Arisia Convention

...for SPACING OUT: Eat, Grok, & Be Nerdy (Saturday night party)

SCHEDULE OF GEEKERY (Updated, but still subject to change...)

5:00PM - Start of party
Food, drink, and atmosphere (both kinds) available throughout the evening.
Space mad-libs and trivia (with prizes) at various times (not during talks).
Each talk builds on the ones before it, but is intended to be accessible to newcomers as well.

6:00PM - Modeling the Heavens & Conception of Space Flight (talk - 15 min.)
How did the human sense of wonder about the sky lead to an understanding of gravity, optics, and more? How did that lead to fantasies, speculations, and finally plans to transport humans into outer space? What were those fantasies, speculations, and plans like? How have science fiction and the reality of space flight mutually fed one another?

6:30PM - A Brief History of Space Exploration (talk - 15 min.)
How did our ideas about spaceflight become a reality? What didn't happen the way we thought it would? What path has our exploration of space taken so far and how has it effected our lives here on Earth?

7:00PM - Energy Sources, Storage, & Delivery (talk - 15 min.)
What is now publicly recognized as a major influence on world politics and economics has always been known to aerospace engineers as a crucial limiting factor: energy. What is it, really, and why is it so important? Where can we get it, how can we store it, and how can we bring it to where it's needed? What energy challenges remain for human spaceflight? How have advances in space technology for energy management interacted with the development of energy technologies used here on Earth. How might they interact in the future?

7:30PM - Propeller, Jet, & Rocket Propulsion (talk - 15 min.)
OK, so how did we actually get this spaceflight thing off the ground (so to speak)? Learn about our primary means of propulsion for human space flight, the rocket, and the technologies that led up to it.

8:00PM - Launch, Orbit, Navigation, & Reentry (talk - 15 min.)
So that's basically how we make spaceships go! But how do we make them go where we _want_? How do we get into space and stay up there? How do we get back down safely?

8:30PM - Control Systems & Communication (talk - 15 min.)
A spacecraft has many components that have to work in concert, in some cases making on-the-fly adjustments faster than a human pilot could. How are the various sensors and actuators monitored, controlled, and coordinated? How is communication and telemetry handled?

9:00PM - Space Physiology & Hazards of Space (talk - 15 min.)
There are lots of reasons why a human being cannot survive in outer space without technological aid. Even inside the partially controlled environment of a modern spacecraft, there are aspects of spaceflight that still have detrimental effects on humans. How does the environment of space effect human physiology and what other hazards are present during human spaceflight?

9:30PM - Life Support (talk - 15 min.)
It's not "human spaceflight" without the humans! And humans have all these pesky requirements... eating, drinking, breathing, etc.... And they also have pet peeves about being cooked, frozen, or irradiated. How do we accommodate such a needy payload?

10:00PM - Landing on the Moon (talk - 15 min.)
Here we zoom in on the history of the Apollo program, paying specific attention to the underlying technologies.

10:30PM - A Return to Wonder (talk - 15 min.)
The future is wide open! What could be next for humans in space? What new technologies might be developed? How can space exploration benefit humanity?

12:00AM - End of party
Your hosts are now tired. Let them go to bed.

Check the party board for room number!

This party will feature (great) FOOD, (non-alcoholic) DRINK, ... and (mad) SCIENCE! "Crash course" lectures will be given in short bursts periodically throughout the evening on topics relating to HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT. A broad range of topics will be covered, with an emphasis on the physics of space flight and spacecraft engineering. The time between talks will be open for discussion and awkward, nerdy socializing. A pamphlet including the Schedule of Geekery will be circulated at Arisia prior to the party.

The party will be in a suite on the closed party floor, but it will be an open party nonetheless. There will also be space mad libs and a space trivia game - with PRIZES!


Preview of Topics:
1. Modeling the Heavens & Conception of Space Flight
2. Propeller, Jet, & Rocket Propulsion
3. Launch, Orbit, & Reentry
4. Control Systems
5. Energy Sources, Storage, & Delivery
6. Space Physiology & Life Support
7. To the Moon!
8. Hazards of Space Flight
9. Navigation Beyond the Moon
10. The Future Soon