Our technological prowess has opened vistas for humanity to dream bigger, or perhaps it has simply revealed the cosmically (comically?) short timeframe of human existence and hence led us to imagine new ways for that existence to end. Extinction or evolution, one way or the other humanity is poised for transition. Will climate change force us to colonize other planets? Will we merge with machines by adding cyborg implants or, more radically, uploading our minds into robotic bodies?
The fear of human extinction and the promise of radical salvation through technology intertwine in a religious worldview unique to the contemporary world. We will explore this worldview and discuss the political and social implications of transferring our religious impulses and hope of salvation into technological forecasting.
- Teacher: Robert Geraci