The Digital Science team is getting ready to head off to San Francisco for the annual Science Foo Camp. This is a remarkable gathering of scientists, thinkers, technologists, creators and communicators, who come together over three days in mid-July.

‘Sci Foo’, as it’s affectionately known, is unlike any other science conference. Hosted by ‘X’ (formerly “Google X”), it is an ‘unconference’ with no fixed agenda, and is co-organized by Google, O’Reilly Media, Digital Science and Nature.

Since the first event in 2006, Sci Foo has aimed to do things differently – 18 years later it retains that original spirit and continues to attract some of the most prolific players on the world stage. Indeed, the British astrophysicist Lord Martin Rees has called Sci Foo the ‘Woodstock of the Mind’.

Forging an environment of openness and collaboration, attendees are encouraged to connect and share ideas with those around them. The schedule includes the always popular lightning talks but discourages keynotes and corporate overviews – and is dominated by unconference sessions that are proposed and organised by the attendees themselves. This format allows for unparalleled diversity of disciplines and thinking, with a rich seam of discussion, debate and insights running through the event. Conversations are encouraged to continue over mealtimes and into the evening.

As one of the organizers, Digital Science is especially excited for Sci Foo 2023. With around 250 attendees, we have also provided travel support to a number of early-career scientists from South Africa, Ecuador, Brunei and other countries and we are looking forward to the energy they will bring to what promises to be a fantastic Sci Foo.

We would also like to thank our co-organizers including  Tim O’Reilly and Marsee Henon from O’Reilly Media; Raiya Kind and Laurie Wu from Google; Magdalena Skipper of Springer Nature; and Sci Foo veteran Cat Allman, as well as the many volunteers from across all these organisations – it would not be possible without them. 

If you want to know more about Sci Foo 2023 including who’s there and what’s trending, please look out for online chat about the event via the official hashtag #SciFoo and discussion on Twitter and LinkedIn from the Digital Science team.

About the Author

Amarjit Myers, Head of Strategic Events | Digital Science

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Sci Foo, as it’s known, is an “unconference” with no fixed agenda, and brings together researchers, innovators, technologists, communicators and policy makers from around the world who are doing groundbreaking work in diverse areas of science and technology. Attendance is by invitation only.

Since the first event in 2006, Sci Foo has aimed to do things differently. Tim O’Reilly, of O’Reilly Media, had created a format to bring together thinkers from different fields in the Friends of O’Reilly (FOO) Camp format, but it was Linda Stone who suggested that Timo Hannay (of Nature), Chris DiBona (of Google) and Tim should come together in creating a camp that brought computer scientists together with researchers and technologists.

From Digital Science, I as Head of Strategic Events and our CEO Daniel Hook are co-organisers of the event, along with Cat Allman at Google, Tim O’Reilly and Marsee Henon from O’Reilly, and Magdalena Skipper from Nature. We are ably assisted by many stalwart colleagues from across all four collaborators, who freely give their own time to support the event each year.

The topics of discussion are truly wide-ranging, and include: climate, medicine and disease, machine learning, AI, food systems, astrophysics, sustainability, neuroscience, digital society, and the various health, social, political, technological and economic impacts of the pandemic. No matter what area is being discussed, this diverse group brings a unique level of insight and expertise to the discussion, often sparking new thinking and ideas that can help to drive each individual to continue their work with renewed passion.

At Sci Foo 2022, we’re looking forward to many conversations, “lightning talks” and catching up with our fellow organisers and attendees, old and new. For those attendees unable to attend in person, there will be opportunities to join some sessions virtually. It’s our first ‘hybrid’ event, and if successful we hope to continue with this approach.

To understand more about Sci Foo, see this video from 2018 in which we asked a number of scientists what the future might hold. You can also read about past events, such as Sci Foo 2018, 2019, or the virtual Sci Foo 2021.

If you’re lucky enough to be attending this year’s event, please don’t hesitate to say hi to our Sci Foo crew, including Daniel, Amarjit, Suze Kundu from Dimensions L&C, Steve Scott, Leslie McIntosh from Ripeta, and John Hammersley and Jessica Lawshe from Overleaf.

