Course Info
Science and technology offer countless benefits, yet they also present new
challenges. In this interdisciplinary course, I use a vast set of nonfiction
articles, multimedia materials, and science fiction as tools to investigate and
better understand the transformative and revolutionary changes we have
experienced in our lifetimes, as well as explore possible utterly reshaped -
transhuman and even posthuman - futures to follow.
Starting in 2022, this course is now exclusively offered for professionalization as part of the
Ad Astra Institute for Science Fiction & the Speculative Imagination's
"Science into Fiction" STEM-literacy program for science-fiction authors,
open to anyone interested in exploring what the future might hold! For those
enrolling not-for-credit, you can ignore mentions of grading (I've left these in
for other educators looking for syllabus-building ideas).
Goals
The central questions we'll investigate:
How do scientific discoveries, technological advances, and society pressures drive
ever-accelerating human change?
What are the possible consequences and unintended side-effects of change?
What might the future we'll inhabit look like?
My goal is to provide you with information, exploration, knowledge,
resources; share how best to get a handle on the future; guide in-class discussion and your
projects to help you discover how best
to interpret these changes in a way that's meaningful to you, relevant to your life, and
helpful in the pursuit of your career, personal research, and future; encourage
you to express your insights through weekly reflections, in-depth research or
creative projects, and class discussion; and hopefully better prepare you for
what's to come.
The only
thing certain about our future is that it will be different than today! You will
shape that future and be profoundly affected by it, so it's vital to continually
ask the next question.
Led by
award-winning science-fiction author
Chris McKitterick,
who'll
introduce you to a vast set of possibilities, ideas, and information - how much you
take in is largely up to you and your desire to learn! Through the materials
listed in this syllabus and discussion in a collaborative, respectful environment that values diversity of
experience and opinion, I hope you'll discover new levels of potential within
yourself and possibility in the future you'll help create. I hope to learn
as much as you do this semester.
Diversity and Disability
Everyone enjoys equal access to the McKitterick's
course offerings, and
I actively
encourage students and scholars from diverse backgrounds to study with us.
All courses I offer are available to be taken
not-for-credit for professionalization purposes by community members (if space
is available).
Click here to see my Diversity Statement.
The Academic Achievement and Access Center coordinates accommodations and services for all
eligible KU students. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodation and have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as possible.
Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall; their phone number is
(785)864-4064 (V/TTY), or email them at achieve@ku.edu
Feel free to contact me privately about your needs in this
course.
Readings
Most of the course readings
are linked from the Daily Schedule, below, or are
available through the Blackboard course site. However, you will buy a
couple books, download other
readings, and possibly get others in class. When you lead class discussions, you
are also expected to do additional research beyond the regular readings
and share these materials with the rest of the class.
Graduate and Honors students:
Each week, find, read, and respond to
one or more additional works that matches
the week's topics; include your response to this work as part of your regular
response paper. If you found it online, provide a link in your response paper. Otherwise, include
bibliographic information. Look for paragraphs shaded gray like this throughout the syllabus
to find my grad- or Honors-student-specific expectations.
Online Readings
You'll find most of the required readings and multimedia linked from the Daily Schedule table,
below. Some other online materials are available via our Blackboard
course reserves.
Required Books
The titles below contain links to online booksellers like
Amazon
and
Powell's. Bold dates are when we'll discuss them in class. Most are available as free
downloads:
Level-Up Readings
Throughout this syllabus and in our Blackboard course reserve, you'll find
additional recommended (not required) readings and multimedia materials to help
you Level Up your grade and learning experience. McKitterick adds more
throughout the semester (and afterward), and welcomes recommendations.
Reading and Discussion Schedule
last updated March, 2022 - contact
McKitterick for details.
Syllabus will change as we add or
identify new
readings and more extra credit opportunities.
Weekly topics - quick reference:
Week 1: Feb 4: Welcome! The science-fiction perspective.
Thinking outside the box: Dimensions. What is science fiction?
Week 2: Feb 11: Ideas in science
fiction, futuristics. How science and technology shapes human experience. Science's greatest hits. New perspectives.
Week 3: Feb 18: Innovations in communication, future economics. How does human social and economic interactions change as we reshape our world?
Week 4: Feb 25: Space exploration. The final frontier!
Economic and scientific aspects, public or private sector.
Week 5: March 4: Aliens and SETI. Are we alone in the universe... and what if we're not?
Week 6: March 11: Ecology and evolution. The shape of things to come.
Week 7: March 18: Biotech and the future of medicine. Extended age spans,
organ transplants, genetic engineering, GM foods, stem cell research, mutation, cloning, fear of change, religious resistance...
Week 8: March 25: Cyber space I: Robots and AI. How might robots and artificial
intelligence change our world - for better or worse?
Abstract, outline, and
preliminary reading list for final project due
via Blackboard
by 5:00pm Tuesday,
April 6.
Week 9: April 1: Cyber space II: Cyborgs and cybertech, present and future. How does
the human experience change as we merge with technology?
Week 10: April 8: Disasters! Plague, overpopulation, pollution, climate change, dystopias, terrorism, war...
Week 11: Apr 15: Nanotechnology. Revolutions in production: Replicators and 3D printers, nanobots and grey goo...
Week 12: Apr 22: Posthumanism and transhumanism. What might we become?
Week 13: Apr 29: The Singularity and sociology of the future. Technological black holes. Future society:
Global or local? How will cities evolve?
Week 14: May 6: The far future. Beyond the Singularity: Is our far future unknowable, unimaginable?
Week 15: May 7: Group Presentations! We might gather online to view and discuss student presentations.
Revision history:
Updating articles, links,
online-related matters, and dates
- stay tuned for updates and additions...
Dates and Topics
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Level Up Extras
Level Up (bonus) opportunities.
We sometimes look at these in class.
Check back frequently for more suggestions and offer your own.
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Required Reading Prior to Class
Read these before class. Most articles link to websites.
You'll find most materials not linked
here on Blackboard.
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Week 1: Feb 4
Welcome! The science-fiction perspective.
Thinking outside the box: Dimensions. What is science fiction?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
- Ward Shelly's excellent "The
History of Science Fiction" illustration.
- Check out Wikipedia's science fiction definitions.
- Science News article, "Seeing
in Four Dimensions."
-
Flatland film excerpt
(full movie here for purchase).
- Check out "Flatland II: A New Series of Dramatically Skewed Photographic Landscapes,"
by Aydin Büyüktas - great visual art!
- They're Made out of Meat podcast.
-
They're Made out of Meat film. (Here's an entirely different take on it, and
here's
a silly version using Xtra Normal software.)
- Smithsonian's "How
America's Leading Science Fiction Authors Are Shaping Your Future" article.
- HowStuffWorks piece, "Can
our brains see the fourth dimension?"
- There's a great TED Talk
for just about every topic we examine in this course.
Here's the search section of the TED website.
TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short,
powerful talks of 18 minutes or less.
- See McKitterick's "Sci, Tech, & Society"
YouTube playlist for more, organized in approximately the same order as our syllabus.
In particular, see the
Perspective & the Cosmos playlist.
- For more art and articles, infographics and info,
and multimedia and memes, and other fun stuff, check out the relevant tags
on McKitterick's Tumblr blog:
A former student put together a list of recommended
Futurama episodes
relevant to each class - check it out!
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Click the links to read online:
Graduate
and Honors students: If possible this week - but for
sure starting next week - find, read, and respond to an additional work
(any form of text or media is great) that
informs the week's topics.
You might find it handy to bring your weekly reader response or discussion-leader notes
to class. Your response paper
for this week is about these materials and topics.
For this week only, please upload
your response to the "Week 1:"
Blackboard assignment slot
by noon (next) Monday at the latest to count
as "on time." For the rest of the semester, upload your
response to the week's assignments into the appropriate
Blackboard assignment slot before
class starts each Thursday.
To earn maximum Level Up! bonus points for this week,
also include your
response to the bonus materials you read, and maybe the in-class discussions, into the
Blackboard "Week 1 Level Up!" slot by 5:00pm on Friday
(and - if possible - come to class having already read the bonus materials, so
you can reference this material during in-class discussion).
Be clear in your response about how these additional materials and ideas
extend your understanding of the week's content and themes.
I'll post a Google Doc later this week to sign up for student-discussant
slots - stay tuned.
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Week 2: Feb 11
Ideas in science fiction, futuristics.
How science and technology shapes
human experience. Science's greatest hits. New perspectives.
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Some Level Up bonus suggestions (Note: You need only
cover a couple of these to count in your Level Up bonus response - the
more you cover, the more potential bonus points, but no need to do them all!
They're all just suggestions):
Upcoming events:
-
Feminism+SciFi Forum:
Black Mirror's "USS Callister."
Wednesday
Feb 6, 5:30pm-8pm, KU Memorial Union, Jayhawk Room.
Feminism+SciFi Forum participants analyze and discuss science and speculative fiction from an
intersectional feminist perspective. You can also join the
Facebook group for at-home participation.
They'll host several events this spring - stay tuned.- If you find other relevant events, let
me know! They don't have to
appear here to count toward Leveling Up your learning
experience - attend, write your thoughts on the event, and turn in to
Blackboard.
Articles:
Short stories:
Multimedia:
Relevant
Science technology society-related
blog tags:
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See Blackboard for these (attached to this week's Assignment):
- IsaacAsimov's story, "The Psychohistorians"
(from
The Foundation Trilogy).
- Isaac
Heinlein's future history (Brass Tacks article).
Asimov's essay, "Science."
- Arthur C.
Clarke's essay, "The Hazards of Prophecy."
- Frederik Pohl talk from
The Literature of Science Fiction film series (ask if you'd like
to borrow the DVD from my large multimedia collection; I might
play a clip in class).
See Blackboard Assignment for this week to read the full transcript.
Read online:
Starting this week, upload your required reading response
or discussion-leader notes into the "Week 2:"
Blackboard assignment slot
by class-time today at the latest. For max bonus points, turn in your Level Up!
response into the
Blackboard "Week 2 Level Up!" slot by 5:00pm on Friday.
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"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
- Marie Curie
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Week 3: Feb 18
Innovations in communication, future economics.
How do human social and economic interactions change as we reshape our world?
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Some Level Up bonus suggestions:
Special event this week!
NASA's Perseverance Rover (hopefully) lands on Mars starting at 2:40pm this Thursday!
Watch live coverage here starting a couple hours in advance (they're doing lots of coverage before the landing). NASA calls it "Seven Minutes of Terror" while they hold their breath as the probe enters the atmosphere, slows down, lands, and launches its little helicopter and rover pair.
Watch the event, write up your thoughts and responses about it and what it might mean, and turn it in for Level Up bonus points (as with any relevant event).
Articles:
- Bloomberg article, "Dogecoin's Creator Is Baffled by Meteoric Rise."
- Fast Company article, "Bitcoin price spikes again as the nation's oldest bank joins the crypto craze."
-
Universal Basic Income (UBI) on Wikipedia (full background, history, and more).
- CNN article, "Researchers gave thousands of dollars to homeless people. The results defied stereotypes."
-
Gamestop 2021 and the Reddit uprising against Wall Street - some background
(blog post).
- "Is
Google Making Us Stupid? What the Internet is doing to our brains," from
The Atlantic.
- Online College's article, "15
Big Ways The Internet Is Changing Our Brain."
