Honors 360
Sections 001 & 002

Course Schedule

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 (Aug 22 – 28): Course Introduction and Concepts
Background: Turing and Shannon
Turing, "Computing Machinery and Intelligence"
Weaver, "Recent Contribution to the Mathematical Theory of Communication"
Discussion Post 1 (Introductions)

Week 2 (Aug 29 – Sept 4): Cybernetics, Feedback, & Homeostasis
Cybernetics, communication, codes, and control.
HUHB selections from chapters 1 - 3
Discussion Post 2

Week 3 (Sept 5 – 11): the second Industrial revolution
(Labor Day, Mon Sept 5. University Closed)
HUHB chapters 5 and 9
Discussion Post 3

Week 4 (Sept 12 – 18): Technological Singularity
Vernor Vinge, "Technological Singularity"
Kurzweil "Singularity Q & A"
Essay 1 due Sept 18

Week 5 (Sept 19 – 25):AI
Bostrom SI ch 1-3
Future of Life Institute
Discussion Post 4
Research groups form

Week 6 (Sept 26 – Oct 2): SI
Bostrom SI ch 4-6
Discussion Post 5

Week 7 (Oct 3 – 9): AI Will
Bostrom SI ch 7 - 9
Discussion Post 6

Week 8: (Oct 10 – 17):
(Fall Break: Monday classes meet Tuesday; Tuesday classes do not meet)
Bostrom SI ch 10 - 11
Discussion Post 7

Week 9 (Oct 17 – 23): Extrapolation
Bostrom SI ch 12-15
Discussion Post 8

Week 10 (Oct 24 – 30): Consciousness
Chalmers, "Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness"
Schneider, Intro, ch 1-3
Discussion Post 9

Week 11 (Oct 31 – Nov 6): The Self
Schneider, ch 4 - 6
Discussion Post 10

Week 12 (Nov 7 – 13):
Schneider, ch 7 - 8, Conclusion
Discussion Post 11

Week 13 (Nov 14 – 20): Research Projects
Research groups report

Week 14 (Nov 21 – 22):
Thanksgiving Break Nov 23 – 27

Week 14 (Nov 28 – Dec 3):
Research groups report

Research Paper due Dec 4

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