This year the 70th annual World Science Fiction Convention
is being held in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. ChiCon 7 starts on Thursday,
August 30, and runs through Monday, September 3. The Guests of Honor include
legendary science fiction writer Mike Resnick, and even-more-legendary
astronaut Story Musgrave.

And, of course, me.

My schedule is as follows.

Thursday, August 30, 4:30-6:00 p.m.:  "What Is Next for Body
Modification?"

What are the next likely advances in genetic engineering,
prosthetics, organ/neuro-implants, and age retardation/reversal etc.?

Friday, August 31, 12:00-1:30 p.m.:  "Dyson Sphere Update"

What is a Dyson sphere? When can we make one, or at least
part of one, and how? As a society, would we want to? What could one do with a
Dyson sphere? Can we detect one now, or in the near future? What would be the
environmental ethics of a Dyson sphere maker?

1:30-3:00 p.m.: 
" Transhumanism: Where Do We, as Homo Sapiens Go From Here?"

Western society is rapidly moving toward a time when many dreams
of the transhumanism movement, such as advanced genetic engineering, prosthet
ics, organ/neuro-implants, and age retardation/reversal will become reality.
The question is how society – including speculative fiction writers – will
respond to this evolutionary change in human beings.

Saturday, September 1, 4:30-6:00 p.m.: "The Prime
Directive: Altruism or Survival Strategy?"

Is galactic civilization billions of years older than we
are? Giving the Kzin a star drive seems like a really bad idea. Are there rules
out there? Would voluntary enforcement be enough if coupled with a few horror
stories? How could rules be established and communicated? When and how might we
find out?

Sunday, September 2, 1:30-3:00 p.m.:  "The Resurgence of Pseudo-Science
in 21st Century America"

From Creationism/Intelligent Design to Astrology,
non-scientific concepts seem to be capturing the population's imagination once
again. What is causing this rise of anti-science and what, if anything can be
done to stop it?

3:30-4:00 p.m.: 
Reading by James L. Cambias

A
reading from my forthcoming book A Darkling Sea.