- Futurism.com article, "Experts Say Basic Income Could Reach Mainstream Politics in 2018."
- Popular Science article, "This
Professor Calculated The True Cost of Destroying The Death Star."
- Vice article, "The World's Oldest Blockchain Has Been Hiding in the New York Times Since 1995."
- Physics Today article,
"The bicentennial
of Francis Ronalds' electric telegraph."
- "Professor
examines ways in which governments, private companies censor online speech,"
about how the internet is not actually free....
- "The Consequences
of Economic Inequality," by Nicholas Birdsong.
- "Biophysical
economics" - the denizens of Star Trek will likely use this over current, conventional, neoclassical economics.
- New York Times article on bringing
scientific
thinking into economics.
- The Atlantic's article on
"When
kids can get their lessons from the Internet, what's left for classroom instructors to do?"
- Read significantly more chapters or the rest of Tom Standage's
The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers.
Fiction:
Multimedia:
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
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See Blackboard (attached to this
week's Assignment):
Read online:
Discussion leaders note: Always perform additional
research that addresses the week's topics, and prepare to share in class (and include a link
in your discussion notes, if possible). See the column to the left for ideas, or
this section of the syllabus.
Here are this week's previously scheduled readings, for online discussion or folding
in elsewhere:
J.G. Ballard's story, “Subliminal
Man.”
Timons Esaias' story, “Norbert and the
System.”
Daryl Gregory story, “Second Person,
Present Tense.”
Atlantic Magazine's article, "The
Brain on Trial."
Discover Magazine's interviews, "Unlocking
the Secrets and Powers of the Brain."
Franklin Veaux's article, "Why We're All Idiots: Credulity, Framing,
and the Entrenchment Effect."
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Week 4: Feb 25
Space exploration.
The final frontier! Economic and
scientific aspects, public or private sector...
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Articles:
- CNET article,
UAE's Hope spacecraft entered Mars orbit and sent a dazzling image of the Red
Planet (Feb 9, 2021).
- Space.com article, "China's first Mars mission, Tianwen-1, successfully enters orbit around Red Planet"
(Feb 10, 2021).
- BBC article, "Why India's Mars mission is so cheap - and thrilling"
(India first arrived at Mars in 2016).
- Check out
Space.com's 2021 Space Calendar - so much happening this year!
- Smithsonian article, "Next Stop: Mars,"
from the fantastic special edition (May 2016) called, "Science
Fiction Gets Real."
- Neal Stephenson's article,
Space
Stasis.
- Buzz Aldrin's letter to NASA about US space policy.
- Space.com article, "The Most
Fascinating Exoplanets of 2018."
- Popular Science article
on SpaceX and its successful Falcon 9 rocket landing, with several videos.
- "Citizen Scientists Find New World with NASA Telescope," on NASA's
Exoplanets website.
- Science Alert article, "There's a Hidden Spacecraft Dump in The Middle of The Ocean - Here's What's Down There."
- Nature article, "The quest to conquer Earth's space junk problem," about a problem (Kessler Syndrome) that the UK's
RemoveDEBRIS program hopes to address.
- Space.com article, "Asteroid
Mining May Be a Reality by 2025."
- Next Big Future article, "Elon
Musk tweeted on the space elevator, electric rockets, and railguns."
- Bad Astronomy article,
"Our
Galaxy Is Crammed Full of Planets."
- The Economist article, "Ye
olde space race: More nations are heading into space."
- ExtremeTech article,
"NASA
unveils its futuristic warp drive starship - called
Enterprise, of course."
- Independent article,
"NASA
planning to build cloud cities in airships above Venus."
- SpaceflightNow article,
"European
space plane flies around the world on test flight."
- Wikipedia's "Space Elevator" article (with tons of links to sources).
Short fiction:
- Want to read the sequel to "Jupiter Whispers"? It's called "Orpheus' Engines," available in
Mission: Tomorrow
(see Blackboard
Course Documents).
- Isaac Asimov's story, “The Martian Way”
(see Blackboard).
- Mary
Turzillo's story, "Mars is No Place for Children" (see Blackboard).
Novels:
Multimedia:
- NASA's Perseverance Rover landed on Mars last Thursday!
Check out the new images and info coming from our newest Mars rover.
- "Breathtaking
Video Shows How SpaceX Will Send People to Mars."
- Radiolab episode, "Space." Ann Druyan discusses the
Golden Record we sent into space aboard the Voyager Interstellar Mission
(see Discussion Board for thoughts and questions).
- Audiotune Symphony of Science
- We Are All Connected (delightful video featuring vintage material from
Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, & Bill Nye).
-
The Mars Generation - a NetFlix original
documentary about some of the kids likely to explore Mars.
- Apollo 8 Christmas Eve reading from Genesis by astronauts Borman, Lovell, and Anders
(short video).
-
Treasure-trove
of images from Chinese Moon lander and rover.
- Washington Post video,
"Timelapse
shows six months of views from space in six minutes."
- Futurism.com's infographic,
"Spaceships
and Propulsion Systems for Interstellar Travel."
- R2, NASA's
robonaut.
- There's a great TED Talk
for just about every topic we examine in this course.
Here's the search section of the TED website.
- Check out McKitterick's "Sci, Tech, & Society"
YouTube playlist for more, organized in approximately the same order as our syllabus.
In particular, see the
Space Exploration,
Space Opera, and
Astro-Awesomeness playlists.
Movies:
Shows:
Art:
Comics:
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
Cosmology and physics.
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Philip K. Dick's story, “We can remember it for you wholesale.”
Jorge Luis Borges' story, “Circular Ruins.”
Plato's piece, “The Allegory of the Cave.”
See Blackboard (attached to this
week's Assignment):
- Robert Heinlein's story, "Requiem."
Read online:
(goodnight, Opportunity Rover)
(click image to see full-size Cassini spacecraft photo taken as it flew between Saturn's rings and the planet
on its final day before descending into the atmosphere)
I hope to have a special guest tonight! Steve Hawley -
Astronomy professor and former NASA astronaut - often graciously
agrees to visit class for this session.
Prepare your questions for the first hour!
Level Up opportunity tonight: Kij Johnson's
The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe book release event!
The
wonderful (and multiple-award-winning) local author has offered to give us a special 5-minute reading just for those who can't
come earlier! She'll do that once we show up after class... that, plus there'll
be light refreshments, so why not go?
Bonus:
In our course Blackboard
Discussion Board, we host special guest speaker KU Physics & Astronomy Professor
and astronaut Steve Hawley.
Come with questions for a real astronaut! Check back later for his responses.
Non-fiction article on the brain TBD.
Cosmology article.
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Week 5: March 4
Aliens and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Are we alone in the universe... and what if we're not?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Upcoming events:
- If you find other relevant events, let me know! They don't have to
appear here to count toward Leveling Up your learning
experience - attend, write your thoughts on the event, and turn in to
Blackboard.
Articles:
- Business Insider article, "Alien civilizations may have explored the galaxy and visited Earth already, a new study says. We just haven't seen them recently."
- Popular Mechanics article, "The
Case for Alien Life."
- Scientific American article, "Former
NASA scientist convinced we found life on Mars in the 1970s."
- Also from PM: "What Would Aliens Actually Look Like?"
- Related to the 'Oumuamua story: "On the likelihood of non-terrestrial artifacts in the Solar
System" (pdf).
- i09 article, "All
Stars Have Planets."
- Astrobiology Magazine's article, "Plentiful
Planet Population."
- Article on
The
"Wow!" Signal (and
here's a new hypothesis about its origin).
- The Fermi
Paradox wiki page.
- i09 article, "Does a
galaxy filled with habitable planets mean humanity is doomed?"
- Space.com article, "Jupiter's
Icy Moon Europa: Best Bet for Alien Life?"
- Popular Science article, "NASA has an unusually bold plan to find life on Europa."
- Astrobites article, "Alien Artifacts in our own Solar System?" responding to the
paper, "On the likelihood of non-terrestrial artifacts in the Solar System."
- Exobiology article, "Thriving
on Arsenic" (this one's now disproven, but suggests other ways life might
develop).
- Excerpt from Susan Chancy's "Abducted: How People Come to
Believe They Were Kidnapped by Aliens"
(part 1 and
part 2).
- The
Encyclopedia of SF's "Aliens"
entry.
- Space.com article, "Hidden
Ocean Found on Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus, Could Potentially Support Life."
Short fiction:
- David Brin's story, "The Crystal Spheres" (see Blackboard).
- Orson Scott Card's story, "Ender's Game"
(which later grew into the book).
- Greg Egan's story, "Luminous" (see Blackboard).
- A.E. Van Vogt's classic story,
"Black Destroyer" (free online), the
basis for the movie, Alien.
Novels:
Multimedia:
- BBC's Interactive Drake Equation (we'll run through this in class).
- Video: "The Fermi Paradox - Where Are All The Aliens?" (that's
Part 1, and here's Part 2).
- "mysterious Case of Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua," a Planetary Society podcast with Avi Loeb, the
Harvard astrophysicist who champions the theory that the object was an alien light-sail.
- Futurism illustrated article, "H.R. Giger's 'Alien' Art."
- If you like Expedition, check out
Wayne Douglas Barlow's art, and check out the
Expedition fanfiction site.
- "10 Unsettling Solutions to the Fermi Paradox."
- "78 Coins: Why We're Probably Not Alone in the Universe," by Josh Worth.
- Video of the original "WOW Signal received at SETI on Aug 15, 1977."
- Here's a fun infographic
of a few game-related aliens, by a former student (pdf).
- There's a great TED Talk
for just about every topic we examine in this course.
Here's the search section of the TED website.
TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short,
powerful talks of 18 minutes or less.
- See McKitterick's "Sci, Tech, & Society"
YouTube playlist for more, organized in approximately the same order as our syllabus.
Specifically, check out the
Aliens playlist.
Movies and shows:
Relevant Science technology society-related tags:
|
See Blackboard (attached to this week's
Assignment):
- James Gunn's story, "The Listeners."
- Science News special feature, "In Search of Aliens."
Read online:
from Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials:
(click image to see full size)
angry
Navy pilots get military to stop dismissing UFO sightings:
(click image to see Washington Post article)
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Week 6: March 11
Ecology and evolution
The shape of things to come - how our environment shapes us, and how we're shaping it.
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Check out the new SF subgenre,
Solarpunk.
Articles:
- Grist article, "How sci-fi could help solve climate change."
- Science Daily article, "Earth Surrounded by Trillions of Viruses, Fall From the Sky Every Day."
- The
Encyclopedia of SF's "Ecology"
entry.
- Research shows
Neanderthals painted art inside these European caves, not humans.
- Not only did we co-exist, but
this
National Geographic article reports
Neanderthal genes contribute two percent of Eurasian humans.
- Another great resource is the
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction's article on "Prehistoric SF."
- Check out the
Hieroglyph project, at Arizona State University's
Center for Science and the Imagination.
- New Scientist article,
"Life
began with a planetary mega-organism."
- National Geographic article,
"FUTURE
HUMANS: Four Ways We May, or May Not, Evolve."
- Cadell Last's
website is full of fascinating articles about human evolutionary
biology.
- Washington Post article, "The data is in. Frogs don't boil. But we might."
Short fiction:
Novels:
Multimedia:
Relevant
Science technology society
← the general course tag - blog tags:
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See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- Paolo Bacigalupi's story, "The Calorie Man."
