future. Possible developments like man-portable railguns, guided munitions, and smartgun technologies.

Blue-collar Fandom

Not everyone can be a UNIX wizard or really cool scientist. Panelists are fans who work in blue-collar occupations.

Comments

[cleverthylacine]

I'd like to do panels, how do I get into that?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Probably too late for this year, but contact programming@baycon.org and let them know your qualifications and what you'd like to talk about.