My friend Christophe sent me word of the Science & Fiction Symposium taking place September 29 through October 2 in San Francisco, sponsored by Swissnex (part of the Swiss Consulate General's office). The Symposium will cover topics from both a scientific and science-fiction perspective, and the participant lineup is impressive. Writers such as Greg Benford, Rudy Rucker, David Brin and Kim Stanley Robinson will be rubbing shoulders with researchers such as Dave Grossman (Stanford), Dave Korsmeyer (NASA), astronaut Claude Nicollier, and Richard Kornfeld, part of the operations team for the Mars Exploration Rovers. Topics include robotics, human augmentation and Mars. The Wednesday-Friday talks take place in the evening, and the Saturday agenda is 2-6. Admission is free, but you must pre-register.
I will be attending, if my schedule permits.