LibertyCon 38: Full Schedule

1:00pm EDT

Friday June 26, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Retired USAF Space Operations Officer Michael Morton presents Orbital Space Debris, focusing on what is space junk, why it's a problem, and what can be done about it.

Moderators

Michael Morton

Author

Michael Morton is a retired USAF space officer and now works for the Space Force as a civilian. He writes award-winning military sci-fi and fantasy and lives in Colorado Springs with his family. When he’s not writing, he enjoys camping and sampling the local adult beverages.

Friday June 26, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

2:00pm EDT

AI Doesn't Want to Kill Us, It Has To! (And We're Going to Let It)

Friday June 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Former STEM GOH Dr. Ben Davis presents: AI Doesn't Want to Kill Us, It Has To! (And We're Going to Let It)

Moderators

Dr. Ben Davis

STEM, Past SGoH

Ben Davis has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and an M.S. in Nuclear Astrophysics from the University of Notre Dame. He taught at the college level for several years on a number of technical subjects ranging from computer programming and math to, of course, astronomy and physics. In the... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

4:00pm EDT

How NASA Searches for Life

Friday June 26, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Embark on a thrilling journey through humanity’s quest to answer the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? From wild speculation in pulp novels to today’s high-tech NASA missions, our search for extraterrestrial life has morphed into a dazzling, multi-disciplinary adventure worthy of any sci-fi epic. Discover how NASA Science channels our curiosity with cutting-edge spacecraft that probe the mysteries of the Drake Equation, and how exploring Earth’s own bizarre habitats helps us imagine what alien life might look like. Dive into amazing missions—like OSIRIS-REx, Curiosity, Perseverance, TESS, and Europa Clipper. Recent discoveries have ignited our imaginations with tantalizing hints of life beyond Earth, but the real challenge is just beginning: separating genuine biosignatures from cosmic red herrings. Join us as we look to the future, where new explorations will push the boundaries of what’s possible—and perhaps bring us closer than ever to a universe teeming with life. NASA astrobiologist Dr. Becky McCauley Rench presents.

Guests

Becky McCauley Rench

LibertyCon 38 STEM Guest of Honor, STEM

Rebecca (Becky) McCauley Rench is the Astrobiology Program Scientist in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. She leads the Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR)), which supports large, interdisciplinary astrobiology research teams, and the Planetary... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

6:00pm EDT

Rare Earths Aren’t Rare! Strategic minerals and Geopolitics

Friday June 26, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

The name “rare earths” is a historical mistake. We’ll talk about the discovery of these elements, why they’re so important to the modern world, and why we (mostly) don’t produce them in the United States. Also a discussion of other strategic minerals (cobalt, titanium, etc.) and where we find them. Stephen Fleming presents.

Guests

Stephen Fleming

STEM, Boostphase

At various times, Stephen Fleming has been paid to be an optical physicist, laser fabricator, software developer, field engineer, product manager, corporate trainer, marketing executive, salesman, general manager, entrepreneur, author, venture capitalist, board member, investment... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

8:00pm EDT

The Planetary Brain and the Power Beneath It

Friday June 26, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Artificial intelligence may feel weightless, but the machines behind it are anything but invisible to the engineers who power them. This presentation explores the growing collision between hyperscale AI, massive data centers, electrical infrastructure, cooling systems, and the future of civilization-scale computation. Drawing from both real-world power-system engineering and decades of science fiction—from H. G. Wells and Isaac Asimov to William Gibson and Neal Stephenson—the discussion examines how the “cloud” is actually built from transformers, transmission lines, power electronics, and thermodynamics. The future may not be powered by magic, but by megawatts, cooling water, and infrastructure operating at planetary scale.

Guests

David Bogen

STEM

David Bogen is a veteran power-system engineer whose career spans more than four decades of leadership in transmission network modeling, utility data standards, and real-time operational analytics. He began his career in 1981 after earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

9:00pm EDT

History of Starfleet Power and Propulsion Systems

Friday June 26, 2026 9:00pm - 11:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Andy Presby presents "History of Starfleet Power and Propulsion Systems" Hard Science and Star Trek Geekery come together for this presentation. Q&A session to follow.

Moderators

Andy Presby

STEM

Andy Presby is a NASA engineer and retired US Navy submarine officer. He consults on future technology for Joelle Presby and other science fiction authors. He has degrees in spacecraft systems engineering and astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Friday June 26, 2026 9:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

10:00am EDT

Space Medicine: The long term effects for potential permanent residents of space colonies

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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.

Guests

Dave Sarnow

STEM

Dr. David Sarnow (Lt Col USAF ret) is an MD, MPH with over twenty years of real-world public health experience in the Air Force and civilian sectors. His hands-on experience with public health planning and preparedness give him a unique perspective on disease and all-hazard respo... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

11:00am EDT

Fusion Primer

Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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

Moderators

Jim Beall

STEM, Past SGoH

Jim Beall (BS-Math, MBA, PE) has been a nuclear engineer for 50 years, beginning as a nuclear engineering officer in the US Navy. Civilian experience includes design, construction, inspection, enforcement, and assessment with a nuclear utility, an architect engineering firm, and the... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

1:00pm EDT

Exoplanets: Detection Methodology and Recent Developments

Saturday June 27, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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.

Guests

Becky McCauley Rench

LibertyCon 38 STEM Guest of Honor, STEM

Saturday June 27, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

2:00pm EDT

Where's My Flying Car, Dammit!

