The second Riyadh Philosophy Conference began on Thursday, with speakers discussing important questions relating to space and exploration. The three-day conference is one of the only high-profile international conferences to focus on the philosophy of space, through the theme "Knowledge and Exploration: Space, Time, and Humanity." Speakers attended from over 19 countries around the world, including the USA, UK, UAE, Mexico, Singapore, Italy, Germany and Egypt. Dr Saad Albazei, member of the Board of Directors of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission of the Ministry of Culture, opened the conference. He said: "We are honoured to have attendees from across the globe, here to explore new concepts, new domains and unchartered territories. This conference is an arena for a pioneering spirit of intellectual enquiry, in a way that is as expansive as it is inclusive. Our theme pushes at the boundaries of our philosophical understanding of humanity, and we look forward to seeing how these discussions and themes unfold over the coming days." Keynote speeches included 'Why Do we Need to Prepare to be Interplanetary', by Mishaal Ashemimry, Special Advisor to the CEO of Saudi Space Commission and Vice President for Diversity and the International Astronautical Federation. Mishaal discussed the importance of research and discovery of new planets, including the need to explore and research the possibility of habituating Mars, in the face of potential threats to humanity on Earth, and the practical challenges that would need to be addressed. She commented: "We must prepare for our future. No one knows. Yes, we can monitor all these items that are orbiting Earth but there are so many that we don't know about. We need to prepare for the ones we don't have the time to respond to. Being an interplanetary species will increase survivability of the human race." The 'Philosophers of Tomorrow' sessions also began today, with the Pavilion simplifying the concepts of philosophy in an accessible way for school-age children, through activities and workshops. Other activities include the Reading Between the Lines debate competition beginning tomorrow and the Philosophical Camp opening, with outdoor activities for philosophical dialogue.
