VCON 40: Full Schedule

6:00pm PDT

Pluto

The Earth now has shiny new photos of Pluto. Come find out what we're learning.

Speakers

Gillian Clinton

Information Specialist, Clinton Research

Gillian Clinton started out as an aerospace engineer and worked in the Canadian aviation industry until, while doing a History degree at night school “for fun”, she was laid off. Thus began her adventures as an Information Researcher which included a Masters degree in Information... Read More →

Jaymie Matthews

Jaymie Matthews is a UBC astrophysics professor who searches for planets beyond the Solar System and probes the hidden interiors of distant stars, using space telescopes as large as minivans and as small as car batteries. Jaymie is heavily involved in astronomy education and outreach... Read More →

Friday October 2, 2015 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Richmond D

Science

6:00pm PDT

Science Of Fantastical Beasts

From dragons, to unicorns; from gryphons to manticores; how would creatures like this actually come to be?

Moderators

Greg Bole

Greg Bole is a Senior Instructor at the University of British Columbia in the field of Evolutionary Biology and has a love for all animals, both real and fantastical. Greg is an active member of Vancouver Skeptics and frequently lectures about science, evolution and the life and... Read More →

Speakers

Kristi Charish

Kristi is a Vancouver based urban fantasy author and cell biologist who writes what she loves; adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in. She is also a co-host on the popular Sci-Fi/Fantasy writing... Read More →

Cymbric Early-Smith

Author / Educator / Artist, Interactive History Co.

After studying Physics and Astronomy, Cymbric worked for 12 years presenting programs at Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Now, as Program Director for Interactive History Company, she takes great joy in developing Hands-on-History programs that interweave art, storytelling, and... Read More →

David Ng

Professor, University of British Columbia

(He/him) Actually a molecular geneticist mixed in with some academics in the public understanding of science space. Interested in game based learning; and in particular, my lab is mostly responsible for an open source trading card game project at https://phylogame.org... Read More →

Friday October 2, 2015 6:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Richmond E

Science

12:00pm PDT

Food Of the Future

So often in SF, food has changed. We've seen food pills, and little coloured jelly blocks, and "protein". Is food headed in that direction? How can we make food production sustainable, so we don't have to rely on Soylent Green?

Speakers

Karl Johanson

Editor, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine

VCON 41 Editor Guest of HonourKarl Johanson is not just an exceptional editor of a marvelous magazine, he is—behind his unassuming exterior—a mad genius whose team is, against all logic, constantly pulling off these completely astounding projects.During the 1990s, Karl co-edited... Read More →

Layne Myhre

Layne Myhre has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics.

David Ng

Professor, University of British Columbia

Saturday October 3, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Richmond C

Science

5:00pm PDT

Justify The Science Flaw

Panelists are given a challenge. Come up with plausible explanations for the ridiculous science that shows up in movies, TV, and books.

Moderators

Karl Johanson

Editor, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine

Speakers

BJ Allan

Bored with circus life BJ (adopted as a nom de lab) ran away with a group of itinerant biologists, lured by the smell of phenol and the roar of the centrifuge. Today he seeks to share the wonder and weirdness of the natural world with ladies, gentlemen, and children of all ages.

Greg Bole

Eric Choi

Aerospace Engineer, Writer, Editor

Eric Choi is a Hong Kong born aerospace engineer, writer, and editor in Toronto. He was the first recipient of the Isaac Asimov Award (now the Dell Magazines Award) and has twice won the Aurora Award for his short story “Crimson Sky” (Analog, July/August 2014) and for the Chinese-themed... Read More →

Gay Haldeman

retired, MIT

Gay Haldeman (Mary Gay Potter Haldeman) has two Masters degrees. She taught in the Writing Center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for thirty years, specializing in English as a second language. Now she resides in Gainesville, Florida, where she manages science... Read More →

Jaymie Matthews

Jaimmie Que

Jaimmie has been involved in the biological sciences for over 10 years, working in various fields from biomarker research to COPD, with her expertise being protein biochemistry. In addition to her professional life, she has also been an avid costumer for the past 10 years.

Saturday October 3, 2015 5:00pm - 6:30pm PDT
Minoru A

Science

7:00pm PDT

Alien Biology & Evolution

Humans are carbon based. But what other ways could life evolve? When we finally make contact, will we discover silicon based life forms? What differences could we find?

Moderators

Jaymie Matthews

Speakers

Karl Johanson

Editor, Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine

Layne Myhre

Layne Myhre has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics.

Jaimmie Que

Saturday October 3, 2015 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Richmond E

Science

12:00pm PDT

What Makes Science Mad?

What tips you over the edge, from scientist to mad scientist? Is it the laugh? The lightning? The hunchback?

Moderators

Stephanie Johanson

co-owner, assistant editor, art director..., Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine

VCON 41 Art Director Guest of HonourStephanie Johanson is the art director, assistant editor, on-staff artist, and co-owner of Neo-opsis Science Fiction Magazine. How the heck do you start up a science fiction magazine?The idea came to Stephanie around 4:00 AM one Sunday morning in... Read More →

Speakers

BJ Allan

Greg Bole

Don DeBrandt

Don DeBrandt is a Canadian author who also writes under the pen-names Donn Cortez , DD Barant and Dixie Lyle. His books have been published in North America, Germany, France, Italy, and Russia. As DeBrandt, he writes science fiction, essays, plays, and comics; as Cortez, he writes... Read More →

Dara Korra'ti

Crime and the Forces of Evil

Being a supervillain means being able to do a bit of everything, because, gods know, you can't trust anyone _else_ to do it. So after learning propaganda in professional radio and publishing, creating new techniques in genetics manipulation, getting _pretty good_ at DIY electronics... Read More →

Claire McCague

Simon Fraser University

Claire McCague is a research scientist, musician and writer. She performs regularly with the Sybaritic String Band and her other worldly plays have been featured in festivals across Canada. Her humorous first contact novel, The Rosetta Man, published by EDGE, is her first novel.

Sunday October 4, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Richmond C

Science

1:00pm PDT

Evolutionary Tree Of Dragons

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different kinds of dragons? What traits do they have in common? How are they related to each other? Join Dr. Greg Bole in exploring the evolutionary tree of dragons, from Greek, Norse, African, and Asian origins, including everything from the Midgard Serpent to the dragons of Pern to Smaug to Drogon, Raegal and Viserion of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Speakers

Greg Bole

Sunday October 4, 2015 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Richmond D

Science

2:00pm PDT

Genetics And Human Evolution

Science Fact is getting stranger than Science Fiction, with new technologies giving us more control than ever over our biology and environment. Recent advances in genetics have given us new cures for genetic diseases, GMO crops, designer babies, and new medical interventions. What do these technologies suggest for the future of the human race?

Speakers

BJ Allan

Layne Myhre

Layne Myhre has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics.

Sunday October 4, 2015 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Richmond E

Science

3:00pm PDT

Unintended Consequences

Indoor plumbing led to polio epidemics. Lead in paint and gas poisoned people. To what extent is modern science and technology responsible for figuring out whether something that seems good is also going to cause problems?

Moderators

Donna McMahon

Donna McMahon has spent much of her life researching the future history of Cascadia, after the Pacific Northwest is devastated by climate change, economic and political collapse, pandemics and - of course - the Big Quake. She has published two novels in that setting; Dance of Knives... Read More →

Speakers