Keynote: The Power of Play

In this keynote, we’ll explore how play (unstructured, goal-less, often weekend-only experimentation) has repeatedly led to some of the most transformative breakthroughs in tech history. From Claude Shannon juggling and building mechanical mice at Bell Labs, to the Homebrew Computer Club swapping schematics over beers, to open-source pioneers rewriting the rules of collaboration “just for fun”, we’ll unpack how curiosity without a plan is often the spark that lights the fuse of revolution.

We’ll trace a playful thread through computing history and show how goofing off with scary new ideas (like AI, open networking, or sharing your code in public) isn’t a distraction from serious work, it is the serious work.