Saturday June 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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

Moderators

Dr. Ben Davis

STEM, Past SGoH

Saturday June 27, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

3:00pm EDT

Roko's Basilisk: A Modern Thought Experiment at the Edge of AI, Ethics, and Internet Folklore

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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?

Guests

Ken Roy

STEM

Kenneth Roy is a retired, professional engineer who is currently living in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As a long-time hobby he has been working with the idea of terraforming. He invented the “Shell Worlds” concept as a way to terraform planets well outside a star’s Goldilocks’ zone... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

6:00pm EDT

Intriguing Rocks on Mars: the Cheyava Falls Potential Biosignature

Saturday June 27, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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.

Guests

Becky McCauley Rench

LibertyCon 38 STEM Guest of Honor, STEM

Saturday June 27, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

7:00pm EDT

Waiting for Warp Drives

Saturday June 27, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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.

Guests

Jeff Greason

Author, STEM

I grew up with middle class parents in rural Oregon, with some of my earliest memories being Star Trek, the Apollo 17 launch, and reading classic science fiction. As far as I know, I've always been interested in science and technology. I thought that by the time I was an adult, there... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

8:00pm EDT

Remote Viewing and the World of Intelligence

Saturday June 27, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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.

Moderators

Gregory Radabaugh

Author

Greg Radabaugh, an author published by Raconteur Press and others, retired from the US Department of Defense after a 44-year career. He now works as a consultant for various commercial and government entities. Prior to his retirement, he was a member of the Department of Defense Senior... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

9:00pm EDT

Redshifted Civilizations, Galactic Empires, and the Fermi Paradox

Saturday June 27, 2026 9:00pm - 10:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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.

Guests

Justin C. Feng

STEM

Justin C. Feng is a postdoctoral physicist specializing in general relativity (GR) and gravitation, currently at CEICO at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czechia. He obtained his Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2017, and has held postdoctoral positions... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 9:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

10:00pm EDT

Streaming 103 Workshop

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00pm - 11:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

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

Guests

James Schardt

Author

James Schardt is a 21 year veteran of the US Army as an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter Armament Systems Repairer and a graduate of Austin Peay State University. He lives in Kentucky with his wife and too many cats. He enjoys shooting muzzleloaders, painting toy soldiers, and miniatures... Read More →

Danette Schardt-Cordova

Gaming

Danette Schardt-Cordova started tabletop gaming at twelve and computer gaming at fourteen with a TRaSh-80 from Radio Shack. Now she regularly streams her gaming (RPGs, Minecraft and whatever Charles(Ghost_Prime) drags her into) under the name Tamriel Mother in between taking care... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 10:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

11:00am EDT

Who Owns the Moon / Space Mining

Sunday June 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Stephen Fleming presents "Who Owns the Moon / Space Mining" - The last year has seen a flurry of activity in extracting resources from “celestial objects”—the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and comets. How practical are these plans in the near term? And who owns these resources? What laws apply to their extraction and use? How much freedom to operate is there for space miners today, and what laws and policies still need to be addressed?

Guests

Stephen Fleming

STEM, Boostphase

Sunday June 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

12:00pm EDT

Astrobiology - A Planet by Planet Approach on How We Look and What We Could Expect to Find?

Sunday June 28, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Join NASA’s leading astrobiologist Dr. Becky McCauley Rench for an exhilarating tour of the most intriguing worlds in our solar system and beyond as we explore the question that has captivated humanity for generations: are we alone? What can the runaway greenhouse of Venus, the dried riverbeds of Mars, the subsurface oceans of Europa and Enceladus, the organic haze of Titan, and the stunning variety of exoplanets across our galaxy tell us together? This talk connects the dots between these worlds, blending frontier science with big-picture imagination. Learn how NASA missions and modern astrobiology guide the search for life—from subsurface seas to distant atmospheres—and what these extraordinary worlds reveal about the possibilities for life elsewhere in the universe.

Guests

Becky McCauley Rench

LibertyCon 38 STEM Guest of Honor, STEM

Sunday June 28, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

1:00pm EDT

How GPS Really Works

Sunday June 28, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Kevin Ikenberry will present "How GPS Really Works." GPS has made navigating our lives easy. But how does it work? Why do we blame GPS when things go awry? This session teaches the brief history of the GPS system and delves into how the system works -- and how the core principles are things we've known since middle school.

Guests

Kevin Ikenberry

Author

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. As an adult, he managed the U.S. Space Camp program, two Challenger Learning Centers, and served on active duty in space operations before Space Force was a thing. He’s an international bestselling science fiction... Read More →

Sunday June 28, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

2:00pm EDT

Rock and Roll: The New Madrid Fault System

Sunday June 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track)

Stephanie Osborn presents Rock and Roll: The New Madrid Fault -- In the middle of North America there is a major fault system, buried under the sediments of the Mississippi River, that has the capability of devastating the central United States. Why do so few people know about it? What caused it? Will it break loose again?

Guests

Stephanie Osborn

Author, STEM, Past SGoH

Few can claim the varied background of award-winning author Stephanie Osborn, the Interstellar Woman of Mystery. Veteran of more than 20 years in the civilian space program, as well as various military space defense programs, she worked on numerous space shuttle flights and the International... Read More →

Sunday June 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 6 (Science Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

STEM, Presentation

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