- Stephen Baxter's story, "Children of Time."
- Ted Kosmakta and Michael Poore's story, "Blood Dauber" (also
online at Clarkesworld, with a podcast version).
- Article from Scientific American, "The Future of Homo Sapiens."
- Article from Scientific American, "The Ultimate Social Network."
Read online:
evolution graffiti
Ryan Nichols' essay, “Moral Relativism” (see Blackboard).
Plato's piece, “Ring of Gyges”
(from The Republic).
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Week 7: March 18
Biotech and the future of medicine.
Extended age spans, organ transplants, genetic engineering, GM foods, stem cell research, mutation, cloning, fear of change, religious resistance...
|
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Level Up bonus suggestions (Note: You need only
cover a couple of these to count in your Level Up bonus response - the
more you cover, the more potential bonus points, but no need to do them all!
They're all just suggestions):
Upcoming events:
- If you find other relevant events, let me know! They don't have to
appear here to count toward Leveling Up your learning
experience - attend, write your thoughts on the event, and turn in to
Blackboard.
Articles:
- Check out the most up-to-date info about the COVID-19 pandemic and the
race to save lives. The
National Institutes of Health COVID site is a great place to start.
- "Thinking Ethically About Human Biotechnology," from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
- NIH overview article: "Years of research enable a COVID-19 vaccine to be developed in record time."
- Browse this Neuroethics site.
- USA Today, "Can human genes be patented?"
- inverse article, "Scientists May Have Finally Figured out How to Reverse Aging in the Brain."
- Nature article, "It will change everything: DeepMind gigantic leap in solving protein structures."
- Science Daily article, "Microbes may hold the key for treating neurological disorders."
- Related to the Brazil mosquito experiment: "Nearly One Billion Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Be Released in Florida & Texas."
- LiveScience article, "Mini-Brains Allow Scientists to Study Brain Disorders."
- SciNews article, "Researchers Create Eight-Letter Genetic System: Hachimoji DNA."
- Science Daily article, "Tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant properties created with genetic engineering."
- New Scientist article, "World's
first baby born with new
3-parent technique."
- NPR article,
"Breaking
Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos."
- Apparently, as in Gunn's novel, the
ultra-rich are becoming ACTUAL VAMPIRES so they can live forever (science
report here).
- Futurism.com's infographic article, "How
CRISPR Works: The Future of Genetic Engineering and Designer Humans."
- Motherboard article,
"Artificial
Wombs Are Coming, but the Controversy Is Already Here."
- CNN article, "The
'living concrete' that heals itself."
- The Escapist article,
"Woolly
Mammoth Genes Slipped Into Elephant DNA."
- Smithsonian article, "Organs Made to Order."
- Popular Science article, "No, there has not been a successful human head transplant on a live patient."
Short fiction:
Novels:
Movies and shows:
Multimedia:
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
|
See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- Nancy Kress' story, "Beggars in Spain."
- Judith
Merril's story, "That Only a Mother."
- James
Tiptree's (Alice Sheldon) story, "The Screwfly Solution."
Read online:
bioluminescent plants
phages attacking a bacterium
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"Have regular hours for work and play. Make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well."
- Louisa May Alcott
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Week 8: March 25
Cyber space I: Robots and AI.
How might robots and artificial intelligence change our world - for better or worse?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Upcoming events:
- If you find other relevant events, let me know! They don't have to
appear here to count toward Leveling Up your learning
experience - attend, write your thoughts on the event, and turn in to
Blackboard.
Articles:
- Tumblr post about "The
Paperclip Maximizer" and AI ethics; refers to Eric Bostrom's
article, "Ethical Issues in Advanced Artificial Intelligence."
- "Why the biggest challenge facing AI is an ethical one,"
by Bryan Lufkin on BBC's Future Now.
- Benevolent artificial intelligence: "AI Uncovers a Potential Treatment for Covid-19 Patients."
- Singularity Hub article, "This One Equation May Be the Root of Intelligence."
- The Guardian article, "What are AI-generated deepfakes, and how can you spot them?"
- Futurism.com article, "New AI That Detects 'Deception' May Bring End to Lying as We Know It."
- Rolling Stone article,
"Inside
the Artificial Intelligence Revolution: A Special Report" (Part 1
and here's
Part 2).
- NPR story, "Weighing The Good And The Bad Of Autonomous Killer Robots In Battle."
- Wall Street Journal article, "Could
Robots Replace Jurors?"
- Related to that: "'Justice delayed is justice denied'​: Could AI and Data Science be the answer to India's judicial backlog?"
on LinkedIn.
- National Geographic article: "Us and Them."
- Asimov's SF magazine article, "Welcome
Our Robot Overlords!" by James Patrick Kelly.
- Science News
series on consciousness.
- Ray
Kurzweil's comprehensive website about artificial intelligence.
- Kaila Colbin article (or Spark Lab talk) on
"Technological
Unemployment: The Real Reason This Elephant Chart is Terrifying."
- Wired article, "Does
This Terrifying Robot Really Have to Look Like a Mermaid?"
- Rolling Stone article,
"Inside the Artificial Intelligence Revolution: A Special Report,"
(Part 1) and
Part 2.
- Futurism.com article, "Google's
Artificial Intelligence Beats the World Champion of Go
for the Second Time."
- The
Encyclopedia of SF's "Androids"
entry.
- The
Encyclopedia of SF's "Robots"
entry.
- Adbusters article, “The
Artistic Lives of Machines.”
- Kansas City Star's article, "'Chappie'
and other movies ask: Should we be afraid of artificial intelligence?"
- "Will
Superintelligent AI Ignore Humans Instead of Destroying Us?" by
Jason Koebler (in response to Zelijko Svedic's "Singularity
and the anthropocentric bias").
- Future of Life Institute's website. Their motto: "Technology
has given life the opportunity to flourish like never before... or to self-destruct."
- "Where machines could replace humans - and where they can't (yet)," by McKinsey and Company.
Short fiction (see Blackboard for those with no
link):
- Bunker's "They Have All One Breath."
- Greg Egan's "The Discrete Charm of the Turing Machine."
- Lisa Goldstein's "Paradise is a Walled Garden."
- Alastair Reynolds' "Weather."
- Richards' "Operators."
- "Maneki Neko," by Bruce Sterling (ref in "Cat
Pictures Please").
- Jack Williamson's, "With Folded Hands" - the original
robot-laws-gone-amuck story.
Novels:
Movies and shows:
Multimedia:
- Janelle Monáe's brilliant, short (48-minute) musical movie,
Dirty Computer (also the
Feminism+SciFi Forum topic for Apr 10).
- "Neural Karaoke: A Computer Wrote A Christmas Carol That May Haunt You"
video (and story) on NPR.
- "Machine Made," a gallery of robot art.
- Motherboard's 30-minute video, "Inhumankind: The Dawn of Killer Robots."
- "Robots
(Humans are Dead)" humorous music video.
- Thoughtful fun: xkcd's take on AI vs. human intelligence (don't forget to hover your
mouse over the comics to see the full narrative).
- Robot state of the art:
Boston Dynamics' Atlas.
- "Robot
Companions: A New Breed of Social Machines" infographic.
- Short video, "AI Might Run the World Better Than Humans Do."
- Short Big Think video, "Unchecked AI Will Bring On Human Extinction, with Michael Vassar."
- Another short Big Think video, "Michio Kaku: How to Stop Robots From Killing Us."
- Check out the recent AI conference held in NYC, "Ethics
of Artificial Intelligence." They recorded the whole
thing. You can watch it here.
- Robots in space!
R2, NASA's
robonaut.
- Thoughtful fun:
xkcd's take on AI vs. human intelligence (don't forget to hover your mouse over the
comics to see the full narrative).
- Robot state of the art:
Boston
Dynamics' Atlas.
- Check out the
functional $1 million
battlemech for sale on Amazon.
- "The Last Bastion"
video.
- "Where machines could replace humans
- and where they can't (yet)" infographic (pdf), by McKinsey and Company.
- The "Social Robotics: Breathing Life into Machines" website. They host a conference every year!
- Search the TED Talk website for a huge assortment of relevant short talks.
- Check out McKitterick's "Sci, Tech, & Society"
YouTube playlist for more, especially the
Robots & Androids and
Artificial Intelligence playlists.
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
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See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- Isaac
Asimov's story, "The Evitable Conflict."
- Robin Wayne
Bailey's story, "Keepers of Earth."
- C.L. Moore's story, "No Woman Born."
- Lisa Goldstein's story, "Paradise is a Walled Garden."
- Alastair Reynolds' story, "Weather."
Read online:
Abstract, outline, and preliminary reading list for final project
due by
5:00pm
Tuesday, April 6.
If you haven't already started reading, don't forget we're discussing William Gibson's novel
Neuromancer next week, so jump on it!
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Week 9: April 1
Cyber space II: Cyborgs and cybertech, present and future.
How does the human experience change as we merge with technology?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
More from the book, Infoglut
(see Blackboard).
Articles:
- CNN article, "U.S.
military spending millions to make cyborgs a reality."
- Holy Cyborgs-Are-Now, Batman! Check out
this article about a real-life cyborg.
- Donna Haraway's essay, "A
Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late
Twentieth Century."
- CNET piece, "Deepfakes may ruin the world.
And they can come for you, too." Tech made national news with the
@deeptomcruise TikTok.
- Virtual resurrection
- Daily Mail article,
"Rise
of the brain-controlled robot armies: Chinese military trains students to control machines with their minds."
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Cyborg-lifestyle jewelry that harvests human energy.
- Daily Dot article, "Meet 'No Hands Ken,'
the quadriplegic gamer who plays with just his mouth."
- Popular Mechanics article,
"DARPA's
Prosthetics Can Now Grip, Climb, and Grasp Slippery Objects."
- Science Daily article, "New
device allows brain to bypass spinal cord, move paralyzed limbs"
(video on page, too).
- Article on cybernetic technology,
"Embedded
Technologies: Power From the People."
- The
Encyclopedia of SF's "Cyborgs"
entry.
- The
Encyclopedia of SF's "Cyberpunk"
entry.
Short fiction:
- "Johnny Mnemonic,"
the short story by William Gibson with characters from the same
world as Neuromancer.
Novels:
Movies and TV:
Multimedia:
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
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William Gibson's novel, Neuromancer (entire
book - get started reading early!). A readable copy (barely) is also available
to borrow free (renewable every hour, pending availability) on the Open Library Internet Archive (free registration
required).
See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- First five pages of the introduction to Infoglut (feel free to read and respond to the full excerpt if it draws you in!).
Read online:
N=2i-1 is the formula for intelligence
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Week 10: April 8
Disasters!
Plague, overpopulation, pollution, climate change, dystopias, terrorism, war...
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Upcoming events:
- If you find other relevant events, let me know! They don't have to
appear here to count toward Leveling Up your learning
experience - attend, write your thoughts on the event, and turn in to
Blackboard.
Articles:
- This year, we have an inside view of one apocaclyptic scenario - pick your
most trusted COVID-19 / SARS-Cov2 / Coronavirus resource. A couple
suggestions:
- More on the novel Coronavirus pandemic:
- As of March 31, 2021, the US has suffered 31 million infections and
551,000 deaths due to this
disaster (compare to 14,000 dead this week last year when
things began to take a terrible turn), still "leading" the world, with Brazil catching up fast at
close to 13 million infections and 318,000 deaths.
