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The schedule of readings will almost certainly change during the course of the semester, depending on the interests in the class. We may not discuss all readings in class, but you should be prepared to discuss the readings if and when they come up in class discussions.
Week 1 (Jan 24 – 26): Course
Introduction and Concepts
Cybernetics, communication, codes, and control.
Begin Wiener, Human Use of Human Beings Preface and Ch 1
Week 2 (Jan 31 – Feb 2): Feedback
HUHB chapters 2-4
Futures of the 1950s clips
Response 1 (on negative feedback)
Week 3 (Feb 7 – 9): Homeostasis
HUHB chapters 5-8
Response 2 (on homeostasis)
Week 4 (Feb 14 – 16): the 2nd Industrial
revolution
HUHB chapters 9-11
Response 3 (on 2nd Industrial Revolution)
Week 5 (Feb 21 – 23): Technological Singularity
Vernor Vinge, "Technological
Singularity."
TED Talks: David Deutsch: A New Way to Explain Explanation
Kevin
Kelly on How
Technology Evolves
Essay 1 due
Feb 23
Week 6 (Feb 28 – March 1): Predicting
the Future
Kurzweil, The Singularity is Near Prologue and Chapter 1
Institute for the Future: The Future of Science 2021
The Long Now Foundation: the 10,000 Year Clock
Response 4 (on predicting future trends)
Week 7 (March 6 – 8): Technological Progress
TSiN chapter 2 and chapter 3 (sections "The Computational Capacity
of the Human Brain" and "The Limits of Computation")
Response 5 (on the life cycle of a technology)
Week 8 (Spring
Break)
Week 9 (March 20 – 22): Mind and Machine
TSiN chapter 4 (sections "Reverse Engineering the Brain," "Is
the Human Brain Different from a Computer?" "Interfacing the Brain
and Machines," and "Uploading the Human Brain."
TED Talk: Tan Le: A
Headset that Reads Your Brainwaves
Response 6 (on uploading the human brain)
Week 10 (March 27 – 29): GNR
TSiN chapter 5
TED Talks: Richard Resnick: Welcome to the Genomic Revolution
Sheila Nirenberg: A Prosthetic Eye to Treat Blindness and Nirenberg Q&A
Essay 2 due March
29
Week 11 (April 3 – 5) : Research and Technology
Google, Databases, and Wikipedia
Synthesis: Using & Citing Sources
Response 7 (Research Topics)
Week 12 (April 10 – 12): Impacts and Identity
TSiN chapters 6-7
TED Talks: Antonio Damasio: The Quest to Understand Consciousness
Amber Case: We Are All Cyborgs Now
Response 8 (on consciousness)
Week 13 (April 17– 19) On the Other Hand
TSiN chapters 8 and 9
Bill Joy : "Why
the Future Doesn't Need Us"
TED Talk: Bill
Joy: What
I'm Worried About. What I'm Excited About
Transcendental Man clips
Response 9 (on Joy)
Week 14 (April 24 – 26): In Conclusion
TED Talks: Alex Tabarrok: How Ideas Trump Crises
Peter Diamandis at TEDMED
Week 15 (May 1 – 3):
Peer Review of Research paper May 1
Exam Prep
Research Paper due
May 3
Final Exams
Section 005: Thursday May 10, 10:30-1:15
Section 008: Thursday May 10, 1:30-4:15
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