GeekSpeak – Breaking news: Time Travel is theoretically possible. Join the discussion Saturday, March 18th at 12pm SLT

Time travel (but only to the future) is possible soon.  Come and join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss how we can travel ahead in time and why we would want to do so.

Would you like to travel into the future?  Will you jump ahead 10 or 100 or maybe 1000 years? Or will you stay in the here and now?

Jumping ahead would satisfy your curiosity might make you rich if you have invested wisely, and might mean finding a cure for any disease you have.  But would you be able to understand future people?  Or would you be like a Neanderthal arriving in 2023?

Come to GeekSpeak and tell us how you feel about time.  Bring all your Neanderthal friends!

IM Vulcan Viper teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Is Space a waste of money? Join the discussion on March 11th at 12pm slt

Why do we spend so much money on Space when there are so many causes that need money down here?  Shouldn’t Earth come first?

This is an often-heard complaint about the space industry so let’s address it.  Why do we spend money on launching satellites, going to the moon or Mars, exploring Pluto, finding out about exoplanets, and planning a future in space? 

Perhaps you think we should not put money into space.  Or do you see a benefit from space research?  Join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss our choices.  Bring all your alien friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What new technology is the most exciting? Join the discussion on Saturday, February 25th at 12pm SLT

 

What cool technology have you heard about recently? Science and technology move so quickly today that there are probably many things happening that you don’t know about.  So join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to share all the newest inventions and research.  Find out which new discovery makes others feel most hopeful and happy about the future.

What breakthroughs should we know about?  What interesting research have you heard about?  Medical, space, historical, all subjects considered.  Tell us in GeekSpeak.  Bring all your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What would a Society of Robots look like? Join the discussion on Saturday, February 18th at 12pm SLT

 

Let’s imagine that in 10 years time, robots have taken over the earth.  Humans are either extinct or kept as pets.  What will the new robotic society look like? 

Will robots live together peacefully, or will they have wars like us?  Will they have belief systems and political parties?  Will they build telescopes and spaceships and discover the stars?  Or will they do nothing that is not obviously practical?

Will they form robot families and friendships or be solitary?  Will they be able to change their nature to suit their ideas of the perfect society, as we cannot? 

Will their society eventually fail?  Maybe humans will have to clean up the scraps after the age of the bots.

Join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss the coming robot society.  No robots are allowed, so bring all your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Can we cheat Death? Join the discussion on Saturday, February 10th at 12pm SLT

Will we soon be able to prolong our lives, even perhaps live forever? By uploading our minds to computers, slowly replacing our organic neurons with silicon chips, buying or stealing young organs from others, reversing the degeneration caused by aging, or freezing our bodies?  How many methods of cheating death will become available?

Would cheating death in these ways be wise, or moral?  Would you want to live forever?  Are you afraid you might be forced to live forever even if you wanted to die?

Join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss what all this will mean for humanity.  Bring all your friends!  It’s a matter of life and death!

IM Vulcan Viper teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – The City of 2050! What will it be like? Join the discussion Saturday Jan 28th at 12pm SLT

 

What will the cities of the future look like?  Flying drones everywhere?  Tunnels underground?  A dome over every city?

Will the cities of 2050 be filled with green plants and open spaces?  Or will they be made of tightly packed cubicles?

Will the streets be full of rubbish, or will bots clean it all up?  Will there still be cars on the streets?  Or will we see moving walkways everywhere?  Will there be buildings 1000 floors high, or perhaps 1000 floors deep? And vertical gardens and farms?

Would you like to live in any of these possible future cities?  Please join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to talk about your future, if you are city dwellers.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Earth: A New Hope? Join the discussion on Saturday, January 14th at 12pm SLT

In the darkest part of the year, at the start of a new one, we need to ask what will bring hope to the world.  Hope means something different for everyone and we all have our own personal hopes.  But how can we give humanity as a whole some hope for the future?  What is needed to turn the current feeling of hopelessness around?

Should we talk about all the progress that has been made in the past?  Or describe how the world will look if everything goes well? Does space exploration offer hope?  Is there an invention that would bring hope?  A book?  A movie?  Or even a pop singer?  What do we need to show us a bright future for humanity?

Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to talk about all the reasons for hope.  Bring a notebook and your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Should we be more logical? Or are we all right as we are? Join the discussion on January 7th at 12pm SLT

 

Is it dangerous that the world is run by irrational, emotional humans?  Should we turn our culture into a Vulcan culture?  Should we teach kids critical thinking and force politicians to listen to science?  Or even, as some people have suggested, have scientists run the country? 

Or is our natural, human way of doing things the best way?  And why should we trust scientists to get things right when they are just as illogical and human as the rest of us?

Maybe we should use our human emotions to help the world.  Make utopian movies and songs and get people to be optimistic and hopeful about the future.

Come to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT and discuss how to change the world for the better.  Bring a whiteboard and your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak - 2023! Where will it take us? Join the discussion Saturday, December 31st at 12pm SLT

 

What are your predictions, hopes, and fears, for 2023 and beyond?

Will we see asteroid mining, a moon base, people on Mars?  Worldwide democracy, an end to war?  A cure for cancer?

Or will we see World War 3?  And the collapse of civilisation? And new pandemics from artificial viruses?

Where do you see Europe, USA, Iran, China, Russia going in 2023? 

Tell us what you fear and hope for, for the world or personally. Where are we all going? And what do you want for yourself in this new year?

Join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to talk about the future, and what we all hope from it.

IM Vulcan Viper teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will there be Christmas on Pluto? Join the discussion Saturday December 24th at 12:00 pm SLT

If you were living there, on Star Date 29941426, would you celebrate Earthly events?  It would be difficult to celebrate a midwinter feast on a planet with a long year where most people never experience winter.  And will you celebrate your Earth birthday or your Pluto or Mars birthday?  Would your age, measured in years, change as you moved from planet to planet?  How do you compare the ages of Earthlings and Marslings? 

If the colonists do celebrate Christmas will they celebrate it every 365 Earth days?  Or will they adjust the date to their own planet?

Will time still be measured in Earth days in the far future?  Will it be easy to adjust to a new day and a new year?

Join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss time and Christmas in the future.  Bring your friends and an atomic clock.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Internet! Does it support freedom or tyranny? Join the discussion on Saturday, December 17th at 12pm slt

 

Come and join us at GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT.  Let’s ask if the internet is good or bad for our world and for democracy. We now have a splintered internet (a splinternet) where dictators can censor parts of it and even shut it down at will.  Will we ever have a free, universal internet again or will it break into more than the 36(!) versions we have now?  What is needed to make it free again?  Are dictators able to use the internet to increase their power and control?

On the other hand, maybe the existence of the internet, even when it is not completely free, helps us to be free.  People in countries where it is banned know about it and will find ways to get at it.  While it exists, even in 36 versions, no one can be completely cut off from the rest of the world.  Join us to discuss freedom and the internet.  Bring your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will Bitcoin save us from monetary collapse? Join the discussion on Saturday, December 3rd at 12pm SLT

 

Bitcoin recently saw its 13^th birthday.  What is going on nowadays in the bitcoin world?  And why are people still puzzled by it?  Some see it as the best invention ever and think it will save the monetary system of the world.  Others think it is doomed to fail and no one should invest in it.

Is the energy used to mine bitcoin a serious problem?  Is bitcoin still a good investment or is it far too risky?  What will a future where all money is blockchain-based look like?

Bring your friends to GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss the world of bitcoin and its future.  Serious people only.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will we win the Space Race? Does it matter? Join the discussion Saturday, September 3rd at 12pm SLT

On Friday 2^nd September the Artemis 1 moon rocket will launch towards the moon.  If it fails the moon race will probably be won by China.  Either way, humanity is, hopefully, heading for a future where people live and work on the moon. 

The trip will last 42 days and the spacecraft will have a high-definition video on board.  Come to GeekSpeak this Saturday at noon SLT and celebrate this historic moment with us and discuss where we will be going on the moon, and why.

Will we look up one day and realize that someone is also looking down?   Bring your space buddies!

 

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – How do we save our planet? Join the discussion on Saturday, August 27th at 12:00 pm Noon SLT

There are so many things that threaten Earth or life on Earth or human life on Earth.  What should be done about them all?  And what should we, as individuals, do about all the threats?

