Worldcon 2019 panel notes: Saturday

I'm starting to run out of steam with these, so they take longer/are getting a bit shorter from now on. Fortunately I'm almost done.

Full contact medieval combat demonstration
Fighters from the Irish full contact medieval combat team will be on hand to demonstrate their high intensity, exciting sport, and to talk about the realities of using weapons and armour.

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Nonhuman and interspecies communication
There is much to be learned by terrestrial, yet nonhuman, lifeforms that communicate within and between species. We have already learned a lot from language experiments with great apes, parrots, and dolphins. What more do these animals and others have to teach us about communicating with lifeforms beyond the Earth, should we ever meet?
Manny Frishberg(M), Dr Claire McCague, Dr Bob, Christianne Wakeham

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What fanfiction can teach genre writers
Fanfiction’s popularity continues to grow, tapping into the special creative connection between authors and fans. What is it about this literary nexus that is so fascinating and stimulating for fans? And what might authors have to learn from fans who write it?
Sara-Jayne Slack(M), Naomi Novik, Jeremy Szal, Kate Sheehy

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Next I originally wanted to go to a panel about writing feudal systems, which dolorosa_12 thankfully collected notes for here, but the room was full. The panel we went to instead was also fun:

Children's books: the gateway drug
For most of us, exposure to sci-fi and fantasy starts as children. At what point does imaginative children’s book illustration start being labelled ‘fantasy’? What creators influenced you? How aware are these two industries of each other? We talk to people who’ve had experience of both.
Oisin McGann(M), Gili Bar-Hillel, Holly Black, Lee Moyer, Ben Hennessy

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Future financial systems and transactions
The recent global financial crisis revealed major flaws in the system. What were some of these flaws? Were they fixed and what impact will they have on the legacy of our financial systems? Investors are looking for stability and security in the systems. Where should they place their trust? What do we need to know, and what red flags should we be watching for in the future?
Jo Lindsay Walton(M), Shmulik Shelach, Dr Stewart Hotston, Nile Heffernan, Ms Maria Farrell

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