Look out for online chat about the event via the official hashtag #scifoo and discussion on Twitter and LinkedIn from the Digital Science team.

About the Author

Amarjit Myers is Head of Strategic Events at Digital Science.

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Lying on the table in front of us lies an actual woolly mammoth tooth, while across the room is a human heart stripped from cells. Meanwhile a huddle of people thoroughly inspects a rat brain model. It’s a scene typical of the many wondrous curiosities on offer at the annual Sci Foo ‘unconference’, an idiosyncratic event that is both lightly structured and informal.

Part of a wider range of events collectively known as Foo Camps, this three-day science themed gathering hosts researchers, writers, educators, artists, policy makers, investors, and other thought-leaders from across the globe. This year is no different, and marks the biggest since its inception in 2006, with more than 350 invited attendees.

 Co-organised by Google, O’Reilly Media, and Digital Science, with support from Nature, for a successive year at the secretive ‘X’ (formerly Google X) – home to Google’s self-driving car and other major technological innovations – the event has no predefined agenda. Instead, the ‘unconference’ style means that the attendees create their own weekend schedule of suggested talks on the first night of the meeting.

An apt description of #SciFoo from another conversation today: “it’s like a bunch of nice nerds” pic.twitter.com/0wWMk0f2cA

— Daniel Kim (@ProfDanielKim) July 14, 2019

Watching the encouraging mayhem ensue as hundreds of leading thinkers in their fields crowd around a board clutching their Post-It scribbled session proposals is both infectious and endearing. It epitomises the willingness and hunger to share and learn from each other, as well as collaborate on ideas at Sci Foo.

 As a result, the breadth and diversity of sessions is staggering and fascinating. The session clashes are endless and that’s before you take into account the two one hour-long sessions of lightning talks kicking off both Saturday and Sunday’s events.

I wasn’t going to do a sex robot session at #scifoo but then I did, last minute, and it was lovely and we played Exquisite Corpses and designed new sex robots. Thank you, everyone who came along.

— Kate Devlin (@drkatedevlin) July 14, 2019

Tip for #scifoo attendees:
take a tour of the 3D printing lab downstairs and they'll give you a 3D printed catapult! pic.twitter.com/G6NyjSW7Og

— Brian Skinner (@gravity_levity) July 13, 2019

Showing off the power of planetarium software and data at #SciFoo @OpenSpaceProj @AMNH Other astronomers here are welcome to use my laptop in the inflatable planetarium and I can do another session on @ESAGaia stories later tonight or tomorrow! https://t.co/F9yPvwOHK9

— Jackie Faherty (@jfaherty) July 14, 2019

Trying to summarise what goes on in the lively sessions and picking highlights is near impossible. A taster of session subjects among many others includes: ‘the neural basis of consciousness’, ‘fully automated luxury feminism’, ‘climate change – where are we going?’ ‘changing perspectives on Africa with science’, ‘what is the scientific journal of tomorrow?’ ‘social media for social good’, ‘making new materials’, ‘decolonising science – how do we know what we know?’

#scifoo : one of the rare scientific meetings I’ve been to where it is completely on-topic to walk over to a fellow attendee you see knitting and bond over shared needlework practices. #IMissCrochet pic.twitter.com/Uth9Y9YcRT

— Clifford Johnson (@asymptotia) July 16, 2019

Sketches of #scifoo pic.twitter.com/EWh7uTluit

— Alex Cagan (@ATJCagan) July 14, 2019

Attendees are encouraged to take part in sessions completely outside their fields of expertise and are given the freedom to roam between them. This often leads to engaged debates and conversations within a multidisciplinary group of individuals, who may not usually have the opportunity to meet people from outside their own narrow field of research. The Sci Foo ethos is very much aligned with the ‘Pac-Man mentality’ (leave an open ‘wedge’ in a group conversation so others can join in easily), which is noticeable throughout both sessions and while dining in Google’s famed micro-kitchens and canteen. 

https://twitter.com/AnaMaHidal/status/1150102943103889413

https://twitter.com/seis_matters/status/1150554956186783744

Favorite #scifoo talk of the morning: @carousopeck on zebra finches, song learning, and high-speed camera video to understand gestures… but with her audio not working, she deftly recovers by performing the bird sounds on the mic for us #presentationgoals

