Foresight Vision Weekend 2007: The Unconference
At Yahoo! HQ in Silicon Valley
November 3-4, 2007
Schedule
The action will run from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday and 10 AM to 4:30 PM on Sunday at Yahoo, with an optional no-host dinner at a nearby restaurant on Saturday night.
If you are in Sunnyvale on Friday night, meet fellow participants at Faz Restaurant, adjacent to the Sheraton, at 7 PM.
For Our Inspiration
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David Friedman: Polymath whose creativity knows no boundaries, from economics to coming technologies to visionary fiction |
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Matt Francis: Rising star in nanotech, bringing us the latest & greatest in nanobio on the pathway to atomically precise construction |
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Chris Heward: If your goal is anti-aging, he's your man. We'll hear the latest advances on living longer |
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DEBATE
DEBATE
DEBATE
DEBATE
DEBATE
DEBATE |
Privacy vs. security vs. transparency — Who decides: DC or Silicon Valley? We better get to work! |
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Saturday Program
9:30 – 10 AM: Check-in and coffee. All participants should have pre-registered in advance.
10 – 11:30 AM: Inspiration!
Even a self-organizing unconference of some of the most foresighted folks on the planet can use a spur to the imagination. We'll bring in some visionaries to tell us what's happening right now and what to expect in the highest of high tech and most social of socialtech — and how these will play out for us.
10 – 10:45 AM David Friedman
10:45 – 11:30 AM Matt Francis
11:30 – 12:30 PM: The Future by Design
The "un" begins: Unconference facilitator extraordinaire Kaliya Hamlin weaves her magic to extract from the assembled multitude our deepest desires, our most urgent needs — in short, as a group we co-evolve the world's most exciting conference schedule, to be implemented on our behalf this afternoon.
12:30 – 1 PM: Absorption
Indulge in restorative cuisine aimed at maximizing our brainpower for the adventures to come.
1 – 5 PM: Competing Options, Tempting Choices, Intense Involvement
From the riches on offer we each grit our teeth and choose the top four we absolutely cannot do without — starting a nanotech career, extending our lifespan, building the first truly smart computer, and so many more. We may lead a discussion, do a demo, recruit for our next project or company, or incite a revolution — probably technological, but anything is possible at the Vision Weekend. Snacks will appear during this marathon, but don't slow down — just grab and go, or you'll miss something.
To get your favorite topics included, add them to the wiki, or send them to [email protected] and we'll do it for you.
5 – 5:30 PM: Convergence
We reconvene in the big group to compare what's been learned, what's been founded, and what assumptions have been blown up in the past four hours. The seeds are planted for tomorrow's choices; demands are made that the best ones be repeated and revised on Sunday.
6:30 PM on: Celebration
Optional no-host dinner at the Grand Indian Buffet. We'll carpool over, rejoice in today's progress, plot and scheme for tomorrow, applaud whoever deserves your applause. We'll also eat a yummy meal of "fine South & North Indian cuisine," but the great food is secondary to the conversation. Cost is $18 cash, exact change appreciated, please wear your nametag.
Sunday Program
9:30 – 10 AM: Schmoozing and coffee
10 – 11:30 AM: Inspiration!
To kick off the second day, we'll hear the latest on anti-aging, and then engage in some group-based creative design aimed at heading off the trickier issues coming out of rapidly-advancing technologies.
10 – 10:45 AM Chris Heward
10:45 – 11:30 AM Privacy/Security/Transparency: Designing a System that Works
11:30 – 12:30 PM: The Future by Design
The "un" ramps up: We review today's plan as a group, make any desired tweaks, and start making those tough individual choices between sessions.
12:30 – 1 PM: Absorption
We'll need some calories as brain fuel for this afternoon.
1 – 4 PM: Competing Options, Tempting Choices, Intense Involvement
We select our top three and launch into them. Feel free to session-hop if your first choice isn't what you expected. There's still time to convene your own session on the new topic of your choice — maybe something resulting from a session yesterday. Pick up a snack in mid-afternoon to keep you going.
To get your new topic included, add it to the master schedule on the wall, labeled with your name as convenor.
4 – 4:30 PM: Convergence
It's been an intense weekend and now we come together to see what's changed — did you decide to switch careers, start a company, co-author a book, change continents? How can Foresight help?
4:30 PM: It's over for another year—swap email addresses and run for your plane, or head back to the day-to-day world—with a new perspective.
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