Improving Reality 2012 is a half day conference which playfully and critically looks at how designers, artists and makers are using various technologies to shift our perceptions of reality.

Anab Jain - speaker at Improving Reality - pictured with Jon Ardern and the 5th Dimensional Camera by Superflux, which translates the Many Worlds theory of quantum mechanics into a prototype.

This day of inspiring talks features comic-book star, Warren Ellis and artists, designers and provocateurs, including Luke Jerram, Anab Jain, Leila Johnston and Rebekka Kill.

Expect presentations of artworks inspired by science, speculative stories, radical designs, unlikely inventions, and a few surprises. Speakers include:

- Warren Ellis, award-winning author of graphic novels such as Fell, Planetary, Red, Transmetropolitan and the forthcoming prose novel GUN MACHINE.
- Usman Haque, artist, architect, founder of Pachube (now Cosm)
- Luke Jerram, artist and inventor
- Anab Jain, designer, founder of Superflux and TED Fellow
- Leila Johnston, creative technologist, writer and inventor
- Rebekka Kill, social media theorist, performer, and academic
- Joanne McNeil, writer and editor of Rhizome, an art and technology organisation, based at The New Museum in New York
- And more!

Following the conference is Brighton SF, a panel discussion with some of the leading names in speculative fiction and science fiction literature, including:

- Brian Aldiss, renowned science-fiction writer and author of the short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, which led to the film, A.I.
- Lauren Beukes, writer and author of Zoo City, which won the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke award.- Jeff Noon, author of Vurt, Automated Alice, Channel SK1n 

We hope attendees of Improving Reality 2012 will come to Brighton SF too, but you must book your place separately. Combo tickets are available above.  Purchasing a combo ticket gets you entry to both Improving Reality and Brighton SF.  A whole day of fun!

Date: Thursday 6 September 2012
Conference Times: 12:00 - 17:30
Brighton SF Panel Times: 18:00 - 19:30
Venue: Pavilion Theatre, 29 New Road, Brighton BN1 1UG
http://www.lighthouse.org.uk/programme/improving-reality-2012

Improving Reality 2012 is curated by Lighthouse for Brighton Digital Festival.
Support from Arts Council England allows us to make the conference affordable.
Brighton Digital Festival is a celebration of digital culture. It is run by members of Brighton's digital and arts communities, administered by Wired Sussex in association with Lighthouse.