The Science Fiction Symposium, an event aimed to appeal to scientists and fans of science fiction alike, will be held at the New Dolmen Hotel, Buġibba, on July 17 and 18.
The symposium will provide a platform for academics from various disciplines and science fiction fans to meet and explore the intersection of the humanities and the sciences. It will feature presentations from national and international speakers, with the programme tailored to attract a wide audience, including science fiction readers. Contributors will be encouraged to explore and pre-sent contemporary issues in medicine, science and technology as well as philosophical, psychological and sociological issues relating to the humanities with a specific focus on and a direct correlation to science fiction.
A similar symposium focusing mainly on Star Trek was successfully held last year. It was the first of its kind to happen worldwide, organisers Victor Grech and David Zammit said, and drew participation from international scholars from several countries, including American philosopher Jason Eberl and neonatologist Neena Modi, who also chairs the British Medical Journal ethics committee. The event differed from traditional fan-based conventions usually held globally and involved serious discussion on a variety of topics related to Star Trek and medicine, science and philosophy.
This gave the organisers the impetus to organise this year’s event with a wider scope to target a broader range of science fiction. While books, films and TV series are expected to be explored during the symposium, the speakers are expected to give due prominence to popular science fiction series and movies such as Star Trek and Star Wars.
Grech and Mariella Scerri are finalising a book featuring the papers presented at last year’s Star Trek symposium. It will be published in the coming months.
The organisers hope that last year and this year’s events will lead to another bigger event next year. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary since the launch of the original Star Trek series and another symposium is planned to commemorate the occasion.
The event will be held under the auspices of a University of Malta programme that has been set up to explore and encourage the interfaces between the humanities, medicine and the sciences (HUMS). It aims to facilitate and disseminate cross-disciplinary research. Malta offers a strategic location for this kind of activity to take place, the organisers said.
“The Maltese islands have been an important meeting place for various Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean cultures throughout the ages. Maltese history is replete with cultural admixture which is an added bonus to the international scope of this symposium. Malta’s sun, beaches and summer are an added incentive for those who want to combine an academic experience with local culture, history and entertainment”, they added.
www.scifisymposium.com