Armadillocon 35 (2014)
A science fiction convention in Austin, TX, August 25-27 2014.
The special writer guest this year was Ted Chiang, an author of many highly acclaimed science fiction short stories, one of which later became the basis of the movie "Arrival". He was interviewed by Jayme Lynn Blaschke.
Here are some topics they talked about: linguistics, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and "The Story of Your Life", the possibility of it being turned into the movie -- this was 2 years before the story got turned into the movie "Arrival"; is Ted Chiang's fiction influenced by the environment; writing the ending first, his story length, and whether he is going to expand "Liking What You See" into a longer story; does he ever plan to write a novel; the first stories he wrote as a teen; who were his influences; and what appeal does he find in discredited scientific theories, such as preformation (on which his story "72 Letters" is based).
You can read the whole Ted Chiang interview here.
As a special guest at the ArmadilloCon 2014, Ted Chiang also did a reading, but lieu of his fiction he read his essay on lifelogging, and engaged in a discussion with the audience about it.
Lifelogging is an emerging trend of recording every, or nearly every moment of your life. A simple example of lifelogging would be wearing a video recorder that would record continuous video and audio of everything you see and do. Ted Chiang used this example to speculate about how lifelogging would change our society. At the end he answered the audience's questions and discussed some points, such as: would lifelogging encourage us to craft our lives as stories, and thus become better people? Doesn't forgetting play a big role in getting over a trauma? Doesn't forgetting go a long way towards forgiving? What if your memories are hacked? Who has control over shared memories?
Read Ted Chiang's entire (condensed) speech on lifelogging and the discussion with the audience here.
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Date: 08/15/2014
Owner: Elze
Size: 13 items
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IMG_1444 Mars team panel
Mars 1 Dream Team panel. L-R: writers Bob Mahoney, William Ledbetter, Patrice Sarath, Alexis Glynn Latner, Sigrid Close. What mixture of skills would you need on a mission to Mars? Generalists or specialist? Click on the image to read more.
Date: 07/25/2014
Views: 729
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IMG_1448 Ted Chiang (left) and Jayme Lynn Blaschke
Ted Chiang, one of the writer Guests of Honor, was interviewed by Jayme Lynn Blaschke. Click on the image to read more.
Date: 07/26/2014
Views: 486
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IMG_1441 Twin Paradox panel
Bob Mahoney, Kenneth Hoover, Ted Chiang, John Gibbons, and Pauline Baird Jones at the Twin Paradox panel.
Date: 07/25/2014
Views: 364
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IMG_5888 Twin Paradox panel
Kenneth Hoover, Ted Chiang, John Gibbons, and Pauline Baird Jones at the Twin Paradox panel.
Date: 07/25/2014
Views: 416
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IMG_1465 Remembering The Future panel
Sigrid Close (Aeronautics and Astronautics professor at Stanford University and ArmadilloCon 2014 science Guest of Honor), authors Patrice Sarath, Ada Palmer, Ted Chiang at the Remembering The Future panel panel. Click on the image to read more.
Date: 07/26/2014
Views: 637
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IMG_1467 Mathematics, magic, and mystery panel
Kevin (K. G.) Jewell, John Gibbons, Janet Kathleen Cheney, and Ted Chiang at the "Mathematics, magic, and mystery" panel. Click on the image to read more.
Date: 07/27/2014
Views: 645
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IMG_5894 ArmadilloCon 2014 opening ceremonies
Left to right: fan Guest of Honor Michael Walsh, writer GoH Ted Chiang, editor GoH Jacob Weisman being introduced by the toastmaster Mario Acevedo; artist GoH Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, special GoH writer Ian McDonald, science GoH Sigrid Close.
Date: 07/25/2014
Views: 699
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IMG_5906 Fannish Feud, the fan team
Fannish Feud, the fan team, left to right: Renee, Troyce Wilson, ArmadilloCon Fan Guest of Honor Michael Walsh, and Rhonda Eudaly, who, as she pointed out, could be on both pros and fans teams. Click on the image to read more about it.
Date: 07/26/2014
Views: 751
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IMG_5908 Fannish Feud, the pro team
Fannish Feud, the pro team, left to right: Thomas (Martin) Wagner, Sigrid Close, Ted Chiang, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Jacob Weisman. Click on the image to read more about it.
Date: 07/26/2014
Views: 511
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IMG_1472 K. G. (Kevin) Jewell shows math tricks
at the "Mathematics, magic, and mystery panel". Click on the image to read more.
Date: 07/27/2014
Views: 514
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IMG_1477 Women In Science panel
Mel White, Rachael Acks, Paige Roberts, and Sigrid Close at the Women In Science panel. Click on the image to read more about it.
Date: 07/27/2014
Views: 460
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IMG_5925 Women In Science panel
Mel White, Rachael Acks, Paige Roberts, and Sigrid Close at the Women In Science panel. Click on the image to read more about it.
Date: 07/27/2014
Views: 560
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IMG_1482 Ted Chiang gives a speech on lifelogging
As a writer Guest of Honor, Ted Chiang's reading was the last event at ArmadilloCon. In lieu of reading his fiction, Ted Chiang gave a speech on lifelogging, and engaged in a discussion with the audience about it. Click on the image to read more.
Date: 07/27/2014
Views: 693
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