— Ben Fry (@ben_fry) July 14, 2019

The coolest thing I've seen in ages! Portable, handheld, low cost, diy ultrasound. Amazing. #scifoo https://t.co/BtmbsX3tGQ

— Dr. Nina Dudnik (@Nina_Dudnik) July 13, 2019

Dr Amelia A Lake, a reader in public health nutrition at Teeside University, sums up the spirit of SciFoo in a great roundup – ‘Be inclusive, be kind, be curious and talk to people from as many diverse fields as possible.’ While Dr Michelle Rodrigues, a biological anthropologist, brilliantly talks about failure in science and experiencing something different at the event – ‘(Sci Foo) had the peculiar effect of almost eliminating the normal forms of gatekeeping and hierarchy academia has taught me to expect as normal.’ Neuroscientist and photographer Bryan Jones captured some as ever incredible photos and as a research physicist-turned-writer Laurie Winkless concisely put it two years ago in an entertaining roundup – ‘everyone experiences a different Sci Foo, and that is really, really special.’

Sci Foo helps foster collaboration between scientists and thinkers from different disciplines, encourages curiosity and learning, and looks to help establish new and lasting friendships. There was enough evidence on show to suggest it achieved all of these – and long may it continue.

Rocking my #scifoo shirt today! The effects of the meeting still with me. Inspired by attendees’ bold, impactful, creative visions. pic.twitter.com/pSfAlpkKxJ

— Prachee Avasthi (@PracheeAC) July 20, 2019

I had the most amazing time at #scifoo this weekend! I learned SO much and met SO many interesting people. Many thanks to all! The generosity of ideas, insight and collaboration was truly appreciated. Hope that the discussions continue and the friendships evolve! Safe travels! pic.twitter.com/8RcwY9WS0k

— Juleen R. Zierath (@JuleenRZierath) July 14, 2019

Final #scifoo announcement of the conference: “a speaker has left a bottle of lubricant here.”
For once it wasn’t me.

— Kate Devlin (@drkatedevlin) July 14, 2019

#Scifoo was amazing. Many conferences promise interdisciplinarity and fun, but wow, this one really delivered both. I loved every session and conversation I had! And much thanks to everyone who came to my session on machine learning interpretability! So many sparks.

— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) July 14, 2019

Thankful to the organizers and attendees of @#scifoo @#scifoo19 for the most extraordinary meeting of human minds and motives that I've ever attended. I'm excited by the collaborations arising — and friendships nucleated — at SciFoo. More to come. pic.twitter.com/5KSfJ5irl5

— Louis Metzger, PhD (@LouisMetzger_) July 15, 2019

Thank you and bye @catallman @Marsee @cdibona @timoreilly @GoogleX_ @OReillyMedia for having us after a fantastic #scifoo from the @digitalsci gang pic.twitter.com/VgjABHjGa7

— marjmyers (@marjmyers) July 15, 2019

The post Sci Foo 2019 – A weekend of ideas and collaboration appeared first on Digital Science.

The team in 2018

The Digital Science team are getting ready to attend the annual Science Foo Camp taking place at X in California this weekend.

Sci Foo is organised by Google, O’Reilly and Digital Science, with support from Nature. Each year, it brings together over 300 people from around the world who are doing groundbreaking work in diverse areas of science and technology.

The event is by invitation only and includes researchers, technologists, writers, educators, artists, policy makers, investors and other thought leaders for a weekend of open discussion, demonstration and debate.

To understand more about the event, read our blog post on the 2018 event here, and view our lovely film in which we interview a number of attendees. Look out for online chat about the event via the official hashtag  #scifoo and tweets from the @digitalsci team.

The post We Are Getting Ready for SciFoo! appeared first on Digital Science.

From its inception in 2006, Sci Foo has always been hosted at Google’s famed headquarters: the Googleplex. However, for this year’s event, a larger Google venue — the secretive “X” (formerly “Google X”) — played host to more than 300 attendees, who made up the largest invite list in Sci Foo’s history. The halls of X, home of many ambitious “moonshots” like self-driving cars and Internet balloons, served as an inspiring backdrop for Sci Foo attendees.