- More than 128 million people around the world have been infected (1.5 million
this time last year), and COVID-19 has killed nearly 3 million (88,000
this time last year).
- On that note, a useful website full of safety
suggestions, particularly regarding food:
"Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide."
- The Encyclopedia of SF's "Climate Change" and "Disaster" entries.
- NASA's excellent climate-change site.
- Looking for some less-horrifying disasters? Check out some of
"Jane Rogers' top 10 cosy catastrophes" on
The Guardian.
- More about that subgenre in the Tor.com piece, "Who reads cosy catastrophes?"
- "Students' Guide to Global Warming
Ways You Can Make a Difference for the Earth" - targeted at younger people, making it extremely accessible and practical.
- More from the
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
- For a positive take about space-based doom: "A.I.
is Defending the Earth From Asteroids."
- As for big space-based disasters, check out Astrobiology's "How
Deadly Would a Nearby Gamma Ray Burst Be?"
- NPR piece, "UN Says World's Population Will Reach 9.8 Billion By 2050."
- Guardian article, "Scientists turn to tech to prevent second wave of locusts in east Africa."
- Wikipedia's "Projections
of Population Growth" piece.
- New Republic article, "Apocalypse
Soon: Meet The Scientists Preparing For the End Times."
- "All You Zombies: The apocalypse as a comforting entertainment," by
Jonathan Patterson, a grad student.
- "If Politicians Read Science Fiction, We'd Have Avoided the Cold War and Other Disasters," by
io9.
- "How to Survive Absolutely Anything," by Popular Mechanics.
Short fiction:
Novels:
-
The Stand, by Stephen King.
- The Execution Channel, by Ken MacLeod.
- The Handmaid's Tale (novel), by Margaret
Atwood.
- HARM, by Brian Aldiss.
- The Hunger Games (novel).
-
Jennifer Government, by Max Barry.
- Cory Doctorow's novel,
Little Brother. (Available as a
free audiobook here.
Click here for a free
interactive .pdf, or
here
for a free .epub ebook). He also provides great teaching materials for
the book
here.
-
Market Forces, by Richard Morgan.
-
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel.
- John Brunner's novel,
Stand on Zanzibar.
-
V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore (graphic novel).
- Pretty much any of Paolo Bacigalupi's work (such as his novel,
The Windup Girl).
Movies and shows:
Multimedia:
Relevant Science
technology society-related tags:
Check out
this great interactive asteroid- and comet-impact site;
here's
another one with more detail but less drama.
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See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- David Brin's story, "Cascades"
(short story that later became the first part of the novel, The Postman).
- HHarlan Ellison's story, "A Boy and His Dog." (Note:
Contains scenes of violence and assault; if this might be triggering to you, feel
free to substitute a relevant alternative; some suggestions on the left.)
- Paul McAuley's story, "Antarctica Starts Here."
 Read online:
We'll have a special guest tonight! Brian McClendon -
a 1986 electrical-engineering graduate, co-creator of Google Earth, former Uber VP of mapping,
2015 inductee to the National Academy of Engineering, and candidate for Kansas Secretary of State - has graciously
offered to visit class for this session. Prepare your questions for the first half hour (or more)!
click to see full size
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Week 11: April 15
Nanotechnology.
Revolutions in production: Replicators and 3D printers, nanobots and grey goo...
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Articles:
Novels:
Movies:
Multimedia:
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
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K. Eric Drexler's book, Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of
Nanotechnology (read entire book). If not available or you don't wish
to own a copy, see Blackboard.
See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
Greg Bear's story, "Blood Music."
Nancy Kress' story, "Nano Comes to Clifford Falls."
Read online:
War on the Rocks article, "3-D
Printing Will Disrupt the World in Ways We Can Barely Imagine."
nanotech-modding DNA
Level Up opportunity to turn in your final project (by 5pm Friday): +6 points.
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Week 12: April 22
Posthumanism and transhumanism.
What might we become?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Upcoming events:
- If you find other relevant events, let me know! They don't have to
appear here to count toward Leveling Up your learning
experience - attend, write your thoughts on the event, and turn in to
Blackboard.
Articles:
Novels:
Multimedia:
Movies and shows:
Relevant
Science technology society-related blog tags:
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Chapters 1-7 of Ray Kurzweil's book,
The Age of Spiritual Machines (glitch with the free download on
KurzweilAI.net here - scroll down to see the chapters and click to read each;
there's also a print book you can buy.
See Blackboard for now).
See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- Ian Creasey's story, "Cut Loose the Bonds of Flesh and Bone."
- Harlan
Ellison's story, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream." (Note:
Contains scenes of virtual violence and horror; if this is a trigger for you, feel free
to substitute a relevant alternative.)
- Ray Kurzweil's book,
The Age of Spiritual Machines.
- Ken Liu's story, "Altogether Elsewhere, Vast Herds of Reindeer"
(title comes from W.H. Auden's poem, "The
Fall of Rome")
Level Up opportunity to turn in your final project (by 5pm Friday): +4 points.
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Week 13: May 6
The Singularity and sociology of the future.
Technological black holes. Future society: Global or local? How will cities evolve?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Articles:
- "A Tough Guide to the
Rapture of the Nerds" (Charles Stross' glossary on posthumanism).
- Futurism article, "Singularity: Explain It to Me Like I'm 5 Years Old."
- "Solarpunk, a Rocketship Ride Through Science Fiction's Evolution, and Things to Come,"
by McKitterick.
- "Computing Machinery and Intelligence"
(pdf), Alan Turing's seminal 1950 paper on artificial intelligence, and the source of the "Turing Test."
- "Scientists Are Turning Nuclear Waste
into Super-Efficient Diamond Batteries." One way for us to find the energy to power a posthuman, Singulatarian future.
- "Neurotechnology,
Elon Musk, and the goal of human enhancement," an article about augmented
intelligence or intelligence amplification (IA).
- "Elon
Musk says his 'neural lace' will solve brain injuries in four years, but not everyone's buying it."
- "The AI
singularity won't kill us all."
- Newsweek article about
Ray Kurzweil.
- HubPages piece about the "Singularity
Made Simple: Nanotechnology."
- AACU article, "Rewriting the Dominant Narrative: How Liberal Education Can Advance Racial Healing and Transformation."
- Cadell Last's
paper, "Singularity,
Communism, Apocalypse!"
- "The Troubling Trajectory Of Technological Singularity"
- New York Times piece, "When Is the Singularity? Probably Not in Your Lifetime," for another perspective.
Novels:
Check out and maybe converse with an interactive AI; some suggestions:
Multimedia:
Relevant Science technology society-related
blog tags:
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Chapters 8-12 of Ray Kurzweil's book,
The Age of Spiritual Machines (glitch with the free download on
KurzweilAI.net here - scroll down to see the chapters and click to read each;
there's also a print book you can buy.
See Blackboard for now).
Read online:
See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
from "The Troubling Trajectory Of Technological Singularity"
Level Up opportunity to turn in your final project (by 5pm Friday,
May 4): +2 points.
Final project deadline:
5:00pm Monday, May 14.
No earlybird bonus (or late
deductions) May 5 - 15.
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"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."
- Marie Curie
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Week 14: May 6
The far future.
Beyond the Singularity: Is our far future unknowable, unimaginable?
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Level Up bonus suggestions:
Articles:
Short fiction:
Novels:
Movies and shows:
Multimedia:
Future timelines:
Relevant
Science technology society course blog tags:
If we haven't already, determine presentation order for next week.
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See Blackboard (attached to this week's Assignment):
- Charles Sheffield's story, "At the Eschaton."
- Cordwainer Smith's story, "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard."
- Frederik Pohl's story, "Day Million."
Read online:
Bender Bending Rodriguez, from Futurama's "Godfellas" episode
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Level Up opportunity to turn in final research project:
+4 points.
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Week 15: May 7
Presentations!
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Note: If everyone is willing, we'll try to fit everyone's presentations into
this week (so we need not meet during Finals Week). If so, this session is likely
to run a little long.
When you're not presenting, your job is to be a responsive and attentive audience, and
to think of good questions to ask the groups after their presentations. Come prepared to enjoy
and learn!
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Student
presentations!
Be ready to rock your presentations. Here's the order in which we'll enjoy
everyone's awesomeness:
Presentation topics vary. Be ready to rock. Here's the order
in which we'll enjoy everyone's awesomeness:
When you're not presenting, your job is to be a responsive and attentive audience, and
to think of good questions to ask the groups after their presentations. Come prepared to enjoy
and learn!
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Finals Week
(no class)
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Presentation topics vary!
Final Project due by 5:00pm Monday, May 17.
Missing or late projects: To receive credit, hand off any missing response or other
papers (and Level Up
responses) to Blackboard
by 5:00pm on Thursday, May 20.
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Course Requirements
To successfully complete the course and get out of it all you can, you must:
- Attend class each week.
- Participate in class, which means being actively involved in every discussion
each week.
- Help lead at least two sessions with partners.
- Read the required books, stories, articles, and other assigned materials.
- Write insightful weekly
response papers.
- Write a formal mid-term research project.
- Create a longer final project due at the end of the semester.
- Participate in a live group presentation on the last two day or two of class.
To earn top scores and get a great final grade, be sure to Level Up
whenever possible!
Class Periods
Each week we discuss a variety of stories and articles. Occasionally,
we might have guest speakers, and I or the student discussion leaders will
sometimes show film clips and internet multimedia. Class periods revolve
largely around discussion, with some lecture.
Be civil: These are discussions about ideas, not arguments! Civility and respect for the opinions of others are
vital for a free exchange of ideas. You might not agree with everything I or
others say in the classroom, but I expect respectful behavior and interaction all times. When you disagree with someone, make a distinction between
criticizing an idea and criticizing the person. Similarly,
try to remember that discussions can become heated, so if someone seems to be
attacking you, keep in mind they take issue with your idea, not who
you are, and respond appropriately. Expressions or actions that disparage a person's
age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression,
nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation - or their marital, parental, or veteran status
- are contrary to the mission of this course and will not be tolerated. If we
all strive to be decent human beings, we'll all get the most out of this course!
Attendance and Class Participation
This is a discussion course, so class participation is weighed heavily!
Coming to class and getting involved in all the discussions each day are necessary for
getting a good grade, not to mention how much value you get
from the course. The discussions aren't just explication of plot or concept; I expect you to exercise your critical-reading skills. That is, don't just read
the fiction for pleasure, don't just accept everything in the nonfiction as
canon, and don't feel the need to agree with your classmates' ideas - this
course is all about challenging the notion that we and our world will always be
as it has been. In the discussions, I want to hear how you synthesize the ideas
from the assigned readings, your outside readings, and your own experiences. Of
course, be polite and diplomatic if you disagree, but don't be shy either.
Because we only meet once per week, each unexcused absence has a significant effect.
If you know you are going to miss a class for an academic event, illness, or
other excusable reason, contact me as soon as possible to see if we can work out
something so it does not affect your overall grade. If necessary, I can
mitigate this loss so your attendance score remains unaffected.
