Annotated Bibliography

NHR - “Selections from Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each other” by Sherry Turkle.

This selection focuses on the way children have gradually learned to see electronic toys as “alive” because of the advancement of computing. It seems that a judgement free programmed companion can make us just as attached as to a pet or another human being. It also poses questions about what being alive means and whether computers will ever become conscious, including whether the afamed “singularity” will ever be reached. The ambiguous relationship between man and computer as well as man’s relationship with emotions and thinking is are what can be taken away from this.

NHR - “Project Classroom Makeover” by Cathy Davidson

Talks about the reformation of the education system and focuses on Davidson’s experience with the iPod initiative at Duke in the mid-2000s. Crowdsourcing, destandardization and authority are discussed in detail. However, what applies to my topic is the interaction the students had with technology and their enthusiasm with involving it in yet another part of their lives. They way the students could so easily take the initiative and insert the device into their education points to their comfort with technology as well as the rapid growth of technology in our lives.

NHR - “The Myth of the Ant Queen” by Steven Johnson

Johnson discusses emergent, self-organizing systems in everything from ants to computer programs. The latter is what I think pertains to my topic. Even Oliver Selfridge, an educated researcher describes his computer program through “demons” shrieking at each other, personifying the code. He also focuses on getting a computer to not just recognize characters but learn which is a clear distinction. If the computer learns then is it somewhat alive? Why does he want the computer to learn? At the time it was an experiment to see if it could even be done and this suggests that we have an innate drive to play good and try to create consciousness.

Referenced in NHR “Selections from Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each other” by Sherry Turkle, David Hanson’s TED talk “Robots that ‘Show Emotion’”

In this TED talk the robotics expert David Hanson talks about his work with artificial intelligence. He has produced robots that can produce intricate and life-like facial expressions based on the emotions the human that is talking is conveying, i.e. laughter makes it smile. Hanson’s goal is to make robots that can learn to empathize with you. Although this is difficult he is well underway in creating robots that can react to what you say and learn how to interact with you over time. This is very interesting since it shows how close we may actually be to develop a free-thinking and conscious computer or robot.

Referenced in NHR “Wisdom” by Robert Thurman, the movie The Matrix

The movie The Matrix is iconic because it forced and existential question upon everyone that watched it: are we living in the Matrix? We are limited by the world around us but what if that world doesn’t even really exists. On the other hand, does living in a computer simulation mean our world is not real or can something be real without having a physical component. The movie ties in nicely with questioning the reality of our existence and what being alive really means.