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THE 2022 FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
22 October - 13 November
FoSS and ESRC logos

Bringing Future Flight to Life: Debating the Potential Impacts on Society

An interactive discussion of the ways new future flight technologies (including drones and air taxis) might affect where and how we live.

Arial drone carrying a shopping trolley

What’s on offer?

This online interactive discussion is an opportunity to learn more about future flight technologies and the potential implications for you and your local area. Hear directly from University of Birmingham researchers on the potential societal impacts of these technologies and have the chance to share your views and ask questions. 

The event will include: 

  • An overview of future flight technologies and their potential uses (approx. 15 minutes) 
  • An interactive activity drawing on potential future real-world scenarios to help session attendees consider what the implications of future flight technologies might be for them and their communities (approx. 45 minutes) 
  • Connecting back to our research – exploring how attendee concerns link to those identified in on-going research led by the University of Birmingham (approx. 15 minutes)  

What’s it about?

Lots of investment is going into developing ‘future flight’ technologies. For example, air taxis that can transport you across the sky within a city or from town to town, and remote piloted drones capable of carrying tonnes of goods from one end of the country to another.

These technologies may be technically viable as early as 2030 and are potentially transformative to where and how we live our lives. However, these technologies won’t be implementable unless they are desirable and acceptable to the public. This interactive session will explore and debate the potential positive and negative implications of these technologies on different groups and the issues that need to be addressed before these technologies can be introduced.   

Who’s leading the event?

Led by Fern Elsdon-Baker, Louise Reardon and Will Mason-Wilkes of ISTEMMiCS, University of Birmingham; members of the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge social science research team. 

Open to

The event is open to everyone – we encourage members of the general public, policy makers, NGOs, think tanks, students, academics to attend. 

Of particular interest to

This event is open to anyone interested in the future of flight and its implications. No prior knowledge of future flight technologies is required.