A break from the routine

I took a break from the routine this week-end. I attended a science fiction convention.

The phrase "science fiction convention" often brings up images of nerdy people walking around in costumes from television shows. The picture is accurate, but by no means complete. Yes, there were people walking around in costumes. (There was a costume contest, with prizes for the most elaborate and most popular costumes.) There were speakers presenting on various topics, from science fiction to writing to hard science. There was a vendor room with people selling books, t-shirts, jewelry, and games. There were large events including awards presentations, author readings, and interviews.

Science fiction "cons" are a gathering of people interested in science fiction. Therefore, they are gatherings of people who are well-read, intelligent, and interested in many things. At a science fiction convention, you can find people who are knowledgeable in just about any topic, from Roman engineering to rainforest biology to socio-economic trends in ancient India. (If you find two people interested in your topic, they will probably disagree. But disagree politely and with facts and arguments to support their position.)

I myself met intelligent and interesting people. As I was walking from one session to another, I chatted first with the person running the Library of Congress digital archive project, and then discussed curriculum directions with a professor of computer science at a local college.

This was a week-end well spent. I learned a lot, and contributed to discussions (I hope) in meaningful ways.