Web Summit: what to see on day three

Dan Brown’s keynote address to explore intersection between tech and spirituality

Dan Brown: author  will take to  the Society Stage at 3.15pm, to speak on whether science will kill God. Photograph: Eric Luke
Dan Brown: author will take to the Society Stage at 3.15pm, to speak on whether science will kill God. Photograph: Eric Luke

Is deafness curable? Did satire kill the brand? What is next in augmented reality? These are some of the questions that will be addressed during the final day of the Web Summit in Dublin on Thursday.

On the Healthtech Stage at 10.05am Prof Robert Labadie presents discoveries in cochlear implants and discusses the implications on society at large, in his keynote on whether deafness is curable.

Financial firms are under increasing competitive pressure to make it easier to transact online and fill online shopping carts, but at the same time they are under pressure to combat fraud and avoid data breaches.

How do you strike the balance without sacrificing security? Irish entrepreneur and Trustev founder Pat Phelan is on the Money Stage at 11.25am to discuss the security elephant in the room.

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On the subject of online transactions, technology is innovating in and disrupting an expanding number of areas in the financial sector. But what does this change actually look like? Braintree's senior director John Lunn will give his views on the Money Stage at 3pm.

Rodial's Maria Hatzistefanis will talk about growing business through social media and the power of YouTube, contacts and celebrities, in a keynote on the Fashion Stage at 11am. And she should know. She has built a multimillion pound skincare company from scratch.

Crowdfunding

Doug Simpson

, chief executive of Navdy will share his journey from early stage crowdfunding to raising $33 million in eight months on the Machine Stage at 1.30pm.

Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, will give a keynote address exploring the intersection between technology and spirituality, and, on the Society Stage at 3.15pm, asks if science will kill God.

Want to know what sports stars really think of social media? Find out from former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand and former Ireland rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll on the Centre Stage at 3.35pm.

Finally, Ed Catmull will close out the Centre Stage of the tech conference at 4pm. The founder of Pixar, the company behind Toy Story, Monsters Inc and Inside Out, will discuss creativity.