Though we all chuckled a little when one of the interviewees in Taylor’s documentary said that we had evolved as humans because of our anti slavery stance and child labor laws. However, it got me thinking. It wasn’t too long ago when a slave was counted as 3/5of a person, and children were simply seen as mini adults. Our idea of a person, or at least a person that deserves rights, as it seemed to make quite a change since even the 19th century.
I also thought Jay’s presentation was really unique, but also quite frightening in the terms of its reality. With the google glasses on the horizon, who’s to say that soon enough we won’t be able to search our memories by simply going through the backlog of the glasses recordings? We’re probably still a ways off in terms of understanding what our pets want, but perhaps that’s google’s next big announcement.
At the beginning of this class, I wrote about how ridiculous I thought it was that there was such an obvious fear of any sort of technology on Battlestar Galactica (putting aside the fact that they are in a giant space station). I adamantly stood on the side of progress, and now I realize I simply advocated progress for progress’s sake. I wouldn’t go so far to say that I’ve developed into a Technophobe, but I certainly stop and think a little longer when I read about some new invention (though I admit to being completely excited when I saw someone had invented a Sonic Screwdriver).
Winner’s essay is what really brings it home for me. For him, it’s not so much a fear of technology as the worthlessness of it that really upsets him. While rumors of a smaller iPad swirl and they continue research on an invisibility cloak, we still lack the ability to adequately transport enough clean water to those that need it. While we strive for the perfect post/human, we are leaving countless behind.
That being said, this class forced me to look at so many things differently. One of my favorite genres going into this was apocalyptic literature, and this class only solidified that. Also, I can now watch Futurama and give scholarly reasons as to why I watch it incessantly rather than just admitting I love Dr. Zoidberg. Thanks for the great semester everyone!
My original plan for the course was, in fact, to provide you all with the analytical tools to support your addiction to Futurama. Imagine my delight that it worked! Seriously, Hannah, thanks for your reflection here, and I’m especially glad to hear that what the course offered, at least in part, was an additional set of perspectives for you to consider as we are all confronted with significant cultural questions over the coming years.