Dragon*Con Space and Science Tracks Schedules
Come and get it! Hot from your Track Director - The 2007 Schedules for the Space and Science Tracks
- for those of you that are into nostalgia, the previous years links are at the bottom of the page --rain2007 SPACE TRACK | The Science Track schedule is here
Day 1 - Friday 08-31-2007
Day 2 - Saturday 09-01-2007
Day 3 - Sunday 09-02-2007
Day 4 - Monday 09-03-2007
| Friday 08-31-2007 | Return to top | ||
| 1:00pm RETURN TO SPACE PANEL: Ask The Experts by John Snider, Ric Jordan, |
The President says we're going back to the Moon and then to Mars AND with manned crews. How hard will it be to get back to where we were when NASA ended the moon missions? How close are scientists to all the technology that will be needed to get to Mars and back? All your questions answered on plans to put man beyond Earth orbit - again. | |
| 2:30pm THE HISTORY OF MARS TO THE PRESENT by Kevin Grazier |
How We've Viewed Mars Over Time – Mars. The Red Planet. Named for the God of War. Throughout history humans have applied various mythologies to Mars but Mars has its own history. | |
| 4:00pm COMMERCIALIZING SPACE: From Sub–Orbital Tourism To Space Solar Power by A.C. Charania |
Space ventures for fun and profit. What's being done and who's doing it. | |
| 5:30pm THE REALITIES OF LAUNCHING A SPACE AGED COMPANY by George Tyson, Michael Mealling & Stephen Fleming |
Commercializing space may be the wave of the future but actually keeping a company going ain't easy. Updates on LiftPort and Orbital Commerce Project. | |
| 7:00pm THIS IS OUR SUN by Erik Benner |
It's a great big ball of fire that we take for granted. It gives us life with its light and heat but our Sun has much more going on then meets the eye. | |
| 8:30pm SHORTEST STEP: The First 200 Miles by Andrew Clark |
How we get people and equipment to low Earth orbit cheapest, safely and in large quantities. | |
| LIFTPORT: TETHERED TOWERS by Michael Laine; has been cancelled. Michael Laine will not be able to join us this year but we hope to see him back next year and hear lots of good news for LiftPort. | ||
| 10:00pm APOLLO HOAX THEORIES & OTHER ASTRONOMICAL URBAN LEGENDS by William C. Keel, Hugh Gregory, Ginny Mauldin-Kinney & Dr. Pamela Gay |
The moon landing was done on a sound stage in Hollywood. There is a carved stone face on Mars. The Earth will be destroyed by the asteroid named Apophis. These and other space legends get put in their place. | |
| Saturday 09-01-2007 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am STRIKING ANCIENT SKIES by Richard Jakiel |
Greek and Roman coins have been long noted for their exquisite beauty and incredibly diverse range of design themes. Many feature astrological and astronomical designs that have been traced to actual astronomical events. These include solar eclipses, planetary/lunar conjunctions, "guest stars" (nova and supernova) and brilliant comets. | |
| HOW TO VIEW SPACE SATELLITES FROM YOUR OWN BACK YARD by Cheshire Catalyst; has been cancelled. Cheshire Catalyst had to withdraw from DragonCon due to job responsibilities | ||
| 11:30am THE GREAT OBSERVATORIES by William C. Keel |
Our annual update on The Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer and Webb astro-telescopes. | |
| 1:00pm ASTEROIDS: Defense of the Planet from Regional & Global Devastation by A.C. Charania |
They're out and they're aimed at Earth. How do we defend the Earth on a large and small scale. | |
| 2:30pm ION DRIVE TO THE ASTEROIDS by Ginny Mauldin-Kinney |
In September, NASA will launch the Dawn Project, a probe to the asteroids Ceres and Vesta. What's so different about this particular probe? They are powered by Ion drives. Could the ion drive be the engine of the future? | |
| 4:00pm HEINLEIN WAS WRONG: WHY WE DON'T NEED D.D. HARRIMAN by Stephen Fleming |
How is the current vision of space different from what the greatest sci-fi writers imagined it and will we ever get that far? | |
| 5:30pm THE FUTURE BATTLEFIELD IN SPACE by Dr. John Bradford |
How real are all those great space battles we see in the movies? What are the chances our land based wars will move into space? | |
| 7:00pm LIVING OFF THE LAND IN SPACE by C. Les Johnson |
For the next few millennia at least (barring breakthroughs), the human frontier will include the solar system and the nearest stars. Will it better to settle the Moon, Mars, or a nearby asteroid and what environments can we expect to find in the vicinity of nearby stars are questions that need to be answered if mankind is to migrate into space. | |