Climate change threatens all life.  Plastic pollution threatens all marine life and maybe all life.  Habitat destruction threatens thousands of species.  Pandemics and the dishonesty of Big Pharma threaten human life.  Then there is the threat of an asteroid hit, nuclear war, or a deliberate biological attack. 

What should we be doing?  Is there any hope?  Or maybe you don’t think there is any serious danger?  Or perhaps the only answer is to change the way our societies are run?

Come and join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss the danger we are in.  Bring anyone who is worried about it.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class in the GeekSpeak auditorium every Wednesday, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 25th June at noon SLT: What drives Creativity?

 

What makes people creative?  And what does creativity do for society?  Could we manage without it?  Can AI be creative?

Do you think of yourself as a creative person?  Do you want to explore how creative you actually are?  (Hint: much more than you think!)  How can we become more creative?

Does being creative make you happy?  Or perhaps you think it can make people sad?  Or unpleasant?  A lot of great artists have been very nasty people.

Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to talk about the ups and downs of creativity.  Bring a brush, or a cooking pan or a camera, and let us know what your creative ideas are.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – Will we all be Perfect in the future? Join the discussion Saturday, April 9th at 12pm SLT

With DNA editing we can improve the way our bodies function.  With robotic enhancements, we will be able to do things no human can do.  Where will all these new powers take us?

Is it possible to be perfect?  Or will there always be trade-offs?  Should some enhancements be against the law?  Who will decide for the children? 

Will humanity split into different species?  The rich will be enhanced and the poor will remain normal perhaps?  Will we see eugenics wars?

Join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to explore what it will mean to be more than human.  Bring all your humans.  And robots are welcome.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

 

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GeekSpeak – How much Free Speech do you want? Join the discussion Saturday April 2nd at 12 pm SLT

Would a completely open world where all speech is allowed function properly?  It is tempting to think that if we allow everyone to say anything then those who trade in insults and abuse would sink to the bottom of the social ladder and people who give thoughtful, true information would rise to the top.  But we do not see that happening now on social media.  Why not?  And what would make it happen?

Where would you draw the line where free speech is concerned?  Are insults OK?  Or calls for violence?  Or calls to overthrow a dictator?  Maybe you think there should not be a line at all?

Leave twitter for a while and join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to chat about free speech, with your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What is our purpose? Eat, Drink and be Merry? Join the discussion March 26th at 12pm slt

What is your purpose in life?  Is it enough to eat and drink and enjoy as much of life as you can?  Or do we all need a higher purpose?  Do we need a purpose that is just for us?

Does having your own purpose make you happier?  Is it worth trying to find one?  Will we still be looking for a purpose even if all our wishes on earth are met?

Can you find a purpose in the future of our species? In the colonization of other planets perhaps?  Or in the end of disease or war?  Do duties and obligations provide a purpose?

Come and join us in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday to discuss what drives us and where we are going.  Bring all your friends, and a map!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

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GeekSpeak – Extreme Capitalism! Join the discussion Saturday March 19th at 12pm SLT

 

A few weeks ago we talked about a world without money, this week we will go to the opposite extreme and talk about a world where people are charged for absolutely everything.  Let’s imagine that the Ferengi from Star Trek landed on Earth and bought the world presidency.  Would that lead to a fairer world?

Everything would have a price.  You would have to pay for a chair in a bar or restaurant.  You can visit your friends if you pay them for every minute.  Standing in a bus shelter costs money and all bridges are taxed.  Country walks cost so much per mile and you can charge the neighbors for admiring your garden.

How would we be changed by such a world?  Would it be simpler than the mixed social setup we have now?  Come and discuss the world of money in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday.   Bring all your friends with money!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

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GeekSpeak – What will the Post-war World look like? Saturday, March 12th at 12pm SLT

 

There is a war raging now that will change the world stage, maybe forever.  What will happen to world politics and the world economy in the future?

Will the world convert quickly to solar power?  Or will we start fracking?  Or rely on nuclear power?  Or dig for coal? What about oil prices?  Will the war accelerate the trend to electric vehicles?

Will the Cold War start again?  Will the war put an end to our efforts to stop global warming?  Will we still be able to live as we do now?

And what will happen to the Space industry?  Will we have to stop our journey into the universe?

Come to GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday and discuss the changes that will reshape the world. Bring your friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

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