Schedule

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AST 321 The Future of Humanity

Fall 2015 (Unique Number 46755)

Schedule

Day 1 8/26 – Discussion of Syllabus, web site, Getting Acquainted Questionnaire, join Facebook Group AST309.
Day 2 8/28 – Self-introductions, astronomical context of life on Earth, overview of course topics. Elements of writing. Watch Albert Bartlett "Arithmetic, Population and Energy” video lecture.
Day 3 8/31 – More elements of writing. Discuss Bartlett video. Linear versus exponential change (estimate pennies to fill room).
Day 4 9/2 – Evolutionary timeline, Sagan video Cosmic Calendar. Darwin notes, quotes. Draft of first paper on Evolution, oral reading to peers.
Day 5 9/4 – Kurzweil Chapter 1. Discussion of The Singularity, exponential growth of knowledge. Linear versus log, knee versus no knee. Revised drafts to peers for written review.
Labor Day 9/7
Day 6 9/9 – Discussion of drafts with peers.
Day 7 9/11 – Discussion of “unknown” versus “unknowable,” origin of life, chemistry to biochemistry, random change versus variation and selection. Discussion of Darwin Origin of the Species, Descent of Man. First Paper Due, 5 pages on Evolution.
Day 8 9/14 – Continued discussion of evolution, artificial, natural, sexual selection, recursion, complexity and emergent properties. Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, memes. Wikipedia Evolution link, Wikipedia Emergence link. Kurzweil Chapter 2, Discussion of Moore’s law, computational evolution.
Day 9 9/16 – Continued discussion of human evolution, computational evolution; we are all Africans. Wikipedia Human Evolution link.
Day 10 9/18 –The History of the World in 18 minutes, robot videos (JCW on travel, UNM).
Day 11 9/21 – Discussion of current evolution of homo sapiens, contemporary evolutionary pressures.
Day 12 9/23 – Discussion of the biological revolution, genome, proteome.
Day 13 9/25 – Discussion of gene switches, epigenetic evolution.
Day 14 9/28 – Discussion of Sociobiology, Evolutionary Psychology.
Day 15 9/30 – Discussion of Malthus, Paul Ehrlich, The Population Bomb.
Day 16 10/2 – Guest lecturer on epigenetics, Prof. Steve Phelps, Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, Director, Center for Brain, Behavior and Evolution
Day 17 10/5 – Discussion of limits of Earth’s population. Submit outline for second paper, Topic of Choice.
Day 18 10/7 – TBD
Day 19 10/9 – Draft of second paper, oral reading to peers.
Day 20 10/12 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapter 3, capacity of the human brain. Revised drafts to peers for written review.
Day 21 10/14 – Discussion of drafts with peers
Day 22 10/16 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapter 4. Reverse engineering the brain, artificial intelligence, neural networks, deep learning, nanotechnology. Second Paper Due, 10 pages on Topic of Choice.
Day 23 10/19 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapter 5, genomics, nanotechnology.
Day 24 10/21 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapter 6, Impact (first half).
Day 25 10/23 – Videos, Rees, Bostrum TED talks (JCW on travel, Scialog).
Day 26 10/26 – Discussion of Bill Joy Wired article, the dystopian view.
Day 27 10/28 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapters 7, consciousness.
Day 28 10/30 – Discussion of human consciousness, complexity, emergent properties. Can “machines” be conscious?
Day 29 11/2 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapter 8, GNR promise and peril.
Day 30 11/4 – Discussion of Smart Weapons, prohibition/restriction.
Day 31 11/6 – Discussion of The Singularity, Chapter 9, critiques.
Day 32 11/9 – Discussion of the future of democracy, capitalism, Lanier, Who Owns the Future?
Day 33 11/11 – Discussion of the Sharing Economy, robots taking jobs.
Day 34 11/13 – Singularity, Chapter 6 (second half). Discussion of prospects for interplanetary travel.
Day 35 11/16 – Discussion of The Fermi Paradox, speed of light, hyperspace.
Day 36 11/18 – Discussion of string theory, large extra dimensions, worm holes and time machines.
Day 37 11/20 – Guest lecturer on Exoplanets.
Day 38 11/23 – Draft of third paper, oral reading to peers.
Day 39 11/25 – Informal discussion of class topics.
Thanksgiving Break
Day 40 11/30 – Discussion of open issues. Revised drafts to peers for written review.
Day 41 12/2 – Discussion of drafts with peers.
Day 42 12/4 – Summary of third papers. Third Paper Due, 10 pages on The Future of Humanity.