I have found one of the most satisfying elements of the class to be the speed at which the class moves through a variety of texts or concepts that at first seem unrelated. In drawing connections between the different articles and texts I’ve gathered a deeper understanding of what the works have to offer.
There are two main concepts which I would like to explore in the final weeks of the course. The first is the idea of a cyborg. Cyborgs represent a fascinating cross between man and machine, and symbolically, science and the humanities. I believe exploring the scientific and ethical repercussions of integrating machinery with the human body could allow for fascinating discussion in class. The prominence of cyborgs in pop-culture film and television should allow for some great examples for discussion.
The second topic I would love to address is social media. I’ve seen many of my classmates express an interest in studying the topic in addition to myself, and believe it to be exceptionally relevant to our lives as consumers of modern media. I think from a philosophical standpoint this could be a great topic for discussion as there are unique traits as to how social media both brings people together and pushes them apart.
I also would like to talk about the topic of cyborgs. They interest me a lot because of the decreasing gap between man and machine. I believe that within our lifetime there will be an AI that cannot be differentiated from humans in technology like chatbots. Technology may even go so far as to begin manufacturing of things like replicants in Bladerunner.
Social media is also an interesting topic as it is something that pervades our life more than we would like to admit. Questions like “How much of our life is recorded on social media?” or “How much time do we spend on social media?”. I like your point on the irony of social media, in that the same way social media brings people together it can tear them apart.
I think these are 2 great topics for further discussion! I also found seeing things (literary texts, articles) tie up together in the course as satisfying.