Overview
This week’s discussion has 5 parts:
1. Describe what you find to be the four most interesting “human enhancements” portrayed in the film Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement. (~100 words) (3/4 point)
2. Think back to Week 2 of our class and consider the effect these enhancements might have on identity. Cite properly. (~200 words) (1 point)
- How do each of the four technological enhancements, augmentations, and/or solutions you described change us?
- Are they merely helpful add-ons that can be used to improve one’s life, or do they have a more profound and transformative effect on self and identity?
- You might find inspiration in Randieri’s article “Is The Singularity And The Transcendence Of Artificial Intelligence A Key Factor For A New Era Of Humanity?”
3. Finally, how has technology changed the way you experience both your body and your self? (~200 words, or more if you like, integrating answers to the below bullet points) (1/2 point)
- Cyborg: An organism, often a human, that has certain physiological processes enhanced or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices, especially when they are integrated with the nervous system. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition)
- Are you, in any way, a cyborg? Why or why not?
- Skim these recommended articles to broaden your understanding of what it might mean to be a cyborg:
- Orlean, S. (7/26/2022). The Man Who Would Be A MachineLinks to an external site.. The New Yorker. PDF hereDownload PDF here.
- Jabr, F. (5/12/2022). The Man Who Controls Computers with His MindLinks to an external site.. The New York Times Magazine. PDF here.Download PDF here.
- Hunter, T. (1/13/2022). Surveillance will follow us in the 'the metaverse', and our bodies could be its new data sourceLinks to an external site.. The Washington Post. PDF hereDownload PDF here.
- Fottrell, Q. (10/23/2019). Silicon Valley’s final frontier for payments: ‘The neoliberal takeover of the human body’. Links to an external site.MarketWatch. PDF hereDownload PDF here.
4. What is an interesting question, either on this topic, or linking this topic with another in our class, to guide discussion in this week's forum? (1/4 point)
Your initial post should be about 500 words long. 5. After finishing with your own post, also post a comment on at least two of the posts of your classmates. You are welcome to post even more than 2 comments! Thoughtful, positive, questioning, and educational comments, which help to develop the group conversation, can both help others engage the subject more deeply AND improve your own grade! (1/4 point for each comment=total 1/2 point)
Make sure you've properly cited, including page numbers, paragraph numbers, and/or time stamps for all in-text citations.
Required
- Video: Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement (2013). (Dir. Regan Brashear) (61 minutes)
- View via Kanopy: https://ucla.kanopy.com/video/fixed-sciencefiction-human-enhancementLinks to an external site.Links to an external site.
- Connect to the VPN for access: https://www.it.ucla.edu/it-support-center/services/virtual-private-network-vpn-clients
- Randieri, C. (2/3/2025). Is The Singularity And The Transcendance Of Artificial Intelligence A Key Factor For A New Era Of Humanity? Forbes.