10 Cool me Convention Sessions on Sept 16

The Forrest Four-Cast: Sept 15, 2017

Saturday marks the second day of the me Convention in Frankfurt, which is co-produced by Mercedes-Benz and SXSW. Ten sessions that I am particularly excited about for September 16 are as follows:

1. Brain Computer Interfaces: Separating Fact From Fiction. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are among the Silicon Valley moguls who have recently committed funding to projects or entire new companies devoted to brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). A panel of industry experts tackle the challenges as well as the rewards of these many new projects.
2. Curating in the 21st Century. For the me Convention’s Saturday keynote address, Serpentine Galleries artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist will address the cultural phenomenon of curating and how it is a creative act that entails so much more than simply choosing. Taking a brief history of contemporary art curating as a jumping off point, Obrist will explain how everything is and can be curated, from architecture and philosophy to ecology and technology
3. Designing the Future. Join this candid discussion about the challenges and opportunities we face ahead, and how design must evolve from focusing on beautification to becoming a core strategy of innovation. Discover how design can be a powerful tool in regards to sustainability, Internet of Things, and Design Automation moving forward. With Hartmut Esslinger and Moira Gunn.
4. Design Thinking to Save Lives. In this interactive workshop you will learn and apply the principles of humanitarian design to create real things that reduce suffering and save lives. This intense workshop is led by the founders of Outside, a new kind of design agency focused entirely on social good, who have launched award-winning humanitarian design projects with Google, United Nations, and others
5. Leadership in the Age of Neuro-Capitalism. We are witnessing the beginning of neurocapitalism, which focuses on the continuous self-optimization of the individual. This is paralleled by increasingly blurring borders between the real and the artificial, between humans and machines. These developments considerably influence the nature of work in organizations. Miriam Meckel leads a session that is focused on how leaders and followers can adapt to this new reality.
6. Museums at the Cutting Edge: Changing Definitions of Space & Time. As digital and physical experiences fuse, the lines between curator and audience blur. Will museums continue their trajectory into other markets? How and where will content be consumed? Contemporary definitions of time and space are shifting. In a sense, digitization turns our entire world into a potential museum, with opportunities for engagement and education at every corner. What are the implication of this warping of space-time definitions, and how can it be put to use in different sectors and to new and unique ends?
7. Recruiting the Skills Required for the 21st Century. What resources are available to companies and workers to help them adapt to this new environment? How can AI improve efficiency and decision-making, and reduce unconscious bias? What are the favorable characteristics, and what are the rewards? How important is an educational program in the quest to find and keep hold of talent?
8. The Renaissance of Our Species. The co-founder of the Cyborg Foundation, Neil Harbisson (pictured above) had an antenna implanted onto his on head 13 years ago. In this solo presentation, he will cover his expanded concept of reality and his vision of cyborg rights.
9. Spaces That Perform Themselves. This talk seeks to contribute a novel perspective of leveraging technology, science and art to provide a setting to enrich and augment the way we relate with the built environment and non-human agents. The objective is to enhance our perception and challenge models of thinking by presenting a post-humanistic phenomenological encounter of the world.
10. Synthetic Biology: Blurring Boundaries to Create New Realities. Creating new realities by engineering advanced capabilities in plants and even in humans allows us to sculpt evolution on a radically accelerated time scale. But these new powers come with many new responsibilities. Hear from three experts in the field of synthetic biology to understand the latest research, opportunities, and give your take on the difficult questions that will shape your future.

If you are in Europe for the weekend, then come join us for the last two days at the me Convention. Badges still available via this link.

Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.

Help SXSW help the Red Cross with Hurricane Harvey relief by donating here.