Feeling for the Future: Information Techonology and Computer Science.   A young scientists' perspective on the future. Saul Griffiths and Alfred Conlon Wednesday, July 29, 1998 Duke of Edinburgh, Pyrmont To help launch our minds–some poetic, thought-provoking contributions from Saul and Alf. From Saul: HAL spoke to us deeply, C3Po like a gent, but as intelligences go, computers have went, now to augment a human may raise people's hair, but in the bright and bold future, us cyborgs won't care. The silicon sock, may know your feet stink, it may even think, but the Microsoft washer, is the new source of terror, '404: sock not found' another laundry retrieval error. and from Alf, (quote) a couple of silly poems My cufflinks cried and told me that I had another call, That I could read upon my memex, or watch upon the wall 'Turing Save Us!' said the message, printed in electronic ink 'info, info everywhere, and not a chance to think'. The scientists Saul Griffithis a 24 year old kite flyer. A recent graduate of UNSW in Metallurgical Engineering, he has also studied at the University of California, Berkeley, in Materials Science and is currently writing a masters thesis in Composite Materials at the University of Sydney. In September he is beginning a PhD program within the Media Laboratory of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Smart Materials and nanotechnology. He sidelines as an activist in transport and environmental sustainability issues and is an advocate of the role of engineers and scientists in public debate. Saul's latest projects include directorship of a company commercialising patent technology in recycled composites. As part of the generation who have suffered the trauma of weening their parents onto ATM machines and the internet he is working to address the limitations of the current interfaces between the real and digital worlds specialising in the relationships between materials and information. His greatest fears include defining himself in a late 20th century media-byte. Alf Conlon enjoyed being an undergraduate at UNSW so much, he stayed as one for most of a decade, interspersing studies in information systems, philosophy and cognitive science with work for a variety of publishing and technology companies in the US and Australia. He currently mixes producing interactive media products with consulting to Australian businesses on the implications and possibilities of new media technologies. Whilst in no doubt that we are in the midst of the information revolution, Alf remains sceptical of both utopian and apocalyptic visions of the future. He has stopped holding his breath waiting for a new technology to be as useful or innovative as its marketing would have you believe, and aspires to having more time to pursue interests in human computer interactions, artificial intelligence and robotics.   Alf Conlon, Paul Willis and Saul Griffiths, our presenters in SciPub 7.   Alf, Paul and Saul singing the Cyborg's song. Paul then takes some time out to reflect on what he's got himself into, while Saul, undeterred, launches into his next argument!   SciPub is held the last Wednesday of the month in the Duke of Edinburgh pub, 152 Harris Street, Pyrmont, 2009 from 7-9pm. Telephone (02) 9660 8146. UBD Map ref pg235 P10. Park at Star City if coming by car. For further information on `Science in the Pub' please contact Robyn Stutchbury on rstutch@ozemail.com.au of Peripatus Productions Pty Limited, 1 Carisbrook Street, Lane Cove 2066, Tel: 02 9427 6747, Fax: 02 9418 9605 Next Science in the Pub session, 26 August 1998 The Future Drinkers! Dr Tim Flannery
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