All the audio and most of the slides from the IEET’s December 4, 2009, seminar on the “Biopolitics of Popular Culture” are now available online.

Mike Treder, IEET managing director
Opening remarks

J. Hughes, IEET executive director
“Is There a Pro-Mutant Trend in Popular Culture?”

Alex Lightman, executive director, Humanity Plus
“The Future Engine: How Science Fiction Catalyzes Technology and Transforms Society”

Kristi Scott, IEET intern
“Constructing the Future through the Cinematic Lens of Dystopic Science Fiction Futures”

Richard Eskow, writer/blogger, consultant, executive
“Zero-Sum Superheroes:  Can Transhumanism Overcome 30 Centuries of Bad PR?”

P.J. Manney, writer for television and film
“How Yucky Got Yummy: The Evolution of Empathy in SF”

Linda MacDonald Glenn, IEET fellow, attorney, bioethicist
“Law and Order: BPU (BioPolitical Unit)”

Moderated group discussion
“Immersion: The Coming Fusion of Life and Entertainment”
Natasha Vita-More, media artist/designer and theorist
Jeannie Novak, founder of Indiespace
Matthew Patrick, director of feature films and TV movies
Michael Masucci, writer, producer, director, photographer, editor, musician

Edward Miller, Network for Open Scientific Innovation
“Beyond Utopia and Dystopia: A Critical Examination of the Ecology of Science Fiction”

Michael LaTorra, New Mexico State University
“The Ultimate City: Urban and Rural Values in Science Fiction”

Jess Nevins, expert on comic book culture
“Those Who Cannot Remember Doc Savage Are Condemned to Repeat Him”

David Brin, best-selling author
“Myths That Help the Enlightenment … and Others That Tear It Down”

Brian Cross, co-founder of Posthuman Studios
“Talking Transhumanism at the Table: Designing Games for Non-Transhumanist Audiences”

Annalee Newitz, editor of i09
“Will Mind-Controlled, Genetically-Engineered Sexbots Want to Play Videogames?”

Jamais Cascio, IEET Senior Fellow
Closing remarks