During discussions, do not expose yourself or others to distractions such as checking email, Facebook, and
so forth. Obviously, turn off your phone ringer/buzzer and put it away. I know it's
sometimes a challenge to focus during extended discussion, but recent studies
show that the human mind cannot pay attention to more than one thing at a time,
and fracturing your attention means you're not getting everything possible out
of each discussion. Even worse, monkeying around online also interrupts your neighbors'
attention. Former students have let me know in course evaluations that the
in-class discussions can be extremely interesting and engaging, and sometimes
are really challenging to follow. So fracturing your attention by goofing off
doing something not directly to the discussion is sure to leave you behind in
the discussion. I want you - and everyone! - to get the most out of this class
as possible, and enjoy it, too!
Feel free to take notes on your computer or portable device - or pull up your
discussion and response notes - if you
choose, just stay away from distractions. It's difficult to remain
engaged in discussions if your mind is elsewhere, and doing so also bumps down your overall
grade. On the other hand, actively participating in class discussions bumps up
your overall grade.
If you suffer from social anxiety or have other special needs, please talk to
me so we can work out an
alternative to leading discussions. I understand that some people cannot
participate in live discussions but get a lot out of listening.
Discussants
The students
assigned as discussants each week lead (not
monopolize) the discussion. Everyone is required to help lead discussions
at least
twice during the semester, and can lead more if you want to Level Up. If you have special needs and cannot
perform this task, let me know early. Choose your weeks via our Google Doc
sign-up
for the list so far.
Discussants perform additional research
prior to class (further readings, identifying possible multimedia content, and
so forth) and come prepared with six or more questions to stimulate discussion among your peers about the day's topic and readings.
Turn in these discussion plans
as your response for that week in
addition to or (if thorough [including notes]) in place of your response paper.
I expect all students to participate in
all the discussions, but I also request that discussion leaders avoid talking too much
or talking over others - this are discussions, not arguments or lectures!
Discussion leaders: Don't use this time to lecture, but instead to pose
questions likely to raise interesting and relevant discussion.
Your instructor will likely open each day with some general discussion, plus
current events and other things relevant to the day's discussions. After that,
the assigned
student discussants begin offering their questions (as will McKitterick). You can split up the tasks among your fellow discussants based
on stories, topics, or however you see fit. I simply expect everyone to serve
equally.
If you would like to suggest relevant content for the week you're leading discussion,
by all means drop McKitterick an email with links to the materials! Due to the nature of
science, tech, society, and SF, new material is always appearing, and you might
find
something even more relevant than what's in the syllabus. This is a cooperative,
evolving course. I'm happy to add links (or
consider
replacing less-relevant content) with your suggestions, given enough time for the
rest of the class to consider it.
Base value: 5 points per week you help lead discussion. Base
value: 10 points.
Level Up
- Discussion leaders who facilitate particularly excellent class
sessions: +1 each.
- Discussion leaders whose preparation is really stand-out (lots of extra
research, extra discussion prompts, multimedia use in class, sharing resources with the class, and so
on): +1 each.
- Discussion leaders whose suggested content makes it onto the week's
bonus list (you must submit links at least a full week in advance): +1
for each week's new content.
- Possibly more ways to get bonuses - be a great discussion leader, get
everyone involved, and I'll take note!
- Potential to Level Up and earn +6 for leading two great sessions, or
even more!
Graduate students and teachers:
Demonstrate solid pedagogical
theory. Act as if you're assistant teachers for this course for the week. I expect you to
participate every week, providing insightful comments and questions while
encouraging those less inclined to participate - but not to dominate the
discussions.
Attendance and Class Participation Scoring
You get out of any activity only what you put into it. The more effort and
creativity you apply to your projects and to class discussions, the more you
will learn and the better the class will be for everyone else, as well. If you
do not regularly attend class or do not participate in discussions, you'll miss
out on a lot of opportunities to learn and grow as a person. Be sure to show up and
get involved!
Base value: 3 points per class session. Base value:
45 points.
Level Up
- Never miss a class: +4.
- Great participants in the daily discussions can earn up to +20
points over the course of the semester!
Penalty
Missing class is the surest way to lose points here: -3 points per
missed class (after the first).
If you know you are going to miss a class for an academic
event, illness, or other excusable reason, contact me as soon as possible to
see if we can work out something so it does not negatively affect your overall grade
too much. If
appropriate, I can mitigate this loss so your attendance percentage remains unaffected.
Projects
In addition to good participation, much of your grade depends on the short response papers you write on a weekly basis,
your formal mid-term paper, and the longer final project.
If you use non-standard software to create your projects, save
them in standard formats (for example, most computers can read .doc, .html,
.rtf, and .pdf formats). Turn in
papers via Blackboard
before class begins on the
due date or by end of day on days when we don't meet for class.
They will be graded and returned via Blackboard in a reasonable time.
Want to enhance your literary-criticism chops and Level Up by incorporating traditional
(or novel) lit-crit approaches into your papers? Check out
this
overview page about "Literary-Criticism Approaches to Studying Science Fiction."
Weekly Response Papers
Prior to each class, write a short reading-response paper and
turn it in via
Blackboard in the "Week
[x]:" response-paper assignment slot. Please attach a .doc-formatted document to
make it simpler to read
everyone's papers every week. Along with participation in each week's
discussion, these papers are scored as an important measure of your engagement
with the week's topics. You'll write a total of 14 of these throughout the
semester, so keep up with your readings and responses!
This short (300-600 words for undergrads, 400-1000 words
for graduate students) paper is a brief but thoughtful response
to all of the readings for that week, both nonfiction and fiction. (If you go a little long, that's
better than too short, but be kind to your teachers!) Provide your thoughts on the week's
assigned works, not just a plot
summary, instead offering insightful, critical, and thoughtful reflections on
the works. When responding to the fiction, ask yourself what the author was
trying to say (themes), and how the story answers the question of how science
and technology change what it means to be human in a changing age. When leading
the week's discussion, include your discussion-leader notes as part of your
reading response, or in addition to it.
As in the discussions, exercise your critical-reading skills with these
response papers; that is, don't just read the fiction for pleasure and don't
just accept everything in the nonfiction as canon - this course is all about
challenging the notion that we and our world will always be as it has been. I want to hear how you synthesize the ideas from the assigned readings, your
outside readings, and your own experiences.
Regarding format:
Many people use bullets for discussion
points, bold the titles of the works discussed, or use the titles as
headings. Some people write responses that resemble essays, citing the works in
tandem, while others respond to each individually. However you prefer to
handle it is fine, but what's most important is that you've thought through all
the readings for each day and their relationship to one another as well as their
relationship to changes in science, technology, and society over time.
Tip: I suggest bringing your response to
class - especially your questions - to help formulate ideas during discussion. (Also be sure to turn them in via
Blackboard in advance
of class.) They
are usually scored in
Blackboard by the following week.
Weekly Response Paper Scoring
Base value: 2 points each × 14 = 24 total.
Here is how I score the weekly reading-response papers:
0 - no paper, or poor one turned in late.
1 - paper turned in, but does not convince me you did all of the reading, or provides no interesting insights.
2 - either has interesting insights on some of the readings or
convinces me you completed most of the reading.
3 - (+1 Level Up) convinces me you did
all the reading and provides
some interesting
insights.
4 - (+2 Level Up) references
all the required materials and shares thoughtful responses to
everything, plus discusses additional materials relevant* to
the week's content.
That means you could possibly earn one-third over the base score for your Weekly Responses
by Leveling Up every week! Up to +24 - possibly twice
the base score!
Grad and Honors students:
As you might imagine, I expect more from
your papers. They should reflect your mastery of the paper form as well as
provide insights worthy of your added experience and education. Additionally, for each topic, please find, read, and respond to
at least one additional work that matches
the week's topics. Include your response to this work as part of your regular
response paper. If you found it online, provide a link in your response paper. Otherwise, include
bibliographic information. Insightfulness and clarity are important.
Weekly Level Up Response
Write a second paper - a Level-Up response - that engages
at least a couple additional works
and responds to in-class discussion. The more materials you
cover, the more potential bonus points, but no need to read or watch all
the suggestions! They're just suggested added materials.
- This second paper is scored similarly
to the required Weekly Response Papers, but turn it in to the "Week [x]: Level Up!"
Blackboard assignment slot. Be clear about how these additional materials and ideas
extend your understanding of the week's content, ideas, and themes.
- Up to
+2 base bonus points each week (up to +28 total).
- Include in your
Level-Up response at least two thought-provoking questions
that you might pose to the class to stimulate discussion, even if you are
not leading the week's discussion: up to +1 each week
(for a total possible of +3 per
Level-Up response, up to +42 total bonus
points for the semester).
Notes:
- To earn the maximum bonus, you must turn
in your Level Up responses to the appropriate Blackboard slot by
Friday at 5pm on the relevant weeks. You can turn them in later, as well, for up to +2 bonus.
- Some examples include a short story, an episode of a show, a comic (issue of a printed comic or multi-page online comic), an SF event
(convention, book-club gathering, book release or reading, significant fan event, or so on), a movie, relevant website interaction
(for example, actively reading and responding on a fan-site), game-time long enough to experience significant story narrative, browsing
(with intent and using your critical skills) a series of art pieces (such as paintings, sculptures, photographs, and the like),
an exhibit, or so forth. You can also count something that you actively create and share with others, such as fanfiction, fan-art,
thoughtful blogging, or so forth.
- Subscribe to or read a science and tech-news list, and write a response to current and future sci-tech (and drop
me an email
with articles you particularly recommend I add to the readings).
Sign up here for the KurzweilAI mailing list.
- This is something that should take the average person at least an hour or two to fully appreciate,
consider, and respond to (yes, I have a pretty solid gauge for this).
To earn these bonus points, turn in your response or content as a separate file from the week's usual response under the "Week [x] Level Up!"
slot in Blackboard (next to the "Week [x] Response
Paper" slot). If you've created something that's posted online, just turn in a direct link to it. Please use standard file formats; don't make
me have to buy or download software just to see it, or set up an account just to read it.
Penalty
Late papers lose -1 point each if turned in after the relevant class session begins.
Turn them in on time! Missing response papers are due ASAP, at the very latest during Finals Week.
Weekly Paper Scoring
Here is how I score the weekly papers, based on a 0-4 point system per
paper:
0 - no paper turned in.
1 - paper turned in, but does not convince me that you did much reading.
2 - paper convinces me that you did some of the reading.
3 - paper either has interesting insights on most of the readings or convinces
me that you completed all of the reading.
4 - paper convinces me that you did all of the reading and provides interesting
insights.
Missing response papers are due ASAP, at the very latest during Finals Week at a reduced
score. Late papers lose 1 point if up to one week late; after that, they might lose more. Turn
them in on time!
Mid-Term Creative or Research Project
Choose either a topic covered in the syllabus or a new
one, perform additional
research beyond the required materials for that topic, and write a
short paper about it. If you're at a loss for a theme, keep in mind the course's
core questions:
How do scientific discoveries, technological advances, and society pressures drive
ever-accelerating human change?
What are some possible consequences and unintended side-effects of change?
What might the future we'll inhabit look like?
If you're uncomfortable writing research papers, just
think of this as a formal and extended weekly response,
with quotes and references to various materials to support your arguments, plus
a bibliography and other references as appropriate (Wikipedia is not a
citable primary source, but is a good place to get started and to find sources).
I also welcome creative expressions of your understanding about how the
human experience is changing or will change. As with the creative option for the
Final Project, you must include an "artist's statement"
(describing how your creative work displays your understanding of the human
experience undergoing due to new science, technology, or societal change, and of
SF literature), plus an
annotated bibliography
(a list of references with brief notes) at the end of your document. See
Final Project Option B: Creative Work for details. Use both fiction and nonfiction sources. Turn in this paper via
Blackboard.
