literature & the future1 final exams –day, time, room (monday class) (tuesday class) (thursday...

Literature & the Future 1

Final Exams

– Day, Time, Room

• (Monday class)

• (Tuesday class)

• (Thursday class)


The Prometheus Legend

In an effort to steal the secret of fire from the Gods, Prometheus was punished by having his eyes plucked out by eagles.

Much literature in the past showed that the acquisition of knowledge (information) was inherently evil and was punished by the gods.


The Golem

In this legend, Rabbi Judah Low of Prague (16th Century) made a figure of clay and put "the breath of life" into its nostrils.

He caused this figure (the golem) to come alive and protect the Ghetto.

In this legend Artificial Intelligence was created through religious magic.

As opposed to the Prometheus legend, it is a positive story.


Frankenstein

“Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelly (1818).

Ms. Shelly wrote about a doctor (M. D.) who took it upon himself to create life using the (then new) power of electricity.

He was destroyed for his intrusion into what was considered to be God's domain.

This story is a continuation of the negative view of technology.


R. U. R.

In 1920 Karel Capek, a Czech playwright, wrote "Rossum's Universal Robots" a stage play that dealt with the essential humanity of man-made intelligence.

During the play the robots demanded the right to marry, and finally to vote. This play incorporates the first use of the word Robot, a Czech word for drudgery.


I, Robot

In 1950, Isaac Asimov wrote a seminal collection of stories on Robots in which he introduced the three Laws of Robotics.

More than 100 stories followed expanding on this theme.

This concept of the Robot as an engineering result was new.


The 3 Laws of Robotics

1. A Robot shall not harm a human being or through inaction allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A Robot must obey the orders given it by a human being except where such order conflict with the first law.

3. A Robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.


Other Works

• Player Piano (1952)

• The Nine Billion Names of God (1953)

• The Caves of Steel (1953)

• A Canticle for Liebowitz (1959)

• Colossus, The Forbin Project (1966)

• 2001 (1968)


Cost of Computing

Cost of computing power decreases by about a factor of 10 every three year:

Year: Cost of PDP-8 Cost of Cray I Student1966 $1,000,000. did not exist. just born1976 $1,000. " 1986 $1. $1,000,000. in college1996 $1,000.2006 $1. mid career


Refusal of Technology

Has there ever been a technological advance that was rejected by the

community for social reasons alone?• The automatic hat tipper• The telephone, voicemail• Poison gas• Knowledge of sex of the unborn• Nuclear power

literature & the future1 final exams –day, time, room (monday class) (tuesday class) (thursday...

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