Less Remote: The Futures of Space Exploration -An Arts and Humanities Symposium
Glasgow, 30 September to 3 October 2008
Organised by Flis Holland: flis@lessremote.org In association with The Arts Catalyst, Leonardo and Leonardo/Olats. Co-sponsored by IAA Commission VI
Call for Submissions
An international symposium to run parallel with the 2008 International Astronautical Congress (IAC).
This symposium will offer a forum in which specialists from many disciplines will be invited to consider the future of space exploration in the context of our current understanding of social, economic and technological imperatives. One of the aims of the symposium is to foster a dialogue and exchange between the cultural and space communities.
Speakers from the Space Science & Engineering and Arts & Humanities communities will present keynote lectures on space exploration and its possible futures. Papers are also invited from the broad constituency of interest among artists, cultural analysts and historians, that has examined the wider implications of the scientific exploration of space for the better part of a century.
For more information on the symposium, please visit:
For more information on the 2008 IAC, please visit
Sessions
Practitioners, scholars and postgraduates in any relevant discipline are invited to submit abstracts that explore the following strands..
Cultures and Space
Highlighting the multiplicity of cosmologies that currently hold sway in the world, and considering the consequences of a tacit consensus on the range of opportunities for future space exploration
The Introspective Urge
Focusing on humankind¹s image of itself as a determinant of space technology, and the impact of a changing self-image for example as a consequence of ubiquitous global communications - on future space science
Leaving a Trace
Technical and ethical debate on the impact we have already had on the local solar system, and how our views will affect the possible future of space science and engineering
Living Space
Consideration of the continuity between the needs of
humans on earth and the possible demands of spacefarers in remote and often
hostile environments
Submission Guidelines
Each session will consist of two invited presentations, two selected presentations, and a moderated discussion. Of the invited presentations, one will be solicited from within the space community, and the other from the arts community.
Due to limited speaker slots, a poster session will also take place during the symposium. Please indicate on your application if a poster presentation is acceptable.
An abstract (300 words max) and a short bio (200 words max) must be submitted by:
1 March 2008 via email to:abstracts@lessremote.org
All submissions will be peer reviewed by the international jury listed below. Submissions accepted and presented at the conference will be published in the conference proceedings.
Peer Review Committee
Flis Holland (Chair)
Annick Bureaud, Leonardo/OLATS
Stephen Dick, IAA Commission VI
Roger Malina, IAA Commission VI
Mike Punt, Leonardo
Sundar Sarukkai, Centre for Philosophy, Indian Institute of Science
Nicola Triscott, The Arts Catalyst