This paper must be 1000-2000 words (typically 4 to 8 pages) for
undergrad students, 2000-4000 words for Honors students, and 3000-5000 words for grad students. A little longer is okay
if you must, but try not to get too long!
Unlike the weekly responses, these papers are graded on the quality of writing (including basics like grammar and spelling),
the quality of ideas
and your argument in support of them, the quality of independent research and reporting, and use of
course material and
arguments presented during discussions.
Format your bibliography as appropriate for your field of study (MLA
for Humanities,
Chicago for most other fields, and so forth;
here's
a good list of style guides). References, bibliographies, and endnote pages do not count toward your word-count.
Some resources you might find useful:
Grad students: In addition to
the basics of writing an insightful paper, I expect you to demonstrate mastery
of the form.
Base value: 50 points.
Level Up
- Include an
annotated bibliography
(regular bibliography is required, and neither counts toward total
word-count) to your mid-term paper: +6.
- Meet all the requirements, above, but also deliver your project in a
functional multimedia form that works with text (website, comic, or so
forth): up to +6.
- Work with a classmate (or more than one) to
peer-review one
another's projects.
- See
this page for how to successfully do a peer critique, which also
describes what I'm looking for in what you turn in for your Level
Up assignment.
- Turn in the project you marked up and any additional critque notes
you sent your partner (not your own paper).
- Not only does performing a peer-review earn you bonus points, but it
will also improve both of your projects. Everyone wins!
- Bonus points you can earn here can vary widely based on how much
effort you put into your review: up to +8.
- Possibly more ways to get bonuses: Write a kick-butt paper! Teach me
something new, make and support an original or thoughtful argument, or so
forth: up to +10 additional.
Penalty
A late Mid-Term Paper gets -5 points for the first
week, then -5 points per week late after that.
Turn
it in on time! Missing papers are due ASAP, at the very latest during Finals Week (at
a deduction).
Final
Creative or Research Project
- Due Monday, May 17 -
The final individual project can be a traditional essay or a creative work. Your research paper
or creative project
identifies and explores a topic related to the course theme, but can cover
topics not listed in the syllabus. Papers must be 1000-3000 words (4 to 15
pages) for undergrads and and 3000-5000 words for grad students.
If you expect to go significantly over the limit, please contact one of the teachers
before continuing.
Essentially, answer one or all of the course's core questions in the form of an essay or creative work:
How do scientific discoveries, technological advances, and society pressures drive
ever-accelerating human change?
What are some possible consequences and unintended side-effects of change?
What might the future we'll inhabit look like?
Here is your
opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the course's subject-matter, your ability to perform in-depth research on material beyond what
I assigned
in the syllabus,
and your skill at synthesizing interesting insights from that research.
The completed final project is due via
Blackboard by the
Monday before our last regular discussion. If you've
created a website, posted your short film to the internet, or otherwise cannot
upload the project directly, just provide a link (website URL) to your project in
the Submission section of the Blackboard assignment.
You must include an
annotated bibliography
(a list of references with brief notes) at the end of your document,
especially if it is a creative work. An annotated bibliography is a set of references that
provide a summary of your research.
List your sources alphabetically and include a brief summary or annotation
of each document you list as a reference. Format your bibliography as
appropriate for your field of study (MLA
for Humanities,
Chicago for most other fields, and so forth;
here's
a good list of style guides). Use both fiction and nonfiction sources. Turn in this paper via
Blackboard.
Grad and Honors students: In addition to the basics of writing an
insightful paper, I expect you to demonstrate mastery of the form. You also
have an Option C: Course Outline, Lesson Plan, or Study Guide.
Contact McKitterick for details.
References, annotated bibliographies, and endnote pages do not count toward the minimum or
maximum.
What can you add to the larger discussion
about the intersection of science, technology, society, and science fiction? What does it add? What are
the influences of the works you're examining? What do they respond to and extend what you think of as "science fiction"
or speculative science?
Discuss as usual in a scholarly piece, or define in your creative piece's artist
statement.
Some resources you might find useful:
Your response can be a traditional written document or a project you create
using another media format.
You must include a properly formatted bibliography (list of references or
works cited) with a traditional paper, or an
annotated bibliography
with a multimedia project.
Base value: 80 points.
Level Up
Lots of ways to exceed the base points on this project!
- Throughout the semester, pay attention to what your classmates, teachers,
and others say in class, take notes on great ideas
or things you disagree with, and note the date and names of the speakers so
you can cite them. Accurately cite
in-class discussions that support your arguments, and list such materials in
your bibliography. Also, cite and list diverse references, both in terms of quantity and media
form. Up to +10.
- Meet all the requirements, above, but also deliver your project in a
functional multimedia form that works with text (website or so
forth): up to +10.
- Work with a classmate (or more than one) to
peer-review one
another's projects.
- See
this page for how to successfully do a peer critique, which also
describes what I'm looking for in what you turn in for your Level
Up assignment.
- Turn in the project you marked up and any additional critque notes
you sent your partner (not your own paper).
- Not only does performing a peer-review earn you bonus points, but it
will also improve both of your projects. Everyone wins!
- Bonus points you can earn here can vary widely based on how much
effort you put into your review: up to +10.
- Possibly more ways to get bonuses: Write a great paper! Teach me
something new, make and support an original or thoughtful argument, or so
forth: up to +10.
Penalty
A late Final Project gets -4 points per day late up to a
max
of -16. "Late" is any time after the last due date.
Option A: Traditional Research Paper
Many students opt for this option. Research papers are graded on the quality
and diversity of research (both fictional and non-fictional), the writing (including
grammar and spelling), and the strength of the topic and argument. What I most
want is for you to demonstrate what you've learned from the course readings, your
outside readings, and in-class discussions, and how you express this synthesis:
Show me how these readings have changed your perspective on the world. This is not something that
you can successfully complete at the last minute. The research paper should
represent a semester-long investigation of topics that interest you. If you wish
to use readings from the assigned readings that we discussed in class, I expect
you to also have something new to say that we didn't already discuss.
Option B: Creative Work
A creative work (story, series of poems, play, short film, collection of
artworks, website, creative nonfiction,
and so forth)
must dramatize how the ideas and themes posed in your work could affect believable, interesting
characters living in a convincing, fully realized world in addition to
revealing substantial understanding of how science, technology, and society
affect us as human beings. For the purposes of this course, your
annotated bibliography
(normally not included in creative work) is particularly important if you
pursue this option, because you don't want to force information into a story ("As
you know, Jim, the hyperdrive generator operates in five dimensions..."),
and I want to see the diversity of readings that helped you develop your work
(both fictional and non-fictional). Show me your research with a good annotated
bibliography, demonstrate your understanding of science fiction and the kinds of
topics we discussed this semester, and make your creative work stand on its own.
To be crystal-clear in defining how your
creative work displays your understanding of science, technology, society, SF
literature, and your response
to the relationship between these things, please also include an
"artist's statement," as it
very much helps in evaluating creative work. Write this either as an appendix to
your document (but don't count this toward your word-count) or paste it into the
Submission text box of the Blackboard assignment.
Be aware that this option is more challenging - especially if you haven't
taken formal creative-writing courses - because I expect the same level of
research as in the traditional paper plus it needs to be
interesting and entertaining while reflecting insights into how science,
technology, and society shifts affect us as human beings.
Check out McKitterick's intensive, residential
SF Summer Workshop Resources page for tons of useful information
about writing good SF. Also
click
here for more useful writing resources.
Deadlines
To ensure good progress on
your final project, you must meet the following deadlines:
- April 11: Submit an
abstract, outline, and a preliminary
background-reading list to the course coordinators for approval.
Turn this in via Blackboard under the appropriate assignment.
-
May 13: The completed final project is due via
Blackboard by 5:00pm. If you've
created a website, posted your short film to the internet, or otherwise cannot
upload the project directly, just provide a link (website URL) to the project in
the Submission section of the Blackboard assignment.
You may turn in your project early - and get Level Up bonus points for doing so.
- By Friday, April 24: +6 points.
- By Friday, May 1: +4 points.
Presentation
The last week (or two) of the course is reserved for student oral or
multimedia presentations.
This is our final in-class get-together!
You form a group of students, usually 3-5, and present for a total of about
5 minutes per student; that is, a 4-person group typically presents for 20 minutes, while
a 5-person group presents for about 25 minutes. If you're showing a short
5-minute film you created or performing some other preparation-heavy (but short)
presentation, bring discussion prompts for Q&A afterward. Your group
chooses a topic related to the course theme and makes a
presentation to the class.
You can select a topic we've covered or another one relevant to the overall course themes:
How do scientific discoveries, technological advances, and society pressures drive
ever-accelerating human change?
What are some possible consequences and unintended side-effects of change?
What might the future we'll inhabit look like?
The form of the presentation is open: Feel free to make it a panel
discussion, debate, movie, live game, quiz-show, radio play, skit, guided
interactive activity, or other form. Let your imagination run free! This is a great opportunity to
collaborate with a talented group and express yourself and your
understanding of how our world and humankind is changing and is changed by
scientific understanding, societal pressures, and technological advancement.
Every group member contributes an equal level of participation overall,
including preparation and presentation (you may decide if one member is more
script-writer than actor, for example, as long as everyone's work is
balanced - just let us know how you divided the work). You may divide your total
number of minutes among the presenters however you see fit; let us know how each
participated in the project if you're not dividing your live-presentation time
equally. A nicely edited film can be a little shorter than the "5 minutes per
person" metric, as that takes more work than simpler shoot-and-cut films: Keep
in mind that we'll want you to give a live Q&A after you show the film in
class, so you'll likely use more time than you think!
If someone is acting, we'll see them; not so much for writers, directors, editors, and so forth. We'll let you be the judge of
"equitable contribution." If you have any doubts, get your topic
and form of presentation approved by the course coordinators at least
a week prior to the presentation, preferably well beforehand. Each individual within the group
is graded on the clarity and organization of the presentation,
the quality of the analysis, the appropriate use of reference
material, and their individual contribution.
At minimum, drop a note into the appropriate Blackboard
slot describing each member's contribution. If you can, please turn in your
project (or paste a link to where it lives on the internet) via Blackboard. At least half of how I
score this project comes from experiencing your contribution to the live
presentation, so if it's not obvious, be clear in describing your contribution!
Base value: 50 points. Make it outstanding and be a great
contributor to Level Up!
Grading
|
Because I hope to get you thinking "outside the box" in this course, we've adopted a
new model method for tracking success.
That is, everything you do in this course beyond the basic required assignments earns you points toward
Leveling Up your grade while giving you freedom to choose a variety of
ways to raise your scores.
Your final grade is up to you!
By completing all the required readings, turning in reading responses on time each week, creating a
decent mid-term project, participating in a group presentation,
creating a good final project, attending every class (plus engaging in the discussions), and partnering to lead at
least two class sessions, you are pretty much guaranteed at least a
C+ for your final grade (almost no one gets this unless they
really don't try).
Want a better grade? See the Level Up! section below, throughout the
Daily Schedule, and in the
More Good Stuff portion of the syllabus for ideas.
