Five Impossible Things Before Lunch RISE fall 2009 (Tuesdays 9AM-10:30) v3 Jim Isaak – facilitator/agitator -- posted on web at: http://www.jimisaak.com “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Alice in Wonderland (The White Queen) Context – the world is changing (maybe you noticed) See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY “Did you know” for some painful insight. And what will change everything? http://www.edge.org/questioncenter.html the 2009 question Try to view or read the ** items before our class (the rest are all optional)
1. Memes – the concept, of a concept a. Books i. Richard Dawkins: “The Selfish Gene” ii. Susan Blackmore: “The Meme Machine” b. TED
i.
**
Susan Blackmore on Memes and Memeitics
ii.
Daniel Dennett – Dangerous Memes
iii.
Seth Godin - Tribes we lead (spreading memes)
iv.
Diane Benscoter on cults and viral memes
a. Books:
i.
Ian Steward & Jack Cohen: “Figments of
Reality”; related keynote from Jack: ii. Jeff Hawkins: “On Intelligence” iii. Douglas Hofstadter: “The Minds Eye” (collection of related short stories) b. TED:
i.
**Jeff
Hawkins – Brains
ii.
Daniel Dennett – consciousness
iii.
Michael Pollan - the plant/animal view of
humanity
iv.
Jill
Bolte taylor, Stroke of insight c. Other resources
i.
Nova Now: Emergence: www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/....
3. Happiness and being in the zone a. Books i. Michaly Csikszentmihalyi: “Flow” ii. Richard Layard: Happiness : Lessons from a new science b. TED:
i.
**Michaly
Csikszentmihalyi --
ii.
Nancy Etcoff – Happiness and why we want it
iii.
Matthieu Richard – meditation & mind control
iv.
Dan Gilbert, Synthetic Happiness c. Other Resources
i.
Richard Layard’s happiness lectures: b. Income and happiness: rethinking economic policy-- http://cep.lse.ac.uk/events/lectures/layard/RL040303.pdf c. How can we make a happier society? -- http://cep.lse.ac.uk/events/lectures/layard/RL050303.pdf
4. Intelligent, Conscious Computers, and the Singularity a. Books & articles: i. Ray Kurzweil: “Spiritual Machines”
ii.
The Coming Technological Singularity (1993),
Vernor Vinge
iii.
Douglas Hofstadter & Daniel Dennett, The
mind's I: fantasies and reflections on self and soul iv. Discover Magazine, Oct. 2009 issue article on Artificial Brain development b. TED
i.
Kevin Kelly, Evolution of Technology
ii.
Ray Kurzweil: The Singularity University, and
How Technology will Transform Us
iii.
Juan Enriquez; the ultimate reboot (with some
initial critique on the economy – but keep watching!)
5. Practical Immortality & Transhumanism a. Books i. Ben Bova: Immortality: How Science Is Extending Your Life Span and Changing the World ii. Ray Kurzweil : "Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever."
iii.
Vernor Vinge: “Vinge on the Singularity” (short
article on the web) b. TED
i.
Aubey de
Grey – Defeating Aging c. Other
i.
The Quest for Immortality; 60 Minutes, CBS News;
2006
ii.
Nova Science Now on Aging :
6. Epilogue (watch web site for additions) a. TED:
i.
Gregory Stock; BioEthics – To Upgrade is Human
ii.
Greg
Petsko – Neurological impact of extended lifespan (even without immortality)
iii.
Richard
Dawkins – Our universe is queerer than you can imagine:
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