LavaCon 2026 and the future.

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LavaCon is a conference now going on 25 years. Its always fun at conferences where folks collaborate on what the future holds. This year I drove to Charlotte NC from Duluth GA to attend. I used the Tesla in Full Self Drive. I went park-to-park without touching the wheel for over 200 miles. It's crazy. I don't think most people understand how well it works. Lots of nay-sayers still, but it really does work. Be on guard, but enjoy. I spent some of my time "driving" while conversing with Grok as part of my daydreaming. I was discussing with Grok an idea I have of building a West system (cold molded) old style barrel-back runabout maybe 20 feet long- all varnished Mahogony. Of course this boat would have an exotic 12-cylinder engine under a transparent engine hatch between the twin cockpits. We discussed the designs, available actual study plans and pre-lofted design documents for the hull. We also discussed the best engine (perhaps a BMW N73) coupled with a Velvet Dri...
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Holy Shit. It happened.

I received tickets to and from Binghamton NY and McMurdo Station Antarctica. (Actually from BGM to CHC, through Washington, DC, Denver, Los Angeles, Auckland NZ.) and then on Military aircraft to Mactown (McMurdo Station). The itinerary is almost as thick as the USAP Participant's Guide.

I believe it. But then again I don't. It feels like it is going to get surreal after this point. I worked to get here. I will continue to work where (geophysical or otherwise) I need to go. But given a good grounding, I will believe it when get off the plane and see what I expect to see, much like my first (of many) trip to Japan (starting) in 1985.

It happened. I first started talking about this in 1997.

Accomplishment is sweet, but lends itself only to what is yet undone.

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LavaCon 2026 and the future.

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