DARPA to explore possible futures at “Wait, What?” forum

On June 9, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) opened general registration for what it is calling an “extraordinary” meeting: “Wait, What? A Future Technology Forum,” to be held September 9th through 11th in St. Louis, MO.

“Wait, What?” will offer a mix of fast-paced presentations, interactive discussion sessions and in-depth demonstrations focused on some of the most consequential and dynamic scientific and technological fields today, to consider the capabilities those fields could enable and the myriad implications of those capabilities for society and national security. “Wait, What?” is for forward-thinking scientists, engineers and other innovators interested in sharing ideas with some of today’s most inventive individuals working on cold atoms, live brains, small satellites, complex systems, human and artificial intelligence, and the topology of big data, among other topics.

Many innovators today are pursuing extraordinary questions and opportunities not only in specialized disciplines but also in the rich intellectual and technical environments where fields are merging. As the federal R&D agency tasked with preventing and fomenting strategic technological surprise, DARPA has organized “Wait, What?” to explore anticipated advances across a spectrum of domains through the lens of national and global security—to reveal potentially attractive avenues of technological pursuit and to catalyze new conversations among participants.

“New research and technology will fundamentally change what’s possible in the years ahead,” said DARPA Director Arati Prabhakar. “At ’Wait, What?’ a wide range of creative scientists and engineers will share their technical insights and explore our possible futures.”

Public online registration for “Wait, What?” started this week and is available at www.darpawaitwhat.com.

Source: DARPA