JMS at Mars Soc. Con Aug 14-16; Boulder CO

[Jan]

You were there? I'm jealous!!!

I almost didn't, since originally the admission was almost as much as the plane fare and even I have limits when it comes to indulging myself. Near the last minute that I could have booked, they came up with a really inexpensive pass for the Religion and Space track so I went after all.

Typical. So I gather it was more a presentation of POVs, and there wasn't much discussion at all.

A couple of them did follow instructions and ask for clarification/expansion on points made. One of the religious (I'd have to check my notes as to who) did seem to want to engage JMS...perhaps a bit confrontationally. Me, I'd've loved to see him talk to the Jesuit from the Vatican observatory. He had the most personality, I thought. They'd've been a lot of fun to see exchanging views.

Jan

[mandragora]

One of the religious (I'd have to check my notes as to who) did seem to want to engage JMS...perhaps a bit confrontationally.

Yeah, well, he did say he wanted to start bar fights

According to the newsgroup post "No diety in any religion is better than the average person". I can see why the religious side would be a bit confrontational about that

[Jan]

Yeah, and if even one prophet had slipped in E=MC2 with the note that eventually it'd make sense, JMS'd be on board but none of them seemed to know any more than what their contemporaries knew.

One part I liked a lot was what he said about having a problem with 'original sin'. There was more to it but the example he used was that if your child burns his hand on a hot stove after you've told him not to touch it, do you throw him out of the house or let him learn from his mistakes?

This post says pretty much what he said about original sin at the con

Jan

[mandragora]

I agree; I also have my problems with the "original sin". I'd be very interested in what the religious people had to say in response. Also how they handled JMS' peculiar branch of atheism in which the universe speaks. Pity all of the religious folks represented Christian branches.

What was that bit concerning rumours about a Mars colony TV project? This doesn't sound like the one he mentioned on SDCC; might that be "the Group's" mysterious project, or do you think yet another one might be on the way?

[Jan]

What was that bit concerning rumours about a Mars colony TV project? This doesn't sound like the one he mentioned on SDCC; might that be "the Group's" mysterious project, or do you think yet another one might be on the way?

No idea. Whatever it was, it must have been in his Friday session.

Jan

[mandragora]

Lots of pics from the convention:

http://freemars.org/mnfan/MarsSociety/2008/Mars-Soc-Conf-2008/index-fri.html

[mandragora]

I think I may have found some information on the mars colony TV project JMS mentionend:

There might be a green light in the red planet's future.

AMC is looking to outer space as it beefs up its slate, developing a series project with writer/executive producer Jonathan Hensleigh based on the sci-fi novel "Red Mars."

"Mars," a 1992 novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, chronicles the inhabitants of the first human colony on the planet. Hensleigh ("Armageddon") is the writer and will executive produce alongside Michael Jaffe and Howard Braunstein of Jaffe Braunstein Entertainment ("The Memory Keeper's Daughter") and Vince Gerardis, Ralph Vicinanza and Eli Kirschner of Created By ("Jumper").

complete article: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...edd888ec498d8a

Interesting, though no involvement of JMS himself, it seems.