Sci Foo is not your traditional scientific conference. The schedule, which is sprinkled with keynotes, lightning talks, and meal times, is otherwise open to be filled up with “unconference” sessions that the attendees themselves organize and run. Attendees are free to rove from session-to-session, and choose whichever ones grab their curiosity. Unconference sessions are by their nature unconstrained and may take the form of discussions, debates, or lectures. But the most successful and exciting sessions are always the ones that demand interactivity, and active participation from attendees of diverse backgrounds.

Part of the enduring appeal of Sci Foo is its ability to stimulate creative intellectual energy within a multidisciplinary group of individuals, who might not ordinarily have many opportunities to meet, socialize, share expertise, or discuss areas of mutual interest with each other. As in past years, this year’s sessions were incredibly far-ranging and diverse in their content. From mental health and mind reading to living off-world, attendees had a dizzying array of fascinating sessions to choose from.

This year, we were able to make a short film at SciFoo taking advantage of the great mixture of people attending. We asked a small group of them what changes we might see over the next 50 years – their answers were fascinating. 

Despite having no fixed programme and no constraints on format, many themes did manage to emerge from the various unconference sessions and lightning talks. Understanding (and optimizing) human well-being and productivity came up twice in lightning talks, with two speakers covering the science of happiness (Laurie Santos of Yale University) and the science of success (Dashun Wang of Northwestern University). Medicine also featured prominently throughout the three days of Sci Foo: Liz Wayne (UNC-Chapel Hill) gave a brilliant lightning talk about hacking immune cells for drug delivery, and there were also animated discussions about the coming superbug apocalypse (a session led by Paula Salgado of Newcastle University and Kara Hoover of the University of Alaska Fairbanks), new techniques for the early detection of cancer (a session led by Daniel Kim of University of California, Santa Cruz), and an innovative game that may improve recovery in stroke patients (a session led by John Krakauer of Johns Hopkins Medical School).

The relationship of human and machine came up not just in recurring conversations about AI but in a fascinating reframing by Bertolt Meyer (Chemnitz University of Technology). His lightning talk “Disabled or Cyborg?” highlighted how attitudes towards human augmentation vary depending on our perception of the competence and the intentions of those being augmented. A disabled person with a robotic prosthesis evokes a very different response than an augmented soldier or athlete, yet as prosthetics improve, a former disability may effectively give humans superpowers.

Sustainability and the interaction of nature with technology were important themes that wove through many sessions: for instance, Natsai Audrey Chieza (Faber Futures) ran a session about how biotechnology could help build a sustainable future and Eben Bayer (Ecovative) used his lightning talk to focus on the potential of “microbial cyborgs” for converting ordinary chemicals into useful compounds. Additionally, notable science-fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson examined factors that would help humankind have “a good anthropocene”, while Thomas Culhane from National Geographic demonstrated how “biodigesters” fed with kitchen waste could help humans live off-grid in a fully self-sufficient way.

Remarkable new understandings about the role of climate events in the fall of Rome and the collapse of ancient Aegean civilizations were highlighted in a lightning talk by Malcolm Wiener (The Institute for Aegean Prehistory), and an unconference session by Malcolm Wiener and Michael McCormick (the Harvard Initiative for the Science of the Human Past.) The past provides urgent warnings about the way that climate events, mass migrations, pandemics, and bad political decisions can come together with catastrophic results.

The intersection of music and science communication took centre stage at various points at Sci Foo. Elodie Chabrol (Pint of Science) hosted a fantastic session on best practices of science communication, which was summarized in rap form by science rapper Baba Brinkman; Baba also delighted attendees in a separate session with his rhymes about evolution and consciousness. Felix Rundel and Matyas Kovacs of Falling Walls also channelled the content of scientific books and articles through an impromptu underground rave scene, set to Berlin-style techno house music.

