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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 26 - Sept 1): Course Intro and Concepts
Weaver "Recent Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Communication," Wiener HUHB, Preface, Ch 1
Response 1: Introductions
Week 2 (Sept 2 - Sept 8): Feedback
HUHB ch 2-3
Response 2 (on negative feedback)
Week 3 (Sept 9 - Sept 15): Homeostasis
HUHB ch 4-8
Response 3 (homeostasis)
Week 4 (Sept 16 - Sept 22): The 2nd Industrial Revolution
HUHB ch 9-11
Response 4 (2nd Industrial Revolution)
Week 5 (Sept 23 - Sept 29): Technological Singularity
Vernor Vinge, "Technological Singularity"
Ray Kurzweil: "After the Singularity," " Will Machines Become Conscious?" and other selections from Kurzweil Reader
Essay 1 Due Sept 29
Week 6 (Sept 30 - Oct 6): Predictions
25 Ways: Brockman, Lloyd, Pinker, Deutsch (Intro, chapters 1, 10, 11)
Response 5 (Predictions)
Week 7 (Oct 7 - Oct 13): Privacy and Transparency
25 Ways: Pearl, Brooks, Galison, Russell (Ch 2, 6, 22, 3 )
Response 6 (Privacy)
Week 8 (Oct 14 - Oct 20): Values
Fall Break: Monday classes meet Tuesday. Tuesday classes do not meet
25 Ways: Griffiths, Dragan (Ch 12, 13)
Response 7 (Values)
Week 9 (Oct 21 - Oct 27): Goals
25 Ways: Dennett, Anderson, Hillis (Ch 5, 14, 17).
Bostrom "Superintelligent Will"
Response 8 (Goals)
Week 10 (Oct 28 - Nov 3): Risks
25 Ways: Tegmark, Tallinn, Ramakrishnan (Ch 8, 9, 18).
Future of Life Institute
Research Proposals due Nov 3
Week 11 (Nov 4 - Nov 10): Consciousness
25 Ways: Wilczek, Gopnik (Ch 7, 21)
Chalmers "Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness" (or "The Puzzle of Conscious Experience")
Response 9 (Consciousness)
Week 12 (Nov 11 – Nov 17): Ethics
25 Ways: Dyson, Kaiser, Gershenfeld, Church (Ch 4, 15, 16, 23)
Response 10: Ethics
Week 13 (Nov 18 - Nov 24): The Future
25 Ways: Pentland, Wolfram (Ch 19, 25)
Response 11: The Future
Week 14 (Nov 25 - Nov 26): Art
Thanksgiving Recess: Nov 27 - Dec 1
25 Ways: Obrist, Jones (Ch 20, 24)
Response 12: Art
Week 15 (Dec 2 - Dec 7): Discussion
BookTV : Brockman, Chalmers, Dennett discuss Possible Minds
Response 13: Conclusions
Research paper due Saturday Dec
7
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