| 8:30pm CURRENT STATUS OF MARS EXPLORATION by Dr. Kevin Grazier |
Spirit and Opportunity are still going strong but the rovers aren't the only way we're getting information on Mars. Find out what's now and what's coming up. | |
| 10:00pm HOW TO GET TO MARS WITHOUT KILLING EACH OTHER by Jason Schneiderman |
There's a lot more to landing a man on Mars than what will get him there, what he'll live in and what he'll eat and breathe. It's a long way to Mars in very close quarters; what's the psychology and medical science that's just as important as the physics? | |
| Sunday 09-02-2007 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am STATE OF SPACE EXPLORATION: Or What is Everyone in the World Up To? by Dr. John Bradford |
It's not just the United States and Russia exploring space these days. Find out what the Europe, China and India space agencies are doing, as well as, commercial/civilian groups around the world. | |
| 11:30am HUBBLE'S GODPARENTS: How Astronomy Moved Into Space by William C. Keel |
We all know the Egyptians, the Mayans and the ancient Chinese were avid astronomers. We know how Copernicus, Galileo and Lowell advanced astronomy. But, when and what was the first astronomy done in space? | |
| 1:00pm SPUTNIK – 50 Years On by Hugh Gregory |
It was 50 years ago that the Earth's first man-made satellite, Sputnik, was launched into space by the Russians and set off the space race that ended with the landing on the moon. Learn the history of Sputnik and how close was the US to launching their own? | |
| 2:30pm CAN THIS HUBBLE BE SAVED? by Dr. Stephen Granade |
We all love the Hubble Space Telescope, but it's been sick for a while now. What are NASA's plans for it, at least right this minute, and what can be done to make it easier to fix later? | |
| 4:00pm GENESIS, STARDUST, & DEEP IMPACT PROJECT UPDATES by Ginny Mauldin-Kinney |
JPL is into space science and they've got the probes to prove it. Find out what's been found out! | |
| 5:30pm CASSINI – HUYGENS by Cassini Mission Planner |
What's the latest from Saturn and its 60 moons? The successful Titan landing and continuing Cassini mission show Titan to be the most Earth-like body in the solar system -- it just happens to rain liquid methane instead of water. Huge water geysers spraying out of the South pole of Enceladus surprised everyone and have upgraded the moon's status to perhaps the best place in the solar system to search for extraterrestrial life. Amazing pictures, videos, and new mysteries. | |
| 7:00pm MAJOR IMPACT EVENT by Dr. Kevin Grazier |
We've been hit. Are we going the way of the dinosaurs? | |
| 8:30pm SPACE ENVIRONMENTS by Richard Altstatt |
Space is not empty; at least not as empty as we would like it. | |
| 10:00pm NEW SPACE: Outward Bound by Ric Jordan |
Forget NASA and JPL; civilian corporations have big plans for space as well. Who are they and what are they doing? | |
| Monday 09-03-2007 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am DESIGNING MISSIONS TO THE PLANETS by JPL Mission Planner |
Getting around the solar system. How do you pick landing sites for landers and rovers on Mars? What is "the Martian Defense Force"? Why wasn't Voyager 2 sent on to Pluto? How gravity rather than rocket fuel is used to propel the Cassini spacecraft about Saturn. Why is the DAWN asteroid mission using ion propulsion (other than the fact it was endorsed by Scotty)? Designing real missions to the planets. | |
| 11:30am THE FUTURE: Planning for the Next Generation by Richard Altstatt |
An optimistic look to the future, how can we get people interested in science and knock back anti-intellectualism. | |
| LIFTPORT: The New Robot by Michael Laine; has been cancelled. Michael Laine will not be able to join us this year but we hope to see him back next year and hear lots of good news for LiftPort. | ||
| 1:00pm MARS PROJECT: Learning to Live on Mars While Still Here on Earth by Dr. Anthony Francis |
There are civilian teams spending months in remote locations living as though they were on Mars. Sound like fun? Find out how hard it really is. | |
| 2:30pm ORBITAL COMMERCE PROJECT by George Tyson |
It's been a tough year for OCP. Find out what steps they've taken to move forward with their flight-training plan and where do they go from here. | |
| 4:00pm HALFWAY TO ANYWHERE: Why Low Earth Orbit is So Important, Why It's So Hard to Get There & What We're Doing About It by Stephen Fleming |
So why do so many people and companies think getting into orbit is such a big deal? Here's someone with a vested interest in a couple of the best-known companies to tell you why. | |
