Dr. Dean Taciuch
George Mason University

Spring 2018

Honors 353: 001
Technology in Contemporary Society

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 (Jan 22 – 24): Course Introduction and Concepts
Cybernetics, communication, codes, and control.
HUHB Preface, Ch 1

Week 2 (Jan 29 – 31): Feedback
HUHB chapters ch 2 - 3
Response 1 (on negative feedback)

Week 3 (Feb 5 – 7): Homeostasis
HUHB chapters 4-8
Response 2 (on homeostasis)

Week 4 (Feb 12 –14): the 2nd Industrial revolution
HUHB chapters 9-11
Response 3 (on 2nd Industrial Revolution)

Week 5 (Feb 19 –21): Technological Singularity
Vernor Vinge, "Technological Singularity"
Ray Kurzweil : After the Singularity and other selections from Kurzweil Reader
Essay 1 due Feb 23

Week 6 (Feb 26 – 28): AI
Kurzweil Reader: Will Machines Become Conscious?
Bostrom SI ch 1-2
Response 4 (on AI)

Week 7 (March 5 – 7): SuperIntelligence
Bostrom SI ch 3-6
Response 5 (types of SI)

Week 8 (Spring Break)

Week 9 (March 19 – 21): The Control Problem
Bostrom SI ch 7-9
Response 6 (Control)

Week 10 (March 26 – 28): Age of Em
Robin Hansen class visit
Bostrom SI ch 10

Week 11 (Apr 2 – 4): Values
Bostrom SI ch 11-13
Response 7 (Values)

Week 12 (Apr 9 – 11): AI Strategies
Bostrom SI ch 14-15 and Afterword
Essay 2 due April 13

Week 13 (Apr 16 –18): Research and Technology
Databases
Future of Life Institute, Future of Humanity Institute & KurzweilAI.net
Synthesis: Using & Citing Sources
Response 8 (Research Topics)
All revisions due by April 22

Week 14 (Apr 23 – 25): On the Other Hand
Kurzweil Reader: "Are We Becoming an Endangered Species?"
Bill Joy: "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us"
Response 9 (Relinquishment)

Week 15 (April 30 – May 2): The Simulation Argument
Bostrom "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?" and various responses
Response 10 (The Simulation argument).
Begin Final Presentations

Make up Day (May 8): Presentations
Finish Final Presentations
Research Paper due May 8

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.