Lituanicon XXXVI: SPACE program for international audience

Lituanicon welcomes not only the local audience, but also our international visitors with lectures, discussions and activities held in English. Lithuanian fandom may be small, but it’s passionate and friendly – come and meet us!

📍SMK, Kalvarijų st. 137E, Vinius

📅 October 11, 11:00-21:00

Julie Nováková. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Life in the Galaxy

⌚13:00

Science fiction abounds with alien life, both as we know it and very exotic. Can we say with any certainty where we are most likely to find life and whether it would be similar to life on Earth? Let’s dive into suspected habitable environments across the Galaxy, a famous evolutionary biology dispute of particular relevance to movie and TV costumers, and our chances of finding alien life – is there any “surefire biosignature”, or would we always remain uncertain, unlike landing parties in Star Trek seeking to meet new life? Author and scientist Julie Nováková will take us on a journey across fantastical science-fictional worlds and the scientific search for habitable planets.

Julie Nováková is a Czech author, translator and editor of science fiction, a scientist and science communicator. She published several dozen short stories in English in magazines such as Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, Analog and elsewhere, and her translations of other Czech authors’ work appeared in F&SF, Tor.com (now Reactor) and other venues. Having studied evolutionary biology, she is now active in the field of astrobiology at the Faculty of Science, Charles University, and she works in science communication at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, where she has produced an educational comic book about nanotechnology, an anthology bridging physics closer to people, a science art exhibition and more. She created two science outreach anthologies for the European Astrobiology Institute: Strangest of All (2020) and Life Beyond Us (2023).

Chris Birch. Modiphius Entertainment tabletop games

⌚15:00

Chris Birch, founder of Modiphius Entertainment, will discuss working with major gaming brands such as Fallout, Skyrim, Star Trek, and Mass Effect – and how these iconic worlds are adapted into tabletop games.

Founded in 2013 by Chris Birch and Rita Birch, Modiphius has grown into a leading international publisher with offices in the UK, Madrid and Malta, emplying over 60 people. The company has raised more thatn 8 million € through Kickstarter and publishes award-winning games under licences from Paramount, Legendary, EON, Bethesda, and Bioware. 

Before Modiphius, Chris was founder and creative director of Joystick Junkies for 13 years, the fashion label that pioneered designer streetwear based on video game properties such as Atari and Space Invaders for the high street and boutique fashion market. Previously Chris ran Cruise Control, one of the UK’s first online PR agencies working with Sony Psygnosis, General Motors, Gremlin Interactive and Polaroid. He spent the 90’s  in the music business with EDM music festival Universe Tribal Gathering and Impact Talent as an international booking agent working with the likes of The Prodigy and Jamiroquai. 

Sean Raymond. How to build the ultimate Solar System

⌚17:00

With just a single habitable planet, our Solar System is a disappointment (from a science fiction perspective).  Using an understanding of celestial mechanics, Sean Raymond will explain how one could theoretically build a planetary system with far more potentially life-bearing planets.  From the ground up, we must choose the right planets, the right star(s), and, most importantly, the right orbital configuration. He will show how a wide variety of systems can remain stable, including exotic systems with hundreds of Earth-sized planets orbiting in the habitable zones of their stars. Some systems are reminiscent of the orbital configurations of planetary systems that we have discovered orbiting other stars (“exoplanets”). We can also create settings to match well-known science fiction stories, such as the planet Kalgash from Asimov’s Nightfall, on which night only falls once every 2049 years. This leads to a philosophical question: given that exotic planetary systems can remain stable for billions of years, does that mean that they should exist in nature?  And, if such an exotic planetary system were to be discovered, would it be a “technosignature” – that is, a relic engineered by an advanced civilization?

Sean Raymond is an American astrophysicist living in Bordeaux (France). He studies the formation and evolution of planetary systems. As a science fiction-loving astronomer, he enjoys blending imagination with science, and sometimes create his own planetary systems. Sometimes he evaluates the scientific validity of well-known settings from movies or books (such as Pandora, Arrakis, and more).

Discussion: Science Communication through Science Fiction

⌚18:00

Scientific discoveries and inventions are changing our world and our lives every day. At the same time, descriptions of these discoveries often remain incomprehensible to many people. This lack of understanding can sometimes lead to rejection and to the rise of various anti-scientific movements. Science communication brings the often dry scientific information closer to the public and improves this situation.

Communication can take many forms – from lectures to games, from videos to theatrical performances. It can cover both today’s scientific achievements and fantastic visions of the future – and the paths that could lead us there.

We will discuss the connections between science fiction and various forms of science communication with Lituanicon’s international guests:

  • Julie Nováková, astrobiologist and science fiction author, Charles University, Czech Republic
  • Sean Raymond, astrophysicist and science communicator, Bordeaux Observatory, France
  • Chris Birch, tabletop role-playing game designer, Modiphius Entertainment, United Kingdom

Moderator: Kastytis Zubovas, astrophysicist and science communicator.

Paul Takahashi. Drawing workshop “Dark Future Aesthetics”

⌚12:00

In order to get into this year’s Lituanicon’s cosmic theme and in the spirit of approaching Halloween, we invite you to a drawing workshop revolving around dark future and space horror aesthetics.

Paul Takahashi is a French and Canadian artist currently living in Vilnius. He works as a freelance illustrator and art teacher and conducts weekly life drawing workshops at the Void & Form studio. Paul also started his Youtube channel dedicated to drawing education and art discussions. Paul has published work for Tabletop RPGs such as Torg Eternity, Deadlands, Savage Worlds, and several upcoming games such as Time Rift, Chrono or Fleet Command Hevelius.

We hope to see you soon, at Lituanicon!