I already forgot which topic I chose to exclude in the survey but I’ll argue we shouldn’t cover Transhumanism and Cyborgs. As cool as it would be to discuss how technology has evolved to the point to change the human form, I don’t think it is the most relevant subject to examine. That isn’t to say that body mods aren’t happening all the time, it just feels like a more niche topic, especially when compared to discussions about generative AI, algorithms, and panoptic power. I can’t speak to the level of involvement or knowledge of everyone in the class, but I imagine most people associate Cyborgs and Transhumanists with popular Sci-Fi series or Superheroes in the cultural zeitgeist. To me, talking about Transhumanism and Cyborgs would spark less interesting discussion because of how removed we are from the topic. If our preconceived notions of this topic are based in fiction rather than our own lived experiences then I think we will have less compelling material to pull on as we discuss. I would say that the most interesting parts of these classes can be learning about other people’s interpretations of their own experiences through the material, which would likely be very limited talking about Cyborgs and Transhumanists.
Just another weekly blog