Posted: January 25, 2010

SIGMA forum roundtable and keynote examines new technologies and the future at WBT2010

(Nanowerk News) WBTshowcase announced today that sci-fi think tank founder Arlan Andrews, Sr. P.E. will join seven fellow members of SIGMA on a panel session titled “The World's Best Technologies - 2010 and Beyond” on Wednesday, March 17th at WBT2010.
The panelists will review the WBT2010 presentations and technologies and peer into future potential and possibilities. WBT2010, the world's largest forum offering a prescreened, pre-prepped collection of undiscovered companies and intellectual property emanating from top universities, labs and research institutions from across the country, will take place March 15 through 17 at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel and the Arlington Convention Center.
SIGMA, a non-profit group of science fiction writers who provide pro bono futurism consulting for the Federal government and appropriate NGOs, was founded by Dr. Andrews in 1992 while working at the White House Science Office. In addition to his participation on the panel, Dr. Andrews will deliver a keynote Wednesday evening at the WBT2010 Awards Ceremony. His keynote, which will focus on science fiction, high tech, and serial entrepreneurs is titled, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future.”
Dr. Andrews is a registered Professional Engineer and professional member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and a former ASME White House Fellow in OSTP (White House Science Office). Dr. Andrews retired from Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque as Manager of the Advanced Manufacturing Initiatives Department. He then co-founded several high-tech companies, including a virtual reality software firm, Muse Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MUZE, 1998-2001), and a biotech process company, Kinetic Biosystems, Inc., now located in Durham, NC. He previously held positions at AT&T Bell Labs and White Sands Missile Range, NM. Dr. Andrews is presently Environmental Director for the U.S. Navy at Corpus Christi, Texas. He has published over 500 fiction stories, speculative fact articles, computer books and opinion pieces in 100 venues worldwide, including the first White House endorsement of nanotechnology in 1993. He holds six patents.
SIGMA members joining Dr. Andrews on the roundtable panel include accomplished American science fiction writer, essayist, and journalist Jerry Pournelle, Ph.D., FAAAS, FBIS, FRAS; Dr. Yoji Kondo, NASA astrophysicist and author who writes under pen name "Eric Kotani”; engineer, novelist, journalist and entrepreneur Wil McCarthy; Walter Jon Williams, author of The Praxis, Aristoi, and Implied Spaces; Mark O'Green, game designer, producer, and executive producer for Interplay, Sony Online, Sierra/Verant and others while working on titles such as Star Trek, Fallout, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, and Everquest; Michael Swanwick, one of the most acclaimed science fiction and fantasy writers of his generation; and Bud Sparhawk, senior vice president at Macfadden and a director of Federal IT security programs.
Dr. Andrews comments, "SIGMA is a group of creative citizens with uncommon capabilities who offer unique insights about possible future technologies, events, threats, progress, social and economic developments, including existing and future issues of national concern. We spent our literary careers exploring the future: thinking about it, writing about it, living in it. We owe it to the nation and to humankind to report on what's out there.”
About WBT2010, Dr. Andrews says, “I’m excited to see disruptive technologies and applications I’ve not thought of. I expect to be highly impressed.”
Dr. Andrews and his SIGMA colleagues will be on hand to review the 100 emerging and converging materials science, information technology, energy, life science and nanotechnology companies and technologies from across the nation who will present to a national audience of seasoned venture investors and Fortune 1000 licensing scouts.
WBT2010 is produced by Development Capital Networks in cooperation with National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF), Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) and Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA).
Source: WBTshowcase