LESS REMOTE: The Futures of Space Exploration - An Arts and Humanities Symposium

Glasgow, September 30 – October 3, 2008

Leonardo is pleased to announce co-sponsorship of LESS REMOTE: The Futures of Space Exploration - An Arts and Humanities Symposium

Call for submissions deadline: March 1, 2008

Less Remote is an international symposium scheduled to run parallel with the 2008 International Astronautical Congress (IAC).
Organized by Flis Holland: flis@lessremote.org
In association with The Arts Catalyst, Leonardo and OLATS.
Co-sponsored by IAA Commission VI.

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, who have 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:
http://www.lessremote.org

For more information on the 2008 IAC, please visit:
http://www.iac2008.co.uk

Sessions:

Practitioners, scholars and postgraduates in any relevant discipline are invited to submit abstracts that explore the following strands. For more detailed descriptions, see lessremote.org.

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 humankind's 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 March 1, 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