| End of Space Track Schedule | Top of Space | Return to Top of Page | ||
2007 SCIENCE TRACK | The Space Track schedule is above
Day 1 - Friday 08-31-2007
Day 2 - Saturday 09-01-2007
Day 3 - Sunday 09-02-2007
Day 4 - Monday 09-03-2007
| Friday 08-31-2007 | Return to Top of Page | |
| 1:00pm SKEPTICS AND SKEPTICISM 101 by Dr. Michael Shermer, |
Meet some of the heavy hitters in the Skeptical Community as they discuss the different types of logical fallacies, how to spot them and why people believe them. |
| 2:30pm COLD READING AND THE SKEPTICS TOOLBOX: How to Fake Psychic Powers for Fun, Not Profit by Dr. Michael Shermer, Ben Radford, Jeff Wagg, Swoopy |
One of the best ways to debunk a fraud is by learning their tricks. This workshop will cover the tools skeptics use to explain and disprove pseudo-science claims. |
| 4:00pm MADNESS, MYSTERIES AND MAYHEM IN THE GEORGIA TECH LABS by Stephen Fleming |
Just down the street from DragonCon is one of the top research universities in the country. GT's chief commercialization officer talks about new inventions in engineering,
computer science, biotech, nanotech, and more! |
| 5:30pm BOSE–EINSTEIN CONDENSATES, FERMI SUPERFLUID GASES, AND OTHER WEIRD STATES OF MATTER by Dr. Stephen Granade |
How you can cool atoms, make quantum fluids, and win a Nobel Prize. note - Nobel Prize not included with talk - |
| 7:00pm ANTIMATTER MATTERS by Dr. Stephen Howe |
What it is, what it isn't, how we make it, what we're doing with it now, and what we're going to do with it in the near future. |
| 8:30pm THE JAMES RANDI EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE by Jeff Wagg |
Info on the million dollar challenge, it's impact, the good it does, some problems associated with it, and why no one has won it. |
| 10:00pm BIGFOOT, MONSTERS, AND MERMAIDS: A History Of Fabulous Hoaxes by Ben Radford |
A slideshow and talk covering famous and fabulous crypto-zoological hoaxes throughout history. |
| Saturday 09-01-2007 | Return to top | |
| 10:00am IS IT A GHOST? A Skeptic Reviews Paranormal Footage by Alison Smith |
Compelling footage from an Australian Ghost-hunting group leaves Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society mystified and brings up questions about the nature of skepticism, as well as the power of belief. |
| 11:30am MYTHBUSTERS BUILD TEAM by Tory Belleci, Kari Byron, |
Tory, Kari and Grant return to Dragon*Con with more tales of mayhem. |
| Please note the time swap of the MythBusters and SCIENCE, SEPTICISM AND SLIEGHT-OF-HAND panels. | |
| 1:00am SCIENCE, SKEPTICISM AND SLEIGHT-OF-HAND by Jeff Wagg |
Natural phenomena don't try to fool you, but people do. The study of psi phenomena benefits greatly from the assistance of competent magicians, as demonstrations will show. Can you spot the subterfuge, or will you be fooled too? |
| 11:30am MYTHBUSTERS BUILD TEAM by Tory Belleci, Kari Byron, Grant Imahara |
Tory, Kari and Grant return to Dragon*Con with more tales of mayhem. |
| 2:30pm THE HYDROGEN MYTH by Stephen Fleming |
Clean-burning, no carbon dioxide emissions, and an inexhaustible supply -- what's not to love about hydrogen as a fuel? Lots! Come hear why hydrogen isn't likely to solve any energy problems, no matter how much it's hyped. |
| 4:00pm EVIL GENIUSES FOR A BETTER TOMORROW: 5th Annual Recruiting Session, Membership Drive and Bake Sale by Richard Altstatt, Dr. Steven Howe, and Dr. DNA |
Members of the professional association for the working Evil Genius discuss various methods of taking over the world for fun and profit, avoiding common mistakes and the design of secret lairs. New applicants should bring a resume or a project to demo. |
| 5:30pm SMACKDOWN! SKEPTICS VS TRUE BELIEVERS by Moderator: Mike Stackpole ~~ Skeptics: Dr. Micheal Shermer, Ben Radford and Alison Smith ~~ X-Track: Patrick Burns and others TBA |
This is the Skeptics/X-Track debate. Details are pending. |
| 7:00pm REFLECTIONS ON A DECADE OF PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION by Ben Radford |
Discussing ten years of paranormal investigations, including the nature of the paranormal, case studies of Bigfoot, crop circles, dowsing, etc. |
| 8:30pm GENERATION 4 REACTORS by Patrick Mason |
The next generation of nuclear reactors: VHTR, Supercritical-Water-Cooled, Molten Salt, GFR's, Sodium and Lead Cooled Reactors. What they are, whose working on them, and why they're so cool. |
| 10:00pm BRAIN DAMAGE FOR FUN AND PROFIT! Plus Eternal Salvation(c)(tm), free sex, byofrop, etc. by The SubGenius Space Patrol and random street crazies |
