We rolled into Santa Fe around 2pm and got settled at a KOA park. Searching for something to do, we discovered the Santa Fe Institute was hosting the annual Interplanetary Festival - focused on the challenges we face to become an interplanetary species. And yes, it was as strange as it sounds. A fantastic mix up of science, science fiction, and art.
The highlight of our visit was a chance to talk to Ed Fenimore , a high energy astrophysicist from Los Alamos. He spent his career looking at the birth of black holes and the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons (he built the detectors that tell us when a nuclear detonation happens on the planet). Wonderful to hear his personal take on the gravitational waves discovery by LIGO and the latest NASA news about organic compounds found on Mars. Ed was cheerful and animated - Charles called him “Sheldon Cooper senior” and the description fits!
It’s often said that humans have a hard time imagining how technology will impact them in the future. 50 years ago few would have forecast the smartphone and internet; giving everyone free and instant access to unlimited knowledge. This event was a great way to hear about what really smart people think our future could hold. From artificial Intelligence to digital currency to bio-engineering - it looks like we’re in for an exciting and bumpy ride!
Event page here -
Check out their video, it’s really cool! -
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