Many talks and sessions captured the political zeitgeist of the day. The topics of fake news, social media, and data privacy came up frequently: research about fake news featured prominently in an unconference session and lightning talk by David Rand (Yale University), and the polarization of behaviour by social media was discussed in a session led by Bertolt Meyer (Chemnitz University of Technology). Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter (UC Berkeley) also led a discussion about how we might build and adjust our own “news diets”, given that news pulls the levers on society’s behaviours and world views. On the final day of Sci Foo, Kate Clancy (University of Illinois) and Leslie Vosshall (Rockefeller University) also channelled the spirit of the #MeToo movement into their energetic, inspirational unconference session called “#ScienceToo”.

During this eclectic event, the most rewarding thing that one can ever hear an attendee say is, “I’ve never thought of things that way before”. By bringing a wide range of experts together, Sci Foo is able to foster collaboration between scientists and thinkers from different disciplines, encourage curiosity and learning, as well as help to establish new and lasting friendships. At the heart of this yearly event is an enduring hope — hope that, through collaboration, we can build a better future together.

Special thanks to the many “scribes” from Digital Science and the X team who helped to take notes on the sessions that were featured in this blog post. Did you know? Previous attendees recommend peers to attend Sci Foo, so if you do receive an invitation for next year’s Sci Foo, it means that someone has read, seen, and appreciated your work!

About the Author

Jean Liu is Head of Product (Altmetric) and was a Camp Counsellor at Sci Foo. Jean joined Altmetric in 2012, initially as the data curator and blog editor. She is responsible for understanding the needs of Altmetric’s users, shaping the roadmap, and working with the development team to deliver great software. Jean holds a Master’s degree in Neuroscience and Pharmacology.

The post Changing the World, One Weekend at a Time appeared first on Digital Science.

Beyond a place, a paradigm;

A confluence, a new frontier,

Where science breaks the bonds of fear.

Across the ancient steppes of sheep:

A city that we wake from sleep;

Their gratitude we now endear,

Where science breaks the bonds of fear.

With every new idea expressed

A niggling voice is laid to rest;

“But why were you invited here”

Where science breaks the bonds of fear.

A valley in the sands of time,

Where science breaks the bonds of fear.

This is a Kyrielle Sonnet, inspired by my recent trip to SciFoo. SciFoo is an event that is organized by Digital Science, O’Reilly Media, and Google Inc., and takes place annually at the Googleplex campus in Silicon Valley.

SciFoo is basically a get together of some of the most brilliant scientific minds on the planet to discuss their research, plan new collaborations, and run interactive workshops; it is also an opportunity to meet the analogue version of social media handles that you follow and interact with digitally.

Given that there was at least one Nobel Laureate and several millionaire tech geniuses in attendance, I can be forgiven a slight sense of self-doubt in regards to my own invitation. However, it was a really productive and inspiring experience, and listening to so many brilliant people talk about their research and talking to them about mine has given me enough ideas to be working on for the next half decade or so! It is very difficult to pick a single highlight of the event, but the research presented by Michael Frachetti into modelling the flow of sheep to uncover a hidden city on Asia’s ancient Silk Roads was a textbook example of the power of true interdisciplinary research.

To find out more about SciFoo, here is an excellent write-up of the event by Laurie Winkless.

An audio version of the poem can be heard here.

Dr Sam Illingworth is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research is concerned with trying to engage and empower people with science, especially those without a voice. He writes science poems to try and communicate some of the beautiful and important scientific research that is being done on a daily basis, all across the world.

You can hear Sam discuss how science communication can be beneficial to both scientist and society, and speaks about his recent research in trying to establish genuine two-way dialogue between experts and non-experts in our Digital Science podcast. 

This post was cross-posted from here. 

The post A Collective Noun for Science #SciFoo 2017 appeared first on Digital Science.

When asked to describe his favourite moments, Nicko Goncharoff, Head of Knowledge Discovery at Digital Science, had this to say:

“Listening to Alan Eustace describe setting the all-time record for highest parachute jump (135,000 ft); joining cosmologists (including Martin Rees) and astronomers and physicists to discuss proving/disproving the multiverse; watching biologists tangle over the viability of genetic longevity treatments; but perhaps best of all, attending a discussion on women in science and realising that rather than focus on whether pregnancy and motherhood should harm careers, we need to look at life-work balance as a whole, and strive for a society where it’s accepted that everyone needs breaks for illness, caring for others, maintaining sanity and yes, even parenting! And of course some of the best conversations over dinner and drinks one could hope for!”

