Workshops for HacktionLab Autumn 2025

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The following is a list of ideas for workshops, talks or other activities for the forthcoming HacktionLab Autumn 2025 taking place in October in Nottingham, UK. The *Nerd gag* measures how technical and jargony the session might be, from "on tight" being accessible to all, to "ungagged" being no-holes-barred tech talk. In the middle there's "breathing room" and "rather loose".

Session times

In spite of any advance programming, which we try not to do, we generally work out the schedule during the event, though this may change for this one, in order to have some semblance of programming. Watch this space!

Here's an example of the programme from Sheffield 2025 HacktionLab:

HL Sheffield 2023 Programme.png

Types of Sessions

  • Talk: 30-60 mins - please say if you need a projector / screen etc
  • Workshops: typically 60 mins - let us know your requirements
  • Skill Share Sessions: typically 60 mins - hands on in collaboration with others around a theme
  • Round Table Discussions: typically 60 mins - around a theme
  • Lightning Talks: typically 5-10 mins - these may be themed together or at random

Example

Title of workshop?

Format
talk / workshop (interactive) / skills share / round table / lighting talk
Proposed by
Your name
Length
30-60 minutes, 5-15 for a lighting talk
Equipment
projector, speakers, paper, pens, posits, chairs, etc
Description
a description of the workshop
Nerd gag
How much technical background will people need to be able to follow the session? Nerd gag measures how technical and jargony the session might be, from "on tight" being accessible to all, to "ungagged" being no-holes-barred tech talk. In the middle there's "breathing room" and "rather loose".

What is consciousness and when can I get it on my phone?

Format
talk
Proposed by
Gremble Bean
Length
45 minutes
Equipment
big board with paper and markers whatever those are called.
Description
We'll explore what people think consciousness is and what people think they are as humans, and some ways in which we are often very demonstrably wrong about that. We'll attempt to cover attempts to make machines that do thinking stuff, how close that is to what we consider consciousness. We'll look at perception of agency and 'artificial people'. We'll finish looking at human/machine synergies and interactions, economies which might occur between machine agents and how that is changing, and will continue to change us. We'll try to rationally avoid dystopian/utopian thinking and find some possible futures, with a focus on personal action towards survival.
Nerd gag
We'll use the common usages of English words and define terms at the start for difficult ones. Nerd gagged fairly tight.