Vikingcon Part Three
Don't tell me that man doesn't belong out there. Man belongs wherever he wants to go -- and he'll do plenty well when he gets there.
-- Wernher von Braun
Sunday, August 20, 2000
One year ago: Blew a Seal
Two years ago: Rotation
Three years ago: We Choose Our Friends
Jack was up and in the shower at six thirty, when they called for him to awaken. I got to sleep a bit later.
I woked Jon up in time for his ten o'clock panel. We walked to campus, leaving H---- to follow us later.
I left Jon's panel on future science a few minutes after it started. I was out of patience for annoying butting-in by one of the audience members. Instead, I went down to the main auditorium. Dr. Tor Osborn was showing off a retinal scanning display from Microvision. Because our number was small, we could each try the thing on! A beamlet splitter makes it easy to use. It actually shines a laser right into your eye! I'd last met Tor at Norwescon in 1999.
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I wasn't in the mood for the next few panels. I bought a book in the dealers room, and sat outside, moving from this bench to that table as the spirit moved me. Being near the action but apart from it is a comfortable space for me.
At one o'clock, Science Guest of Honor Dr. Robert Forward gave an interesting speech about tethers as a method of getting to orbit. He had me convinced that this could work! It needs only real-life materials, not super science. He passed around samples of the string (kite string! really!) that will be used. A rotating tether could be used to move capsules from low earth orbit to high earth orbit, and from there to where ever you want.
The next program item was the highlight of the con for me: George Dyson on the Orion project. His father Freeman Dyson was involved in this plan for a nuclear-bomb-powered spacecraft, and lots of material has only recently been declassified. The younger Dyson is working on a book, and even had some video to show us! This was truly fascinating. Boom! Boom! Boom!
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The next item was the official closing ceremonies. Jacqueline, the con chair, was exhausted, and couldn't think of what to say. Paul Carpentier, who has chaired several Vikingcons in the past before being Fan GoH for this one, stepped up and thanked the guests, the members, the committee. After a few minutes, Jacqueline revived, and started the discussion on what went right for them and what went wrong. Many of the problems could be attributed to the college screwing up their space assignments. But there were some things that could have been done better, that weren't associated with that last-minute disaster. Publicity was lacking, over-selling of pre-reg meant less money at the door, and so on.
I actually spoke up myself, to counter Dave Cutbirth's thoughts about how more of a media emphasis would be good. There isn't anyone on the concom that craves this, in and of itself. Even Dave just wants the memberships it would bring! And I think that doing things at a convention because some mythical "other people" want it is the road to perdition for a convention.
Finally, after everyone had said their say, it was time to break down the convention. H--- and I helped some at Arnsen, moving furniture, picking up trash, and taking down signs. Then Jack needed someone to be in the ops office, while the woman who was stationed there brought her truck back to the first place. So I volunteered for this; H---- and I walked back across campus for the last time.
There I was, finally volunteering! I manned the phone and radio, and handed out t-shirts to the volunteers who had earned them. I was amused but concerned to get a call from Jack -- the janitors at the other building wanted him to clean the bathrooms! We finally got a hold of the college liason, who confirmed that this task was not a normal part of renting the space.
Finally he was freed, and able to come back to Buchanan Towers, where the valhalla party would be. (Valhalla, rather than the normal "dead dog", because of the viking connection.) Jack still wanted to let off steam! So H---- and I walked home, and left him to party. I was asleep, but woke up for a few minutes when he turned up at midnight or so. Highlight of the party for Jack: playing foozball!
