Honors 360
Sections 005 & 006
| Office: Horizon Hall 4163 Office Hours: M & W Noon – 1:30 Email dtaciuch |
Course Description
The course will begin with the concept of Cybernetics, popularized by Norbert Wiener's Human Use of Human Beings, a book he wrote (in 1950) specifically to explain cybernetics to the interested non-expert. Cybernetics, as Wiener and the first generation of computer engineers defined it, is the science of control and communication in machines, animals, and human beings. Cybernetics gave us the concepts of cyber-(cyberspace, cybersecurity) and the cybernetic organism — the cyborg.
Wiener and the other early computer scientists/engineers considered human beings as special examples of cybernetic systems. Like these new (at the time) computing machines, we take in information, process it, and output actions. We are intelligent beings, but how does our intelligence compare to the intelligence of these new machines?
Throughout this course we will address technology, in particular the idea of Artificial Intelligence, from the perspectives of of a wide range of disciplines including engineering, statistical mechanics, mathematics, linguistics, humanities, sociology, psychology, neuroscience, biology, and philosophy. The field of cybernetics (the topic of our first text) is inherently interdisciplinary, born as it was from the fields of engineering and mathematics combined with biology, neuroscience, and sociology to form what today would be called information theory.
Course Goals
Honors 360 is a Mason Core Synthesis course.
The purpose of the synthesis course is to provide students with the opportunity to synthesize the knowledge, skills and values gained from the Mason Core curriculum. Synthesis courses strive to expand students' ability to master new content, think critically, and develop life-long learning skills across the disciplines. . . .
A Mason Core synthesis course must address outcomes 1 and 2, and at least one outcome under 3. Upon completing a synthesis course, students will be able to
- Communicate effectively in both oral and written forms, applying appropriate rhetorical standards (e.g., audience adaptation, language, argument, organization, evidence, etc.)
- Using perspectives from two or more disciplines, connect issues in a given field to wider intellectual, community or societal concerns
- Apply critical thinking skills to
- Evaluate the quality, credibility and limitations of an argument or a solution using appropriate evidence or resources, OR,
- Judge the quality or value of an idea, work, or principle based on appropriate analytics and standards.
The essays, discussions, and presentations in this course are designed to meet these goals. You will be required to read, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize material from several disciplines and present your analysis in essays, online posts, and presentations.
Texts:
Print:
Norbert Wiener, Human Use Of Human Beings
Stuart Russell, Human Compatible
Susan Schneider. Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind
Online:
Turing ,"Computing Machinery and Intelligence"
Vinge, "Technological
Singularity"
Kurzweil, Singularity Q & A
Chalmers, "Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness"
Course Site:
We will use Blackboard for online discussions and essay submissions.
Assignments:
The major project for this course combines group and individual work
Phase 1: Group formation (Week 5)
Phase 2: Individual Progress Report (Week 9)
Phase 3: Group Evaluative bibliography (Week 12)
Phase 3: Group Class Presentation (poster or video alternative options) and final bibliography (Week 15/16)
Phase 4: Individual reflection on AI in your field (with bibliography, can include popular sources) (May 1)
The other assignments are a short essay and weekly discussion posts.
All of the assignments are detailed on BlackBoard/
| Cybernetic System Essay | Feb 11 | 20% |
| Progress reports | March 17 | 10% |
| Evaluative Bibliography | April 7 | 20% |
| Research Group Report | April 22 – 29 | 20% |
| Final paper | May 1 | 20% |
| Weekly Discussion questions | most weeks before class | 10% |
Course Policies
Grading: Grades on the essays will be based primarily on the quality of the writing. I value clear, focused writing with plenty of examples. Grades on the research essay will be based on the quality of the research as well: I expect you to use the GMU Library databases as well as the Internet.
Late Assignments: Late papers will
lose 5% per day unless you make prior arrangements with
me.
Revision Policy: The essays may be revised for a higher grade,
but they must be substantially revised. You cannot lose a grade by
revising, but a higher grade is not guaranteed. I have found that B papers
(or higher) are often more difficult to revise, since serious revision
requires thoroughly changing the essay's structure, and B papers
usually have a fairly good structure. C papers (or lower) often
respond more dramatically to revision, since the major changes they require
are often more straightforward. I recommend revising C papers
or lower only. If you plan to revise a B paper, please
see me beforehand so we can discuss a revision strategy.
All revisions must be turned in by April 21
Plagiarism: Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient.
Writers must include a Works Cited or References list at the end of their essay, providing full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay, including the course textbooks.
Instructors at George Mason University are bound to uphold the George Mason Honor Code, which requires us to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Committee. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Committee, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU.
Generative-AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, should not be used in this course unless specified by the assignment. Use of such tools presents ethical and academic dishonesty issues, especially if the work is presented as your own. While such tools may be used to generate ideas, brainstorm, or outline larger works, the language in work you submit in this course should always be your own. Submitted work that is not your own is an Academic Integrity violation ("Providing, using, or attempting to benefit from unauthorized academic material and/or assistance").
I will not use AI-detection software in this course, as it is unreliable and likely makes the generative AI software even less detectable, as the submitted works become part of the generative AI corpus. If you do use generative AI software, you will be responsible for any incorrect, biased, or unethical information that is submitted.
Finally, you must be transparent with your use even on assignments in which you are required or permitted to use Generative AI.
Important dates
| First day of classes | Jan 16 |
| Last day to add classes– all individualized section forms due | Jan 23 |
| Last day to drop with no tuition penalty | Jan 30 |
| Unrestricted Withdrawal Period (100% tuition liability) | Feb 7 – 20 |
| Midterm progress reporting | Feb 12 – March 15 |
| Selective Withdrawal period | Feb 21 – March 25 |
| Spring Break | March 4 –10 |
| Last Day of classes | April 29 |
| Reading Days Reading days provide students with additional study time for final examinations. Faculty may schedule optional study sessions, but regular classes or exams may not be held. |
April 30 and May 5 |
| Exam Period | May 1 – 8 |
This work is licensed under a Creative
Commons License.