This work is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 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
Intro
Reading: Wiener Intro, Chapters 1 – 2
Week 2 (Jan 29 – 31): Information
and Secrecy
Reading: Wiener Chapters 3, 5, & 7
Smith, "What
is POSAT?"
Response 1 (on Wiener and Smith)
Week 3 (Feb 5 – 7): Humanity
Reading: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? [DADES] Chapters 1
– 5
Quiz 1 (on DADES ch 1-5)
Week 4 (Feb 12 – 14): Psychology
Reading Assignment: DADES Chapters 6 - 12
Quiz 2
Week 5 (Feb 19 – 21): Reality
DADES ch 13 - 22
Response 2 (on DADES)
Week 6 (Feb 26 – 28): Writing
about Literature
Essay topics and discussions
Essay 1 due Friday March 2
Week 7 (March 5 – 7):
Midterm review
Midterm Exam in class Wednesday March 7
Week 8: Spring Break
Week 9 (March 19 –21): 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 10 (March 26 – 28):
Cyberspace
Neuromancer Chapters 1–2
Quiz 3
Week 11 (Apr 2 – 4): (Virtual)
Realities
Neuromancer Chapters 3–9
Quiz 4
Week 12 (Apr 9 – 11): AI
Neuromancer Chapters 10–17
Response 4 (on Neuromancer)
Week 13 (Apr 16 – 18): The Future
Neuromancer Chapters 18–24
Essay topics and Discussions
Quiz 5
Week 14 (Apr 23 – 25): The Self
Nagata, "Nahiku
West"
Cat Rambo, "Left
Behind"
Essay 2 due Friday April 27
Week 15 (April 30 – May 2): Final
Week
Bostrum, "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?"
Response 5
Review for final
Final Exam: Wednesday May 9, 1:30 – 4:15
This work is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.