Schedule, Fall 2010

ST: Computing, Information and the Future

Please note: this schedule is based on last year's and will be adjusted for this year as we proceed. Please let me know of any topic requests - we can be flexible!
M 8/23/10. . .General course information
. . .Introductory meeting
Homework #1, due next class
W 8/25/10. . .Trajectories of the future (2011 instructor note: this is now almost 2 classes worth and was split with 9/20/10)
M 8/30/10. . . More on prediction
. . .Homework #2, due two classes from today
. . ."Did You Know?" video and discussion (also search for variations, remakes, & updates)
. . .To prepare for next time: think of a question about the future. We will apply a Delphi method to it.
W 9/1/10. . . Delphi Method
M 9/6/10. . . Labor Day (Holiday)
W 9/8/10. . . Delphi Method II
. . . Homework #3, due W 9/15/10
M 9/13/10. . . Prediction markets
. . .Homework #4, due Wednesday Sept. 22
W 9/15/10. . . TRIZ introduction
M 9/20/10. . . Exponential change redux: overpopulation on Mars
(next year: move "Backup plan for homo sapiens: space adventure" to here)
W 9/22/10. . . Personal futures: "The Last Lecture," or "How to Really Achieve Your Childhood Dreams" (movie by Randy Pausch)
M 9/27/10. . . TRIZ cont.: 40 principles of technological advancement
. . . Homework #5, due Mon. Oct. 4, 2010 extended to Oct. 6 before class

W 9/29/10 . . . More TRIZ discussion (with 10-min. hands-on robot intro)
M 10/4/10 . . . Finish  TRIZ discussion
W 10/6/10 . . . Students discuss other student topics from their HW5 blog entries

. . . Homework #6, due Wed. Oct. 13, 2010
M 10/11/10 . . . Spoil sports of the prediction game #1: the observer effect (ser. #1)
W 10/13/10. . . Spoil sports of the prediction game
. . .Homework #7, due next Wednesday (in a week)
M 10/18/10. . . Finish spoil sports of the prediction game
W 10/20/10. . . Movie discussion: Earth 2100 (Ser. #4) 
. . .Homework #8, due next Wednesday 
M 10/25/10 . . . Movie discussion II: Earth 2100 (Ser. #4)
W 10/27/10. . . Trend analysis I
. . . Finish movie discussion II: Earth 2100 (Ser. #4)
. . . Weather and climate simulation: are interventions even less reliable than predictions?
. . . Trend analysis II 
. . . Homework #9, due Wed. 11/3/10
M 11/1/10 . . . Trying out a robot (ser. #5)
W 11/3/10. . . Student presentation: Claudia (age and visions of the future)
. . . AIShield, safeguarding humanity and the risks of AI/robotics
. . . Robogenesis
. . . iRobot and the "Create" Robot
. . . Start Centralization. . . and some robot pics and videos
. . . Metrics for progress in robotics
. . . Homework #10, due Wed. 11/10/10: if behind on HWs, do this one and catch up on others later
M 11/8/10 . . . Robotics II: music and motion (ser. #5); Google's robotic cars
W 11/10/10. . . Finish robotics: Centralization (slide 2)
. . . Gaining long term perspective through time lapse (video discussions I)
. . . Homework #11, due W Nov. 17 
M 11/15/10 . . . Video discussions II (next time: last video not that great)
W 11/17/10 . . . Student presentation: Chinzo (Unikey) 
. . . Video discussions II (next time: last video not that great)
. . . Homework #12, due W Nov. 24
M 11/22/10. . . Guided work day: HW catchup, project paper, or project presentation 
W 11/24/10. . . Toxoplasmosis (see also http://www.slate.com/id/2259350) (ser. #9)
M 11/29/10 . . . Student presentation: Paul (Telepresence)
. . . Hubbert peak for oil
. . . Homework #13: finish term paper or other term project
W 12/1/10. . . Student presentations: Chris, Matt (Natural language assistant) 
. . . Hubbert peak for oil (finish)
. . . Alternative energy: photovoltaics (solar cells) ser. #7
M 12/6/10
. . . Student presentation: Omar (Future of transportation)
. . . Student presentation: Abdulla (Telepresence)
. . . Finish alternative energy: photovoltaics (solar cells) ser. #7
M 12/13/10 (1:30-3:30 p.m.)
. . . Scheduled final exam session: this meeting is for catching up on assignments, and is not required if you are fully caught up.
###Updated for 2010 up to here (the material below is still subject to change)###


Some rough notes on potential other discussion topics
. . . TED videos and discussions

. . . Backup plan for homo sapiens: space adventure