LibertyCon 38

The stories we tell ourselves shape our culture, and EVERYTHING is downstream of culture. How do we avoid the poor choices that led to the US Civil War and WW1 when warfare was initially viewed as a lark? What do you want YOUR grandkids to remember? Panelists select enduring works as examples of a generational MilSF library, fueled by audience prompts. 

Space Medicine: the long term effects for potential permanent residents of space colonies (assume this would dependent on the where the colony would be - you could address the different aspects that derive from gravity (Moon, Mars, Venus, other planetary moons, etc.) as well as other physiological aspects that would happen to colonists, as well as showing the way towards selection of the preferred physiologies of potential candidates. Also, you could potentially address how physiology might be affected by colonist children born into the space environment.

Jim Beall presents a primer on Fusion - Where it "began," how we got "here," a run-down of the types of fusion, and then a round-up of most of the current fusion research paths and their relative promises

As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and hyper-scale digital infrastructure expands, data centers are becoming one of the defining industrial systems of the 21st century. But these facilities are more than anonymous buildings full of servers—they reshape electrical grids, water resources, regional economics, and even the geography of computation itself. This panel will try to explores the social and infrastructure impacts of hyperscale computing, including energy demand, cooling water consumption, environmental tradeoffs, rural versus urban deployment, and the growing concentration of computational power. The discussion examines how massive computational systems may influence the future of the electric grid, governance, infrastructure, and daily life.

Step into the cutting edge of real world cosmic discovery as NASA’s leading astrobiologist Dr. Becky McCauley Rench guides you through how thousands of newly discovered exoplanets—many stranger than anything in our own solar system—are reshaping our understanding of what worlds can be, how they form, and where life might take hold. This talk dives into the surprising ways planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics work together to decode alien atmospheres, star–planet interactions, and the clues that distinguish lifeless planets from potentially living ones. From hot Jupiters and super Earths, to NASA’s upcoming Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, you’ll get an insider’s look at how today’s science is rapidly catching up with science fiction—and why the next decades may bring the most exciting discoveries in the history of exploring other worlds.

Former STEM GOH Dr. Ben Davis presents: Where's My Flying Car, Dammit!

This presentation explores Roko’s Basilisk, one of the most notorious and controversial thought experiments to emerge from online discussions about artificial intelligence, decision theory, and existential risk. At its core, Roko’s Basilisk asks whether a hypothetical future superintelligent AI might have incentives to punish people who knew about its possible creation but failed to help bring it into existence.  Harlan Ellison's story "I have no Mouth and I must Scream" will be discussed as an oddly prophetic story years before Roko proposed his thought experiment.

The presentation will unpack the Basilisk in clear, accessible terms, beginning with the intellectual context in which it appeared. It will explain the assumptions required for the thought experiment to work, including the possibility of an artificial superintelligence having god like powers combined with petty grievances against individual humans who either helped or hindered its creation.

Beyond the technical argument, the talk will also consider Roko’s Basilisk as a cultural artifact. Why did such an abstract and speculative idea become frightening to some readers? What does its spread reveal about online communities, memetic hazards, and the psychological impact of extreme thought experiments?

Past Master of Ceremonies Mike Massa moderates this roundtable on the Technological Future of War and how the steady march of technology makes combat across all spheres more lethal.

The IRG Update Panel will cover the recent activities of the Interstellar Research Group along with our vision for the future of space exploration both within our solar system and eventually to planets orbiting other stars. Stephen Euin Cobb moderator.

Join NASA astrobiologist Dr. Becky McCauley Rench for an exploration of one of the most exciting real world discoveries to fire the imagination of science fiction fans: the Cheyava Falls rock found by the Perseverance rover on Mars. This strange, splotchy stone—riddled with organic molecules, hydrated minerals, and chemical patterns reminiscent of microbial energy sources on Earth—has become one of the most intriguing hints yet that ancient Mars could have supported life. In this talk, we’ll journey through the science behind these clues, unravel how scientists evaluate evidence for life using frameworks like the Confidence of Life Detection (CoLD) scale, and discover why this finding represents a thrilling but early step in a much larger quest. Along the way, we’ll connect the cutting edge tools aboard Perseverance to the classic sci-fi themes of alien ecosystems, planetary exploration, and humanity’s drive to answer the ultimate question: Are we alone? Perfect for fans who love when real science is just as awe inspiring as science fiction.

Warp drives may or may not be possible. But there are plenty of technologies necessary for deep-space exploration that don’t require any exotic physics, just good old fashioned engineering. We’ll talk about some of the most useful, as well as ways to get from here to here in a time of constrained NASA funding. Jeff Greason presents.

Remote Viewing and the World of Intelligence: Learn about the practice, terminology, and data collection capabilities in use today with a focus on the US intelligence community (IC). Find out why the IC was interested in remote viewing and how it was used in actual operations.

Master Gunsmith Oren Truitt will moderate this panel discussion on the art and science of gunsmithing. 

Prepping for the Apocalypse - HAM Radio! Come join some folks who can talk about the importance of amateur radio when the apocalypse arrives! 

Dr. Justin Feng will present a paper presented to the IRG on time dilation and galactic civilizations. Abstract: Given the vast distances between stars in the Milky Way and the long timescales required for interstellar travel, we consider how a civilization might overcome the constraints arising from finite lifespans and the speed of light without invoking exotic or novel physics. We consider several scenarios in which a civilization can migrate to a time-dilated frame within the scope of classical general relativity and without incurring a biologically intolerable level of acceleration. Remarkably, the power requirements are lower than one might expect; biologically tolerable orbits near the photon radius of Sgr A* can be maintained by a civilization well below the Type II threshold, and a single Type II civilization can establish a galaxy-spanning civilization with a time dilation factor of , enabling trips spanning the diameter of the Milky Way within a human lifetime in the civilizational reference frame. We also find that isotropic, monochromatic signals from orbits near the photon radius of a black hole exhibit a downward frequency drift. The vulnerability of ultrarelativistic vessels to destruction, combined with the relatively short timescales on which adversarial civilizations can arise, provides a strong motivating element for the ``dark forest'' hypothesis.

Learn the basics of the technical and business sides of steaming, to include netiquette, internet security, and personal security as a streamer.

Roundtable discussion of various and timely science topics moderated by Les Johnson. This is a remarkable panel dating back to the earliest LibertyCons. Everyone gets a say but no one gets to say too much. This year the participants will be the current STEM GOH and 4 Past Science Guests of Honor.