Silicon Valley Comic Con 2017 Will Feature Space Exploration Zone and Programming Focused on Space Travel, the Search for Extraterrestrial Life and the Future of Humanity Outside Earth

San Jose, Calif. – Dec. 15, 2016 – With a 2017 theme of “The Future of Humanity: Where Will We Be in 2075?,” Silicon Valley Comic Con will feature space exploration on its show floor and through programming. Steve Wozniak’s pop culture and technology expo will take place April 21-23, 2017 in downtown San Jose. Pairing science with fiction, Silicon Valley Comic Con aims to inspire and entertain with celebrity appearances, science/tech discussions, film and TV screenings, panels with award-winning authors and artists, cosplay contests and more.

“Few things inspire more creativity and innovation – both from a technological and pop culture perspective – than space travel,” said Steve Wozniak. “The future of space exploration is so exciting: by 2075, will we have discovered aliens? Made private space travel affordable and commonplace? Shifted our manufacturing to space factories? Colonized Mars? Established our first Starfleet Academy? Formed a Galactic Senate?”

Participating companies include NASA, Virgin Galactic, SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) and more.

“We don’t want to spoil the surprise for attendees by giving away too many details, but our Space Exploration Zone will feature interactive displays, spaceship models, educational exhibits and more! Our goal is to celebrate the incredible innovation taking place in the field, and to inspire people about the potential for humanity outside Earth,” said Trip Hunter, CEO of Silicon Valley Comic Con. “Beyond space travel, we’ll reveal more details about the other zones and programming tracks as the show draws near.”

SVCC is proud to spotlight additional 2017 featured guests:

HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES
Princess Leia / General Organa herself, Carrie Fisher will attend Silicon Valley Comic Con!

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LUMINARIES
Director of the search for extraterrestrials at the SETI Institute in California Seth Shostak and acclaimed linguist Jessica Coon will speak at Silicon Valley Comic Con. Theoretical astrophysicist, Janna Levin will return to Silicon Valley Comic Con. At SVCC 2016, Janna Levin and a team of Caltech / LIGO Lab scientists shared their historic research that confirmed Einstein’s prediction of the existence of gravitational waves (the ringing sounds of spacetime generated by astrophysical calamities like black hole collisions).

Seth Shostak is the Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute in California. For much of his career, Seth conducted radio astronomy research on galaxies, including studies conducted using the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope. Seth has written, edited and contributed to a half dozen books, most recently “Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” and has over 400 published articles on astronomy and other topics. He also hosts the SETI Institute’s weekly science radio show, “Big Picture Science.”

Dr. Jessica Coon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Syntax and Indigenous Languages. She received her doctorate from MIT. Her research is focused on syntax and morphology, especially of understudied languages of the Americas. Most recently she was the linguist consultant for the recent blockbuster film “Arrival,” which follows a linguistics professor’s race to find a way to communicate with extraterrestrial visitors after gigantic spaceships land on Earth.

The astrophysicist and author Janna Levin (“A Madman of Dreams of Turing Machines,” “How the Universe Got Its Spots” and, most recently “Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space”) has contributed to the understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions, the sound of spacetime, and gravitational waves in the shape of space-time.