So to earn a basic course grade of "acceptable" (the C range),
you need between 185 to 210 points. You'll earn those points by doing solid
work on all the required course components:
- Reading the assigned content, and turning in weekly response papers: 14 × 2 =
28 base points possible.
- Attending and participating in class: 14 × 3 = 42 base points possible.
- Leading discussions: 2 × 5 = 10 base points possible.
- Mid-Term paper: 50 base points possible.
- Final project 80 base points possible.
- See each section for details on Level Ups and Penalties.
- TOTAL possible assigned (base) points: 210
You have many additional opportunities to Level Ups
throughout the semester. Here's an example (see the next section and
every other section for more opportunities):
- Weekly Level-Up response papers: 14 × 2 = +28 points possible.
- Add significantly to every week's discussion: 14 × 3 = +42 points
possible.
- Read additional relevant books, articles, or stories. See relevant
movies, documentaries, or shows. Attend talks, readings, or other live
events. Just write up a response paper and turn it in to Level Up!
- Lots of ways to earn bonus points!
If you ever want to calculate your grade so far, go to the Blackboard "Weighted
Total" to roughly determine your percentage of points earned and
possible so far. If you haven't turned in some things, it won't be complete,
but I hope this reduces grade anxiety.
|
Points
|
Grade
|
244 or above |
A |
| 236 - 243 |
A- |
| 227 - 235 |
B+
|
| 219 - 226
| B
|
| 211 - 218 |
B- |
202 - 210 |
C+ |
193 - 201 |
C |
185 - 192 |
C- |
176 - 184 |
D+ |
167 - 175 |
D |
158 - 166 |
D- |
157 or below |
F
|
|
Extra Credit: Level Up!
I'm using the metaphor of Leveling Up
to give you the opportunity to earn better-than-average grades. In place of the traditional
deductive-only grade system (where you lose points by not turning in
perfect work), my system uses additive grading (which is gaining pedagogical traction in education theory).
You'll have a multitude of opportunities to earn bonus points by (for example) doing additional research, reporting on that added work, and sharing
your discoveries in class. You can also Level Up for exceeding my expectations on
every project and in every class period; that is, you get more points than the
bases value when you
exceed "average effort" (traditionally graded as C work), thereby raising your
grade incrementally toward a B or A. It's up to you!
On the other hand, if you choose to simply meet all the basic requirements and do acceptable work on
your projects, you'll end up with a grade around a C+.
I want you to be in control of your final grade, using a familiar and empowering
metaphor.
So, want to earn a higher grade in this course? Each section in this syllabus offers some options for Leveling Up!
Possible bonuses abound: See each assignment section for details on more ways
to earn bonus points. Here are some semester-long examples of how you
can gain extra points:
- Attend every class session (live or online), lead extra discussions, and add significantly to
every week's discussion throughout the semester: up to +28
or more.
Note:
This does not mean dominating discussions, mindlessly blathering, talking over others, or speaking even when someone shyer than you
has already raised their hand; doing so negates this bonus. Exercise your socialization: If you're normally shy, here's your chance to talk
about something you love! If you're normally domineering, tone it down.
- Create a Presentation project and share it with class.
- Attend outside events, write reports on them, and turn them in to the
various Level Up slots you'll find in Blackboard.
I'll post announcements there when we identify some cool opportunities, and
I'll also add assignments there for you to turn in your bonus papers.
- Kick butt on your projects! See the descriptions in this syllabus
for ideas. Basically, you have the opportunity to exceed my expectations -
and Level Up - with every project!
Basically, be an epic student! You might just
get bonus points in the end.
Grad and Honors students: I have
additional expectations for you - see gray-background comments directed to you throughout
this document!
Penalty
On the other hand, just like in many game-scoring systems, in this course you have a few ways to lose points, too:
- Miss a class session: -3 (per missed class after the first,
-1 or -2 per half-class missed).
Note: You're allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies,
so if you encounter this, let me know. It's your responsibility to schedule employment, school, and other responsibilities around your
classes, or accept the consequences. If you must miss class, please contact
me ahead of time to make arrangements for catching up on missed material.
- If you attend but do not participate in class discussions, this also lowers
your overall grade on a variable scale depending on engagement or lack
thereof. If you have special needs (for example,
you have social phobias), contact me in advance so we can work out alternatives.
- Of course, not turning in projects or doing poor work can lose you
points, leading to reduced grades. So do your best - and exceed my
expectations to Level Up instead!
Science and Science Fiction Film Series
A while back, we hosted a weekly film showing related to our topics and those
of Professor Baringer's PHYS 112 class, every Tuesday
evening at 7:00pm in Nunemaker Center. The schedule:
|
Date
|
Video
|
|
Jan. 24
|
NOVA: Fabric of the cosmos, episode 1
|
|
Jan. 31
|
NOVA: Fabric of the cosmos, episode 2
|
|
Feb. 7
|
Gattaca
|
|
Feb. 14
|
NOVA: Fabric of the cosmos, episode 3
|
|
Feb. 21
|
NOVA: Fabric of the cosmos, episode 4
|
|
Feb. 28
|
TBD
|
|
March 6
|
Blade Runner
|
|
March 13
|
Moon
|
|
March 20
|
Spring Break
|
|
March 27
|
NOVA: Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives
|
|
April 3
|
Copenhagen
|
|
April 10
|
Transcendent Man
|
|
April 17
|
Cosmos episode
|
|
April 24
|
TBD
|
|
May 1
|
TBD
|
Bonus: Attending two of these sessions and participating in the discussion
afterward makes up for one missed regular class session.
More Good Stuff
Looking for more ways to learn more about cutting-edge science and
technology? Want to get involved in the SF culture? Or just looking for ideas for
Leveling Up?
You've come to the right place.
Curated Science and SF Blogs
For more art and articles, multimedia and memes, infographics and info, and
much more, check out the curated collection of blog posts McKitterick tags on
his Tumblr just for this course. I add new items
(mostly reblogs of great stuff) here almost every day, so check back every so
often for additions. Some of these are offer inspiration, insights, or ideas;
others are serious articles or compelling discussions of course-relevant
topics; and other are just for fun.
Most are filed under the (three similarly named) general tags, but I often add specific tags, too; if you want to
go straight to a specific topic, check out these sub-collections. If you don't
like Tumblr, use these (or other relevant) tags to search for additional,
contemporary posts on your favorite media site:
These are a few tags I use most often for this course (Tumblr app doesn't
link tags correctly, but browsers do):
I also created a growing
YouTube playlist especially for this class - check it
out for multimedia ideas, and please make suggestions for more!
I hope you enjoy or at least find these useful!
Bonus Events
Stay tuned: Throughout the semester, many opportunities arise for you to earn extra credit. I
add Blackboard Level Up slots as events become available - and let me know if
you've heard about an upcoming opportunity! A good place to look for upcoming
talks is the
KU Calendar. No one is required to attend these
events, so any points you get for reporting on your attendance are pure bonus.
You have the opportunity to earn extra credit just for attending
and reporting on these events!
Your response paper should discuss the event or exhibit similarly to how you discuss the
weekly readings and is scored the same. I encourage you to bring your thoughts to the relevant in-class
discussions. If possible, turn in these extra credit papers within a week of the event.
If you have any questions, you can either ask me in class or send an email.
Here are some recent and upcoming area events relevant to the course content:
The Lawrence Public Library regularly hosts relevant events. We recently did a series of events called,
"3-2-1
Blast-off! Astronauts are headed to Lawrence!"
that ran for several weeks. Great stuff!
Nerd Night Lawrence
- any event would be great!
Super
Nerd Night in Lawrence - this one is gaming-related.
TEDx Lawrence -
again, attend any event!
Want to hang out (at least virtually) with other SF folks? See the
Lawrence Science Fiction Club on Facebook. They meet every month!
More TBA. Have suggestions? Let me know!
Here's a list of
Futurama
episodes relevant to each week's discussion, as
suggested by a former student:
|
Episode name
|
Episode number
|
|
Where No Fan Has Gone Before
|
Season 4 Episode 11
|
|
A Clone of My Own
|
Season 2 Episode 10
|
|
The Series Has Landed
|
Season 1 Episode 2
|
|
Attack of the Killer App
|
Season 5 Episode 3
|
|
A Clockwork Origin
|
Season 5 Episode 9
|
|
The Six Million Dollar Mon
|
Season 7 Episode 7
|
|
The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
|
Season 3 Episode 7
|
|
Law & Oracle
|
Season 6 Episode 3
|
|
Free Will Hunting
|
Season 7 Episode 9
|
|
Crimes of the Hot
|
Season 4 Episode 8
|
|
Bederama
|
Season 6 Episode 4
|
|
Meanwhile
|
Season 8 Episode 13
|
|
Space Pilot 3000
|
Season 1 Episode 1
|
|
The Late Philip J Fry
|
Season 5 Episode 7
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Here's a short history of recent events, to give you an idea of the kinds of
events you can attend and write up reports about to Level Up. Just let
me know and we'll make an extra slot for your event, or drop them into one of the
catch-all Level Up slots (you can make unlimited "attempts," and we'll get
notification that you've turned in another).
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Film Screening:
Destination: Planet Negro! with
Director Kevin Willmott
What's the solution to race in America? According to George Washington Carver
in Kevin Willmott's satire, the only solution is for African Americans to leave Earth and
colonize Mars! But when the spaceship's crew travels through a time warp to the
present day, they can't believe their eyes.
Fresh from its recent
New York City premiere at the Socially Relevant Film Festival,
Destination: Planet Negro! spoofs 1950s space films while tackling the question of whether
America can ever leave its history of racism and racial disenfranchisement behind.
Join the Honors Program, the
Lawrence Public Library, and
director Kevin Willmott for a screening and discussion on the film.
Where: Lawrence Public Library Auditorium
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An Evening with Margaret Atwood:
"Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
The Arts,
the Sciences, the Humanities, the Inhumanities, and the Non-Humanities. Zombies Thrown
in Extra."
The
KU Commons is pleased to present Where Do We Come From?
What Are We? Where Are We Going?: The Arts,
the Sciences, the Humanities, the Inhumanities, and the Non-Humanities. Zombies Thrown
in Extra, through the support of the
Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture
fund.
Literary icon Margaret Atwood, celebrated for her prescient
vision and poetic voice, discusses the real-world origins of her speculative fiction and the roles of art, science and
imagination in her creative process. A winner of many international literary awards, including the prestigious Booker Prize,
Atwood is the bestselling author of more than thirty volumes of poetry, children's literature, fiction, and non-fiction.
She is best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman,
The Handmaid's Tale, The Robber Bride,
Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood.
Her non-fiction book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, was recently made into a documentary.
Atwood's work has been published in more than forty languages. In 2004, she co-invented the LongPen, a remote signing
device that allows someone to write in ink anywhere in the world via tablet PC and the internet. Born in 1939 in Ottawa,
Atwood grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at
the University of Toronto and her master's degree from Radcliffe College.
Where:
Kansas Union, Ballroom
A reception and book-signing will follow the talk.
The
Lawrence Public Library and KU Libraries selected Atwood's
The Handmaid's Tale as the
first
Read Across Lawrence book for 2015.
Find out more about programs, activities, and opportunities to get involved in the conversation
here.