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to WARP the mental functioning of as many "norms" as possible. Either turn 'em into MUTANTS like us or give 'em COLD SWEAT SCREAMING NIGHTMARES *FOREVER*!!! Fun for the WHOLE FAMILY! |
| Sunday 09-02-2007 | Return to top | |
| 10:00am THE IMPROBABLE UNIVERSE by Dr. Pamela Gay |
Physics as we know it does not dictate that our universe must be just as it is. Many other possibilities are possible and more probable. But we are here, and this has consequences on how we must view our universe, and on what factors might make life possible. |
| 11:30am GEOLOGICAL HOAXES AND FRAUDS by George Hrab |
How geologists know the world is not 6000 years old, among other things. This may be a musical, which would be interesting. |
| 1:00pm WEIRD AND UNUSUAL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES (and the Rationales Behind Them) by Jason Schneiderman |
Studies of learning in headless cockroaches, MRI imaging of sexual intercourse, and the link between country music and suicide rates. Inspired by the IgNobel Prizes and the Annals of Improbable Research. |
| 2:30pm THE 2ND NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE by Patrick Mason |
...and what it means for the US: safe, clean, and eco-friendly power. Find out who the players in the current nuclear power market are, government involvement, and current plans for both extending plant lifetimes while constructing new ones. |
| 4:00pm HOW TO INVESTIGATE A HAUNTED HOUSE by Ben Radford |
Two case studies of how a scientific paranormal investigator goes about investigating a haunting, including the Santa Fe courthouse "ghost" video solved mid-June 2007. |
| 5:30pm THE ASSAULT ON SCIENCE – OR – THE LEMMINGS RACE TO THE CLIFF by Jason Schneiderman, |
Why is the US slipping in international rankings for science and engineering? There are a lot of culprits - political, religious, legal, educational and economic just to name a few. So what's the fix? |
| 7:00pm MAKING THE DEAD SPEAK by Dr. C. Kevin Barrett |
Law enforcement increasingly depends upon forensic anthropology and the application of other scientific methods in the investigation of crimes. Come explore the fascinating world of death, decomposition and the identification of skeletal remains! |
| 8:30pm BEER SNOBS IN SPACE by James Kinney, III |
The physics and chemistry of fermentation will be affected by low and micro gravity processes, as will carbonated beverage container designs. These issues are of vital importance to man's future in space and must be addressed. Why go if we can't drink? |
| 10:00pm THE SCIENCE OF DUNE by Dr. Kevin Grazier |
Is the ecology of Dune realistic? Could humans really evolve as Herbert suggests? Which of Herbert's inventions have already come to life? Other topics covered will include the physics, chemistry and psychology of the Dune universe. |
| Monday 09-03-2007 | Return to top | |
| 10:00am SUNDAY NIGHT SURVIORS? by guests still fighting it out |
Who and what this panel will be about hasn't been decided yet. A few of our new guests think they will actually be awake and functioning at this time; we're not so sure. Keeping checking the Daily Dragon and the Science room for updates. |
| 11:30am WASTE NOT, WANT NOT by Patrick Mason |
Where is all that nuclear waste going and why do we have so much of it? The history of nuclear waste disposal, current techniques, and future hopes. |
| 1:00pm CRYONICS: Cheating Death. Maybe. Presented by people who plan on being frozen at some point. |
The how and why of being frozen (vitrified, actually) in liquid nitrogen in the hopes of being "reanimated" in the future. How it's done, what it costs, how to get started, and why everything you learned about cryonics from Star Trek is probably wrong. |
| 2:30pm TRANSHUMANISM: Xerox People open discussion |
What will happen when you can copy your brain? If your original body dies in an accident, would a "restored you" really be a "you?" Why or why not? What if you restore a physical copy of yourself before you die? What is the potential for abuse? |
| 4:00pm TRACK WRAP–UP AND BLAME: Comments, Criticisms, Requests and Death Threats by jonnyX and Science Track groupies |
Do you like the split track? What kinds of science would you like to see next year? Do you think skepticism should have it's own track? Tell it all to jonnyX. Be brutally honest. Don't worry about his feelings; by this point he won't even remember his name! |
| End of Science Track Schedule | Return to Science | Return to Top of Page | |
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