October 21, 2013: The Second Starship Century Symposium – Royal Astronomical Society, Piccadilly, London

This is the sequel to their enormously successful first symposium, which was held at the Arthur C Clarke Center for Human Imagination at the University of California, San Diego, in May. Starship Century addresses the challenges and opportunities for our long-term future in space and discusses the implications that these explorations might have upon our development as individuals and as a civilization.

The London event is headlined by the Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees, as well as featuring talks and panels by James and Gregory Benford, Stephen Baxter and Ian Crawford of Birkbeck College. There will also be opportunities to purchase and get signed copies of the Starship Century book, which includes essays and fiction from the above speakers, plus the likes of Stephen Hawking, Freeman Dyson, Paul Davies, Robert Zubrin, David Brin, Neal Stephenson, Joe Haldeman and Nancy Kress.

Entry to the event is free.

Agenda:

10 am  Starship Century: Toward the Grandest Horizon  James & Gregory Benford

10:30  Scientific Benefits of Starships  Ian Crawford

11:30  Contact at Alpha Centauri  Stephen Baxter

1 pm  -Break for lunch-

2 pm  To the Ends of the Universe  Lord Martin Rees

3:30  Exploring Interstellar Space Panel with Lord Martin Rees,  Ian Crawford, Stephen Baxter, Jim & Greg Benford, others TBA

5 pm Symposium ends