What would a robot want to be called?

A friend sent me this LINK to a forum discussion about what would be politically correct options for addressing robots in the future.

RUR in recent Pop Culture

Follow this LINK to the Rossum Corporation website, used to promote the now-canceled television series: Dollhouse.

Blog writing for Tuesday, February 23

Since our second essay is a synthesis of Frankenstein and RUR, I'd like you to use this blog writing as a chance to start putting the two texts into conversation. Please take 300-400 words to do some very INFORMAL brainstorm writing. I don't want neat paragraphs for this one. Just let your synapses fire full force as you try to make as many connections between them as you can while you move through at least the first part of RUR. It's a good strategy to begin by generating too much connectivity and evidence.

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 16th

For Tuesday,
Please finish reading Frankenstein—and since it’s only 20 pages more, this is a great opportunity for you to crack open RUR and get started.
Also, you have a blog writing assignment. Please select 3 pieces of evidence that really seem to you to fit into the broad topic you are planning on using for essay #2. Once you have selected them, I want you to write a short paragraph about each one—just talking about the various elements of that bit of evidence—stick to the text!! Then, one to two more paragraphs in which you try to tie these 3 pieces of evidence together: what do they share in common? How do they differ? How are they complementary? Etc.
350-450 words.

Extra Credit Opportunities

If you want some extra credit to supplement your Essay #1 grade, here's your chance.
You need to:
1. Attend one of the two events listed below for its entirety. Ducking out early will result in a zero extra credit.
2. Write a 1.5 single-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman, 1-inch margins all around response to the event. I will give you some questions to address. You need to hand a hard copy of this to me on Tuesday, February 16th.

If you write an earnest response, you'll improve your Essay #1 grade by 1/3 (e.g. from a B- to a B).

Here are the details and a link to the flier:
http://estudiosculturales.ucdavis.edu/files/2010/01/flyer.pdf


Main Event: Please join us for a screening of Sleep Dealer (Spanish with English subtitles) with its director Alex Rivera. (Get event flyer.)

When: Monday, February 8, 6:30-9pm

Where: 2205 Haring Hall

Agenda:

6:30-6:45: Introduction to Alex Rivera and his presentation of his film, Sleep Dealer
6:45-8:15: Screening of Sleep Dealer (in Spanish with English subtitles)
8:15-8:45: Post-screening Q&A with Alex Rivera
Follow-on Event: “Developing World Subjectivities and Sensibilities in a New Kind of Sci-Fi Film and Digital Media Art”

Will include screening of Alex Rivera’s earlier digital media art works and open discussion.
When: Tuesday, February 9, 12-1:30pm

Where: 194 Young Hall

AND

Follow-on Event: “Developing World Subjectivities and Sensibilities in a New Kind of Sci-Fi Film and Digital Media Art”

Will include screening of Alex Rivera’s earlier digital media art works and open discussion.
When: Tuesday, February 9, 12-1:30pm

Where: 194 Young Hall

Mad Scientists

You can check out "Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog" via Youtube. It was written by Joss Whedon, the creative mind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer.



You might also check out a recent book by Daniel Wilson:
"Mad Scientist Hall of Fame: Muwahahahaha!"

Essay #2 Assignment

Essay 2: Synthesis and Research on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Karel Capek’s Rossum’s Universal Robots

Length: Approximately 2000 words (6-8 pages double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 pt TNR font)
Abstract due: Feb. 25
Draft Workshop: March 4 (Minimum 3 full pages)
Final Project due: March 11 in class

Mary Shelley’s novel and Karel Capek’s drama have both played vital roles in the history of technology and literature. They have been commercially and critically successful texts, and they have inspired performances and adaptations into various media. Arguably, much seems to have changed in the world of technology and our relationships with it since 1818 and 1920: we have smart phones, laptops, iPods, H1N1 and H1N1 vaccines, GPS, Dolly the cloned sheep, and biogenetically modified foods. Still, these texts remain relevant to us today as evinced by their inclusion in university courses as well as references in popular culture (RUR provided the name of the corporation in the recent Joss Whedon TV show Dollhouse). In this essay, you will put these two texts into conversation with each other in order to make a contentious thesis argument on what they say about the relationships linking humans and technology.

Here are the objectives of this essay-writing assignment:

You are expected to write a 6-8 page essay that focuses primarily on articulating a coherent and compelling analytical interpretation that reads the two texts together and devotes equal time/pages to both.

Your essay must include sustained analyses of formal aspects of the texts. Also, be sure you make use of your attention to form—don’t just drop a term/concept and consider it sufficient.

Your essay must include analyses of the texts’ content. You are expected to complete this course having achieved the ability to read literary texts with both content and form in mind and to be able to put these elements of the text into conversation with each other.

Your essay must include references to two scholarly critiques of the texts. To include one of each is ideal, but because critiques of Capek’s drama are less common, you may use two critiques of Frankenstein. Don’t worry: we will discuss source research and selection in class.

Your essay must make at least one reference to the film Blade Runner. Do not simply mention the film, but be sure you refer to it to help illustrate a point you are making about the other two texts.

Your essay must be thesis-driven and evidence-based. In other words, a successful essay will have a clear argument that is appropriate for the scope of a 6-8 page essay, and it will use direct textual evidence to develop the support for this thesis. Your essay must demonstrate close reading skills in its treatment of the textual evidence. To choose appropriate, convincing evidence, make sure each piece of text relates to your thesis and to the other pieces of evidence used in the essay. Remember that sometimes “less is more” when it comes to how much you quote. It’s better to analyze fully a selection of key moments in texts rather than include a large catalog of moments that are incompletely addressed.

And a successful essay will employ MLA citation practices and will be thoroughly proofread and edited. (The Learning Skills Center in Dutton Hall can help you with grammar/style and other issues, especially if you plan ahead to use their resources.)

Abstract:
You should submit a one-page abstract to me on February 25th. This is a proposal for your essay, and it should detail your position and plan for the argument. I will hand out an abstract form for you to use in completing this task.

Peer Workshop:
Reminder—as stated in the syllabus, the workshop on March 4th is required. Failure to attend or to attend without a substantial draft in hand will result in a 1/3 grade reduction on the final essay.

Checklist:
When you turn in the essay to me on March 15th, make sure it includes the following:
o The final version
o The draft workshop version with comment sheets
o The abstract
o The revision memo


The following are some possible directions you could take to develop a good thesis, but this is not an exhaustive list. Feel free to consult with me as you develop your thesis idea.


Definitions of what it means to “Be Human”
Sex and/or Gender roles in the texts
Technology and Studies
Technology and Work
Technophobia, Technophilia, or combinations of these