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"Asking the Next Question: Science Fiction and the Rational Imagination"
Gary K. Wolfe presents the newest Bold
Aspirations talk at KU. Wolfe has been a contributing editor and reviewer for
Locus magazine since 1991. He is
a Professor of Humanities at Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he has also served as Dean of University College and
Dean of Graduate Studies. Wolfe's recent work includes Evaporating
Genres: Essays on Fantastic Literature and
Sightings: Reviews 2002-2006, plus earlier studies
The Known and the Unknown:
The Iconography of Science Fiction (won the Eaton Award);
David Lindsay;
Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy;
Harlan Ellison: The Edge of Forever (with Ellen R. Weil);
Soundings: Reviews 1992-1996 (won the British Science Fiction Award,
Hugo nominee);
Bearings: Reviews 1997-2001
(Hugo nominee). Wolfe received the Science Fiction Research Association's Pilgrim Award,
International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts' Distinguished Scholarship Award,
and the World Fantasy Award for criticism and reviews.
He edited Up the Bright River (2011), the first posthumous
collection of Philip José Farmer stories;
and American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s
(Library of America, 2012);
he co-edited with Jonathan Strahan
The Best of Joe Haldeman (Subterranean Press, 2013).
Wolfe serves on the editorial boards of
Science Fiction Studies and
The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, and has
served as manuscript reviewer for Oxford, Indiana, Illinois, and Wesleyan University Presses. Since 2010, Wolfe and Australian
editor Jonathan Strahan have also hosted the weekly
Coode Street Podcast
on science fiction, which has been nominated for four different awards in 2011
and the Hugo Awards in 2012 and 2013. The title of Wolfe's talk borrows from Theodore Sturgeon's motto,
"Ask
the next question," which he referred to when signing his name with a
Q and an arrow running through it, and described as: "...the
symbol of everything humanity has ever created, and is the reason it has been
created" (more
on that here). A reception in the Spooner Hall Commons immediately follows Wolfe's talk,
from 5:00pm - 6:00pm. Wolfe is a dynamic and fascinating speaker - don't miss
this event!
"The Coming War on General Purpose Computing: every single political
issue will end up rehashing the stupid Internet copyright fight"
Cory Doctorow
Richard W. Gunn Memorial Lecture.
"Data &
Democracy: Our Technology, Our Future"
James Moor, Professor of Daniel P. Stone Professor of Intellectual and Moral
Philosophy, Dartmouth College
Perry Alexander, KU Professor of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science
Details: The Commons will host a debate, moderated by
Leonard Krishtalka, about the data deluge, our growing reliance on silicon
and algorithms, and the outsourcing of decision-making to artificial
"thinking machines." Dartmouth Professor of Intellectual and Moral
Philosophy James Moor, and KU Professor of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science Perry Alexander will speak from opposing positions. Moor
will speak about human relationship and reliance on technology from a
conditional dystopian perspective, and Alexander will deliver the Utopian
counterpoint. Audience participation is highly encouraged, as the second
portion of the event will rely upon questions from the public.
Science on Tap: "Global Shift: a Challenging Twist on Climate Change"
Free State Brewery
"Down
to Earth" pre-release event for the Aftermaths anthology
Readings from
several area authors who have stories in the book, including James Gunn and
yours truly (Chris McKitterick)
Click to see the
event poster, here
"Neutrinos, Time, Einstein, and Paradox"
Dr. Thomas Weiler
of
Vanderbilt University
Physics is sometimes summarized as the study of space and time, mass and energy.
Arguably, and surprisingly to many, time is the least understood of these concepts.
In September of 2011, a collaboration of 120 international PhD physicists claimed to measure the speed of the
neutrino as exceeding the speed of light. If this experiment is reproduced by other experiments, then even the
concept of "cause" occurring in time before its "effect" becomes untenable. For example, according to Einstein's
relativity, a moving rocket could receive the original neutrino signal, and send another in reply, with the second
neutrino arriving at the source of the original BEFORE the original neutrino was emitted. Is Einstein's theory incomplete?
Are neutrinos this weird? Is our concept of time meaningful? Or is this experimental result just wrong? All this and more
to be presented and discussed in just 55 minutes!
John Tibbetts Celebrates the 100th Birthday Of Literary Icons
Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars
Nöel Sturgeon
KU Gunn Lecture: "Avatar and Activism: Ecological Indians, Disabling Militarism, and
Science Fiction Imaginaries"
This event is
free and open to the public.
Cory Doctorow
Kansas Library Association conference talk:
"Copyrights and Human Rights"
History Professor Jeff Moran, author of the forthcoming American Genesis:
Antievolution Controversies from Scopes to Intelligent Design
"The Antievolution
Controversies and American Culture"
This event is
free and open to the public.
Darwin Day: SOMA presents Michael Blanford:
"Inspired by Actual Events: Teaching Critical Thinking and Inspiring Awe by Examining What's Real"
KU Campus - Burge Union: Relays Room
1601 Irving Hill Road
(Facebook
event page here)
"Space-Based View of a Changing Climate and its Implications"
Jack
Kaye, associate director for research, Earth Science Division, NASA
Dole Institute of Politics
Free.
Sponsored by School of Engineering
"NASA Satellite Observations and
Their Role in they Study of Global Change"
Jack Kaye, associate director
for research, Earth Science Division, NASA
Mercury Room, Nichols Hall
Free. Sponsored by School of
Engineering
"Mind, Body, Machine: The Human Design Space 2"
Braden R. Allenby
A Lecture Interruptus, followed by a reception
The Commons, Spooner Hall
Follow-up event:
"Q&A with Braden Allenby"
Percival's Planet and Clyde Tombaugh's Discovery of Pluto
An Evening With Michael Byers.
Also consider exhibits at campus museums that are relevant to the
course. I offer extra credit to students who explore these exhibits and
submit a response paper. (These papers add to your total score in
the class, often making up for missed papers or low scores.) You are expected to commit an hour
or more with an
exhibit, plus whatever time it takes to write up the one-page response paper.
Maximum point value per exhibit is equivalent to a regular response paper. Recent exhibits have included:
- At the Spencer Art Museum, visit "Climate Change at the Poles" (North and
South balconies) and the Terry Evans photography exhibit "A Greenland Glacier"
(go through the Asian art room on the main floor to get to the photos).
- At the Natural History Museum, visit the "Explore Evolution" exhibit on
the 5th floor.
- And more! If you have a suggestion, let me know and we'll share it with
the class. There's no limit to how many events you can attend and report on
for extra credit!
Want to take more science-fiction courses? You're in luck! Check out
my growing list of offerings.
I offer several multimedia
offerings online. Click here to see them on this site, or
click here to see
my educational YouTube channel.
Benjamin Cartwright, former Volunteer Coordinator of the
AboutSF outreach program,
created a wonderful podcast program. Check it out at
our Podomatic site!
This could well be the greatest show in the history of ever, and the relevant-est
series possible for this course: Neil deGrasse Tyson brings back Carl Sagan's
Cosmos:
A Personal Journey with a new show:
Cosmos:
A Spacetime Odyssey. Check out the promo video here.
Regional SF and Sci/Tech Conventions
Several science-fiction and speculative-science conventions happen in the
area, so check 'em out!
To learn about more stuff, more quickly, you can also find events and lots of SF-related chat
with the Lawrence Science Fiction Club! Info,
discussions, and (hopefully soon!) meeting times are regularly posted at
our
Facebook page. Know of something of interest to like-minded folks? Join and
drop a note there!
Here's a cool event each Spring, right after Spring finals:
 Spectrum
Fantastic Art Live Show
Friday and Saturday, in
late May
Includes the Spectrum Awards Show
Grand Ballroom of Bartle Hall Convention Center
Kansas City, MO
What are you doing on Memorial Day Weekend? Why not attend the
ConQuesT science fiction
convention in Kansas City.
Sticking around for the summer? Don't miss the annual
Campbell Conference and Awards
weekend in June.
 The KC fan community won the World
Science Fiction Convention bid, so the world of SF came to KC in 2016! Details
at the MidAmeriCon II website. McKitterick was Academic Track program
director, and the con-runners are the same great folks who manage
ConQuesT.
Love science fiction and want to stay in touch with other like-minded folks? Join the
Lawrence Science Fiction Club! Info,
discussions, and meeting times at
our
Facebook page.
Want to take more speculative-fiction courses? Check out
our growing list of offerings.
Additional Recommended Readings
Want to read more SF? You've come to the right place! First up, a few books
we read excerpts from:
John Brunner's
Stand on Zanzibar.
Frank Herbert's
Dune.
Standage's
The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the
Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers.
My lending library holds many books, magazines, and more, so if you are local to
Lawrence or are in town for our other summer programs,
check with McKitterick to see if I can lend you a
copy. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis. I also have a
course-specific lending library for the SF Literature course - which is primarily supplied by previous students donating copies after completing their course - so if you want to pass on the love to the next generation rather than
keep your books, let your teacher know!
Want more? Check out the winners of the
John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best SF novel of the year.
To see even more great books, check out the
recent finalists for the Campbell Memorial Award
- most years, the majority of those works could have won the award if the jury
had just a few different members.
For short fiction, check out the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best short SF winners,
and the recent
Sturgeon
Award finalists. As with the Campbell, you're likely to find something you'll love among the finalists - and many of them live online, and you'll find links to the stories from that page.
Slate's Future Tense Fiction series is pretty cool - all about the consequences and side-effects of tech on human life. Here's their nonfiction section on the same topic.
The Guardian asked some of SF's greatest living authors to share what
they feel are the best books or authors in the genre, and what they came up with
is
a brilliant list.
Want lots of free SF ebooks and e-zines? Check out
Project Gutenberg's growing SF collection.
Want even more recommendations? My and James Gunn's "A
Basic Science Fiction Library" is a go-to internet resource for building
reading lists. It's organized by author.
McKitterick was on Minnesota Public Radio's "The
Daily Circuit" show
on "summer reading" dedicated to spec-fic and
remembering Ray Bradbury. Great to see
Public
Radio continuing to cover SF after their "100 Best SF Novels"
list. Here's what he added to
the
show's blog:
A great resource for finding wonderful SF is to check out the winners and finalists for the major awards. For example, here's a list of the
John W. Campbell Memorial Award winners.
And here's a list of recent finalists for the Award.
Here's the list of the Nebula Award novel winners.
And the Hugo Award winners, which has links to each year's finalists,
as well. A couple of books I didn't get a chance to mention include
Ray Bradbury's
R Is for Rocket, which contains a story that
turned me into an author: "The Rocket" (along with Heinlein's
Rocketship Galileo and
Madeleine L'Engle's
A Wrinkle in Time). Bradbury's
Dandelion Wine is another, along with books like
Frank Herbert's
Dune,
Douglas Adams'
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
Clifford Simak's
City (a Minnesota native), SF anthologies like James Gunn's
Road to Science Fiction and the DAW
Annual Year's Best SF, and tons more.
Personally, my favorite Bradbury short story is pretty much everything Bradbury every wrote. His writing is moving and evocative like Simak and
Theodore Sturgeon's - probably why those three made such an impression on the young-me. But if I had to pick only one that most influenced me
as a writer, it would probably be "The Rocket,"
a beautiful story about a junk-man who has to decide between his personal dreams of space and love of his family. It was adapted into a radio show
for NBC's "Short Story" series
(you can listen to the MP3
audio recording here).
He was also on again when they did a story on
"What
did science fiction writers predict for 2012?"
The other guest was a futurist - an interesting discussion!
More to come! Check back later....
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