How does a democratic society both nurture and regulate fast-evolving technologies poised to radically alter life? How can we find a balance between those two imperatives?

Future Tense, a partnership of Arizona State University, the New America Foundation, and Slate magazine, is convening a number of leading scientists, Internet thinkers, governance experts, and science fiction writers this week to grapple with the challenge of governing an unchartered future.

The event is being held at Google DC on Thursday and Friday, February 3rd and 4th. IEET Managing Director Mike Treder is attending and will provide live-blog coverage for our readers.

Among the speakers on a crowded agenda are George Church, Francis Fukuyama, Robert Sawyer, Neal Stephenson, Bruce Sterling, Robert Wright, and many others.