New Media, Fall 2019/Lesson 10

From Gerald R. Lucas
Syllabus R1 R2 R3 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10  
85288 nmac 4460.01 Online Fall, 2019

Cyborgs and the Technological Singularity;
Project Completion

October 28–December 6

Sci fi ai machine 1200.jpg

In The Age of Spiritual Machines, Raymond Kurzweil writes:

Kurzweil sees a time in the future where we will become something other than human by creating technology so sophisticated that it exceeds us in its abilities and then we will merge with that technology. He argues that process has already begun, but what are the implications for humanity? This lesson looks at cyborgology, transhumanism, and the technological singularity.

This lesson is divided into two parts.

Part 1

Read and View

View “Cyborg Feminism and the Future of Technolgy,” “Into the Body,” and Singularity 2029. Next, read Kurzweil’s “Reinventing Humanity,” and Joy’s “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” and if you are feeling ambitious, Haraway’s “A Cyborg Manifesto” (PDF15x18-fileicon-pdf.png).[2] Look at a couple of the texts under the Cyborg(ology), Transhumanism, Posthumanism, The Future & the Singularity, or find your own that address these topics.

Journal Posts 19 (& 20)

There are no assigned posts this week, but you may write on any aspect of the texts as extra credit to bring up a missing or inadequate early post grade. Write a maximum of two posts for extra credit.

What did you get out of the assigned texts? What do they add to your understanding of new media? What do they tell us about “being digital”? How do they employ the hacker spirit? How do they fit into your experience?

Reply to at least one of your colleagues’ journal posts for this lesson.

Due Date for Part 1

Please have all of the above completed by Sunday, November 3, 2019. I will evaluate your this lesson the following day, email everyone a progress report, and post audio feedback at the top of the next lesson if necessary.

Part 2

The rest of the class should be spent working on your Wikipedia project and final journal post. Work through the reading and training for the remaining weeks (12–16) on the WikiEdu dashboard. Essentially, this works toward and on your project.

Journal Post 20

Under the WikiEdu timeline for Week 15, this is the Reflective essay. This should be the last assignment you do for this class — after everything else, including your project, is complete. You might even send me an email to let me know you’re finished.

Due Date

Have everything in part 2 completed by Sunday, December 8, 2019. This includes your completed and corrected journal for its final evaluation. Even if you missed some entries during the lessons, you must have them all complete, edited, and posted by this due date. I will evaluate everything and submit grades over the next couple of days. Have a great holiday.

Notes

  1. Kurzweil, Ray (1999). The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence. New York: Viking Penguin.
  2. You might also see “Haraway Revisited” for more help with the latter.
  3. External sources are always footnoted as references; Wikipedia entries are always just linked in the text. Never cite a Wikipedia article like you would an external source.