As culture and social mores have changed, our ideas about what the future will look like also have changed. This panel would discuss how authors of different eras portrayed the future as they understood it—and all the many ways that their visions seem quaint and funny now (for instance, smoking indoors or at work; reading paper newspapers on a space station; searching for a phone booth, or others).

Synthetic biology can completely change how we live. From no longer needing animals to produce fabrics or food for us, to having plentiful supplies of medications like insulin, and new ways to produce fuels and clean our environment. What new discoveries have been recently made in this field?

With the current trend of banning books that has content certain people have issues with, how long until they start going after science fiction and fantasy books which critique social problems and those that teach them in the classroom?

AI doesn't have the greatest track record in science fiction...

While the technology developed to win the Space Race dramatically changed peoples' lives when it was adapted commercially, how much was really accomplished by the moon landings other than abandoning some really expensive machinery there? Well into the next century, we're trying to develop new technology to do it again. Realistically, can we expect anything significant from a potential moon landing?

Space & Entrepreneurship is the theme of this year's World Space Week, taking place October 4-10. What opportunities are there in space for entrepreneurship? Should this entrepreneurship only allowed to be public (world-wide) or private, as well?

Could genetically modified pets be the ultimate in adorable or just a horror movie in the making?