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SUMMARY:Speculative Futures: Researching Science\, Fiction and Technology
DESCRIPTION:Step into the future on Wednesday\, April 22\, from 1:00–4:00 
 PM in McKeldin 4109 for Speculative Futures: Researching Science\, 
 Fiction\, and Technology. Join faculty from across disciplines as they 
 critically engage with the science fiction genre and its impacts on popular 
 culture and society. This afternoon of Scholarship and Conversation will 
 feature three faculty talks and light refreshments. Whether you’re a 
 lifelong sci-fi enthusiast or just curious about the future\, this is your 
 chance to explore the boundary between imagination and 
 innovation.\n\nFeatured Speakers: \n\nNicole Yunger Halpern and Edward 
 Daschle: “Quantum Steampunk: A Conversation Across Disciplines” 1:00 
 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.\n\n\n	\n	Steampunk is a science-fiction genre in which 
 futuristic technologies populate Victorian-era settings. Recently\, 
 steampunk has come to life in the scientific field of quantum 
 thermodynamics. Thermodynamics\, the study of energy\, grew out of the 
 Industrial Revolution. Two centuries later\, quantum physics is 
 transforming computing and cryptography. Quantum science is now 
 revolutionizing 19th-century thermodynamics in quantum thermodynamics\, 
 which features quantum engines\, automata\, and more. Quantum 
 thermodynamics inspired the growing subgenre of quantum steampunk. A 
 writing instructor and a physicist are co-teaching quantum-steampunk 
 creative writing to students from across the academic spectrum at UMD. The 
 two will share their perspectives on the course\, the emerging genre\, and 
 interdisciplinarity in this session.\n	\n\n\nLeigha McReynolds: “Future 
 Bodies: Imagining a World with Disability” 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 
 p.m.\n\n\n	\n	In her essay “The Future is (Not) Disabled\,” disabled 
 science fiction author Marieke Nijkamp challenges able-bodied authors to 
 create an inclusive future. In this interactive workshop\, we’ll consider 
 our own relationship to ability and disability and use Nijkamp’s call as 
 inspiration for considering how all of us\, as people working to build a 
 future\, can proactively create space — literally and metaphorically — 
 for diverse minds and bodies.\n	\n\n\nMitchell Adam Pavao-Zuckerman: “Can 
 science fiction help solve climate change?” 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 
 p.m.\n\n\n	\n	Science fiction influences the way we imagine and shape the 
 future. Climate change makes this even more pressing by challenging us to 
 imagine a safe\, humane\, and equitable future before we can move towards 
 building it. This discussion will explore how speculative narratives 
 influence real-world thinking about resilience\, technology\, and social 
 systems by drawing on Dr. Mitchell’s Pavao-Zuckerman’s Honors College 
 course on science\, fiction\, and the environment. We will engage in a few 
 short interactive exercises to envision and reimagine possible futures and 
 consider how science fiction storytelling can inform action today.\n	\n
LOCATION:McKeldin Library 4109\, McKeldin Library
ORGANIZER;CN="UMD Libraries Research":MAILTO:lib-rc@umd.edu
CATEGORIES:Research Education @ UMD Libraries, Scholarship as Conversation
CONTACT;CN="UMD Libraries Research":MAILTO:lib-rc@umd.edu
STATUS:CONFIRMED
UID:LibCal-16685824
URL:https://umd.libcal.com/event/16685824
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