MileHiCon 48 Schedule

It’s that time again! MileHiCon 48 is taking place at the usual place (Hyatt Regency Hotel – Tech Center, 7800 E. Tufts Ave., Denver CO, 80237) on the weekend of October 28-30, 2016. I’m on six panels this year, and I intend to defend my Hold ‘Em poker championship on Saturday night. C’mon out! I hope to see some familiar, friendly faces over the course of the weekend.

Friday, October 28, 2016
3:00 PM: The Ship: Close Environment, Set Characters (Mesa Verde C)
Nathan Beauchamp, C.A. Hartman, Sourdough Jackson, Stace Johnson (Moderator), Marc MacYoung

Unlike other environments, a shipboard setting is limited in place and characters – how do you handle this well? How do you create tension and excitement?

5:00 PM: Creativity Salon Roundtable (Bristlecone/Other)
Chaz Kemp (Moderator), Stace Johnson, Corinne O’Flynn, Ronnie Seagren, et al

What is creativity, how important is it to productivity in art/writing/other creative pursuits, how can you get into/stay in a creative mood, how can everyone bring more creativity into their everyday life? Join the discussion!

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Saturday, October 29, 2016
12:00 PM: Agent Carter / Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fan Forum (Bristlecone)
Stace Johnson (Moderator), Sherry Ficklin

Let’s talk about the highly competent women of S.H.I.E.L.D. from Agent Carter through Agent May and beyond (and of course, the men of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well).

2:00 PM: David Bowie & SF (Wind River A)
Boom Baumgartner, J.L. Forrest, Jason Heller (Moderator), Stace Johnson, Carrie Vaughn

David Bowie is the only rock star who has been inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Celebrate the life, music, and film work of Ziggy Stardust, the Man Who Fell to Earth.

3:00 PM: Cybersecurity: Reality vs. Paranoia (Wind River C)
John Barnes, Dr. Andrew Burt, Cynthia Felice, Stace Johnson (Moderator), Wendy Terrien

Omniscient governments, corporations, and hackers: they will know everything, from your credit card to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) massive data breach.(Is Mr. Robot overblown, or scratching the surface?)

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Sunday, October 30, 2016
4:00 PM: Can AIs Have Souls? (Wind River C)
Michael Lee Burgess, Jim Gunderson, Louise Gunderson (Moderator), Stace Johnson, Dr. Rob S. Rice, Tim Simpson

Once we can answer the question, “Is there artificial intelligence?” with yes, it just opens up more questions. Does a self-aware artificial intelligence have a soul? How could we tell?