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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 30– Sept 1): Course Intro
Past Futures (videos)
Reading: Wiener Intro, Chapters 1 – 2
Week 2 (Sept 6 – 8): Information and Secrecy
Reading: Wiener Chapters 3, 5, & 7
Smith, "What is POSAT?"
Response 1 (on Wiener and Smith)
Week 3 (Sept 13 –15): Humanity
No Class Sept 15
Reading: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? [DADES] Chapters 1 – 5
Quiz 1 (on DADES ch 1-5)
Week 4 (Sept 20 – 23): Psychology
Reading Assignment: DADES Chapters 6 - 12
Quiz 2
Week 5 (Sept 27 – 29): Society
DADES ch 13 - 22
Response 2 (on DADES)
Week 6 (Oct 4 – 6): Writing about Literature
Essay topics and discussions
Midterm Review
Essay 1 due Oct 9
Week 7 (Oct 13): Columbus Day Recess
Monday classes meet Tuesday; Tuesday classes do not meet
Midterm Exam Oct 13
Week 8 (Oct 18 – 20): The Singularity
Reading: Vinge, Technological Singularity; Kurzweil "The Coming Merging of Mind and Machine" (87), "Who Am I? What Am I?" (78), "Live Forever—Uploading the Human Brain" (81)
Response 3 (on Kurzweil)
Week 9 (Oct 25 – 27): Cyberspace
Neuromancer Chapters 1-5
Quiz 3 (on AI)
Week 10 (Nov 1– Nov 3): (Virtual) Realities
Neuromancer Chapters 6 - 12
Quiz 4
Week 11 (Nov 8 – 10): AI
Neuromancer Chapters 16-24
Response 4 (on Neuromancer)
Week 12 (Nov 15 – 17): The Future
Bostrum, "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?"
Essay topics and Discussions
Week 13 (Nov 22): Thanksgiving Recess Nov 23 – 27
Haraway, "Cyborg Manifesto" selection
Essay 2 due Nov 22
Week 14 (Nov 29 – Dec 1): The Self
Rambo, "Left Behind"
Nagata, "Nahiku West"
Quiz 5
Week 15 (Dec 6 – 8): Review for Final
Chiang, "The Story of Your Life"
Response 5
Final Exam: Tuesday Dec 13, 10:30 am – 1:15 pm
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