Information, Computing and the Future: Current syllabus

Please let me know of any topic requests - we can try to incorporate them.

Tu 1/14/2014...General course information
     Introductory meeting
   Homework #1, due Th 1/23/14 (next year in 7 days instead of 9)
   Videos: top sci-fi shorts of 2013; some top shorts of 2012; here is one; do I get some sort of bragging rights? Here is the website & trailer; to be released "really soon"!
Th 1/16/2014...Trajectories of the future
   Reminder: Homework #1, due Th 1/23/14
Tu 1/21/2014...From geotagging to the end of privacy
Crowdsourced spaceship piloting
Delphi Method (i)
Homework #2, due Tu 1/28/14, do hands-on how-to
Th 1/23/2014...Delphi Method (ii)
Tu 1/28/2014...Delphi Method (ii cont.)
Homework #3, due Tu 2/4/14

Th 1/30/2014......Delphi Method (ii cont.)
Work on HW3 if time allows

Tu 2/4/2014...Snow/ice day
Th 2/6/2014...Prediction markets (ser. #2)
Sample prediction market contract (ser. #12)
Homework #4, due Th 2/13/14
Tu 2/11/2014...Prediction markets review (due to weather absences last time)
Th 2/13/2014...TRIZ (ser. #2)
Homework #5, due Th 2/20/14
Tu 2/18/2014...TRIZ (ii)
Th 2/20/2014...Spoil sports of the prediction game
     #1: Observer Effect (ser. #1)
Tu 2/25/2014...Spoil sports of the prediction game
Homework #6, due Tu 3/4/14
   #2: Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
   #3: Quantum Tunneling
   #4: Butterfly Effect (ser. #6)
Th 2/27/2014...Spoil sports of the prediction game
   #5: External perturbations
   #6: Existentialist angst
   #7: The care horizon
Tu 3/4/2014...Snow day!
Th 3/6/2014...Personal futures:
  Homework #7, due Tu 3/18/14
"How to Really Achieve Your Childhood Dreams" (ser. #3);
Tu 3/11/2014...Building your personal future workshop
    Also an example of a futurism web site
Th 3/13/2014...Building your personal future workshop II
Tu 3/18/2014...Building your personal future workshop III
Homework #8 (optional)
Th 3/20/2014...The singularity
Movie discussion: Transcendent Man
Tu 3/25/2014...Spring break
Th 3/27/2014...Spring break
Tu 4/1/2014...The singularity (cont.)
Transcendence trailer
Singularity notes (see lifeExt.xls)
Asimov's "The Last Question"
Vinge's "Technological Singularity"
     Homework #9, due Tu Apr. 8, 2014
    Schedule student presentations
Th 4/3/2014...Start movie discussion: Earth2100 (subtitled) (ser. #4)
Tu 4/8/2014...Finish Movie discussion: Earth 2100
    A Resource page
Th 4/10/2014...Hands-on robotics (ser. #5)
Homework #10, Extended to Tu 4/22/14
Tu 4/15/2014...Hands-on robotics II (ser. #5)
Th 4/17/2014...More robotics
AIShield, safeguarding humanity and the risks of AI/robotics
Robogenesis
Some robot pics and videos
Metrics for progress in robotics
Robotic cars
Tu 4/22/2014...Student presentations:
Homework #11 (ser. #10), due Tu 4/29/14
Th 4/24/2014...Student presentation(s): none
Research can be future technology: an example
Tu 4/29/2014...Student presentation(s): Joseph; Patrick
  Robotic Dilemmas
Th 5/1/2014...Student presentation(s): John; B.;
Tu 5/13/2014 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.... Scheduled final (no test)

   Meets only for people presenting: T.
   Project due

Below are potential additional topics
   Flying cars and jetpacks (1, 2)      Lead-in article;
    Do scientific proofs exist?
        Homework (see unposted draft)
   Toxoplasmosis (see also Slate and The Atlantic articles)
Homework (see unposted draft)
   Transit: people on the move
   Will we find other intelligent life?