Lisa Hulme, Communications VP at Digital Science, echoed this, saying,

“So many highlights, so many fascinating, smart and genuinely funny people! One session, run by Julia Shaw was all about false memory, cue lots of jokes from people all weekend, about if we’d even remember who we met or what went on there!”

We’re already super excited for Sci Foo 2016! You never know, if you’re really lucky you may get a golden ticket.

The post Sci Foo 2015: The Multiverse, Genetics, Workplace Equality, False Memories and More! appeared first on Digital Science.

Sci Foo is a unique, innovative and interdisciplinary science conference jointly hosted by Digital Science, O’Reilly Media, Nature Publishing Group and Google. It brings together all sorts of people doing all sorts of groundbreaking work in diverse areas of science and technology.

The conference is based on O’Reilly Media’s Foo Camp (“Foo” = “Friends of O’Reilly”) which originated in 2003 and it follows the same “unconference” format. There is no predefined agenda, instead the attendees create one collaboratively, with little, if any, constraints on what can be discussed.

Timo Hannay described Sci Foo in the following way:

“Sci Foo is a classic example of something that doesn’t work in theory, only in practice.  The format sounds chaotic, and in some ways it is.  But it turns out that clever, engaged people don’t need keynote speakers, or even a schedule, to tell them what to talk about.  The subjects that come up constantly surprise and delight us, and finding out what the Sci Foo campers will come up with is always one of the highlights of my year.”

Sci Foo has gained cult status among those with a passion for science and technology. Sci Foo Camper Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, remarked,

“Well I suppose it’s what you call a happening or a sort of mini Woodstock of the Mind as it were, and what I learnt from this is exciting developments in a whole range of subjects, particularly from people whom one doesn’t normally encounter. I think it’s very important to realize that intellectual activity is not just what one’s academics do, it’s what many other people do.”

#SciFoo

The post We’re at Sci Foo 2015 This Week! appeared first on Digital Science.

Many thanks to John again for his coverage of this year’s event.

The post Reflecting on this year’s Sci Foo appeared first on Digital Science.

The event is now in its sixth year, an unconference that brings together 200-300 leading scientists, writers, and hackers each summer at Google’s headquarters all linked together by an interest in science.

The concept of “Foo” originated in 2003, as an experiment by Tim O’Reilly and his colleagues to bring together 200+ “Friends of O’Reilly” Media (which is where the “Foo” in Science “Foo” Camp comes from). He let them create the agenda from start to finish, putting little if any boundaries to what can be discussed.

The results were astounding, redefining the way we think of cross-disciplinary collaborations today and challenging one’s conventional idea of a “conference”. In 2006, O’Reilly paired up with Nature Publishing Group (and now, Digital Science) and Google to hold the first Science Foo Camp (now known as “Sci Foo”), inviting over 200 leading scientists, technologists, writers and other thought-leaders to gather at the Googleplex for a weekend of unbridled discussion, demonstration and debate.

Timo and I are delighted to join the folks at Google and O’Reilly on the organising committee, representing Digital Science and our sister company NPG – where Timo used to run the online division. Sci Foo kicks off tonight, wrapping up this Sunday, and we’re off to Mountain View. Timo and I will also be joined by our Head of Text Mining, Nicko Goncharoff, and Jonathan Gross – founder of BioData, one of our portfolio companies.

The event may be invitation-only, but keep an eye out online for chatter about the event. The official hashtag is #scifoo and we’ll be doing our best to tweet at @timohannay, @kaitlin-thaney, @digitalsci. You can also check out some of the video coverage from our 2009 and 2010 events put together by our Nature video colleagues, Adam Rutherford and Charlotte Stoddard.

And an enormous thank you to our co-organisers Tim O’Reilly and Sara Winge from O’Reilly Media and Cat Allman and Chris Dibona from Google. The event would not be possible without their help.

Are you attending this year’s event? Do come say hello to Timo and myself. We look forward to seeing you there.

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