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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 24– 30): Course Intro and Concepts
Weaver "Recent Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Communication," Wiener HUHB, Preface, Ch 1
Response 1: Introductions
Week 2 (Aug 31 – Sept 6): Feedback
HUHB ch 2-3
Response 2
Week 3 (Sept 8 – 13): Homeostasis
HUHB ch 4-8
Response 3
Week 4 (Sept 14– 20): The 2nd Industrial Revolution
HUHB ch 9-11
Response 4 (
Week 5 (Sept 21 – 27): Technological Singularity
Vernor Vinge, "Technological Singularity"
Ray Kurzweil: "After the Singularity," " Will Machines Become Conscious?"
Response 5
Essay 1 Due Sept 27
Week 6 (Sept 28 – Oct 4): Predictions
25 Ways: Brockman, Lloyd, Pinker, Deutsch (Intro, chapters 1, 10, 11)
Response 6
Research proposal groups form
Week 7 (Oct 5 – 11): Privacy and Transparency
25 Ways: Pearl, Brooks, Galison, Russell (Ch 2, 6, 22, 3 )
Response 7
Week 8 (Oct 13 – 18): Research Proposals
Fall break: Monday classes meet Tuesday/Tuesday classes do not meet
Research proposal discussions.
Response 8
will be done in your Research Proposal groups
Research Proposals due Oct 18
Week 9 (Oct 19 – 25): Risks
25 Ways: Tegmark, Tallinn, Ramakrishnan (Ch 8, 9, 18).
Future of Life Institute
Response 9
Week 10 (Oct 26 – Nov 1): Goals
Bostrom "Superintelligent Will"
25 Ways: Dennett, Anderson, Hillis (Ch 5, 14, 17).
Response 10 (
Week 11 (Nov 2 – 8): Values
25 Ways: Griffiths, Dragan (Ch 12, 13)
Response 11
Week 12 (Nov 9 – 15): Consciousness
25 Ways: Wilczek, Gopnik (Ch 7, 21)
Chalmers "Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness" (or "The Puzzle of Conscious Experience")
Response 12 (
Week 13 (Nov 16 – 22): Ethics
25 Ways: Dyson, Kaiser, Gershenfeld, Church (Ch 4, 15, 16, 23)
Response 13
Week 14 (Nov 23 – 24): Art
25 Ways: Obrist, Jones (Ch 20, 24)
Response 14:
Thanksgiving Break Nov 25 – 29
Week 15 (Nov 30 – Dec 5): The Future
25 Ways: Pentland, Wolfram (Ch 19, 25)
Response 15: The Future
Brockman, Chalmers, Dennett BookTV: Possible minds discussion
Research paper due
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