Here is an interesting and disturbing article about VR and torture: https://versions.killscreen.com/we-should-be-talking-about-torture-in-vr/https://versions.killscreen.com/we-should-be-talking-about-torture-in-vr/

Hi everyone,


You may bring your laptops to class today. Sorry for the late notice!


Best,
Prof D

Snapshot Project

Science fiction is any idea that occurs in the head and doesn't exist yet, but soon will, and will change everything for everybody, and nothing will ever be the same again. As soon as you have an idea that changes some small part of the world you are writing science fiction. It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible. -Ray Bradbury

Look into the future 50 years. What do you see? What kind of world are we living in? Are we living on planet Earth, or have we moved into outer space? How advanced is our AI? Has disease been eradicated, or do has there been even more disease as a result of pollution and warfare? What is the world like? What kind of beings have we become?

Create a sci-fi future snapshot to present to the class, based on what is going on in the world today. In other words, take actual events and scenarios from our current world, and project them into the future. 

Your snapshot can come in the form of a skit,  a story, a video, a website, a short story, a posterboard, or an other (approved by me) form. You will have 8 minutes to present it to the class, and do plan to use the full 8 minutes (but no more). Creativity is a HUGE part of your snapshot grade, so I do not want to see hastily organized PowerPoint or prezzis with a bunch of borrowed images from the internet on them.

In addition to presenting your future snapshot to the class, please write a 3-4 page essay detailing the events/situations in our world today that led you create your snapshot. Your snapshot should not be based on simply wish fulfillment, but you should have news articles and other resources bolstering your projection. Be prepared to share these with the class. For example, you could use current news articles on the melting of the polar ice caps to project a future where there are no polar ice caps at all. However, just because you are using real life events from today to project into the future, does not mean that you should not get creative and cannot be hopeful about the future. It's up to you if you want to create a dystopian or a positive snapshot (or some mixture thereof). There are all kinds of things happening in the world today, large and small, that will make our future: don't be afraid to look in unusual places for inspiration.


Imagination will be a key element that I am looking for when I grade your project. I want to see that you are thinking outside the box and getting creative.

Reading Questions for Wednesday

Reading questions for Wednesday. Please write down your responses. 

1) An important aspect of Willis' novel is the way in which she tackles history. Often when we read history, it becomes a bunch of boring facts and statistics. Throughout the book, Kivrin's intensive preparation for the time period rubs up against the realities of the time, things that she did not anticipate.What does Connie Willis reveal to us about the inadequacies of studying history?

2) Why is it important that you, as a reader, must switch back and forth between the 1300s and the imagined future? What is the effect of reading both of these timelines? 

3) The Domesday book is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states:

While spending the Christmas time of 1085 in Gloucester, William had deep speech with his counsellors and sent men all over England to each shire to find out what or how much each landholder had in land and livestock and what it was worth.

It was written in Medieval Latin, was highly abbreviated, and included some vernacular native terms without Latin equivalents.^[3] The survey's main purpose was to determine what taxes had been owed during the reign of KingEdward the Confessor.

The book is an invaluable primary source for modern historians and historical economists. No survey approaching the scope and extent of Domesday Book was attempted again in Britain until the 1873 Return of Owners of Land (sometimes termed the "Modern Domesday")^[7] which presented the first complete, post-Domesday picture of the distribution of landed property in the British Isles.^[8]

Why do you think Connie Willis chose to name her book Doomsday Book?

4) What unites people from the ancient past and the present? What unites us with the humans who have come before us? 

Hi everyone,

Here is an interesting video on robot technology. Please watch for Wednesday, March 23rd.

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000502094

Best,
Prof D

Some Handy Tips on In Class Essays

The In-Class Essay:

Aim and Organization

AIM:

To successfully prove a clear, specific thesis. The thesis should, obviously, address the prompt given in class. Following directions here, as always, is crucial to receiving a passing grade.

ORGANIZATION:

An in-class essay is organized into five paragraphs. The first paragraph is the introduction, then comes three body paragraphs, then a concluding paragraph. No more—no less!

You will want to make a brief outline before you write your essay.* Make sure the body paragraphs appear in a logical order, not simply the order they came to your mind in. Build on the information as you go.

Introductory Paragraph: Make sure not to take too much time writing in introduction. This paragraph should be about five sentences long (give or take a sentence or two). Provide a clearly arguable, well-qualified, thesis.

Body Paragraph One: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well as a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

Body Paragraph Two: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well as a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph. And remember, Body Paragraph Two should follow Body Paragraph One in terms of building logically upon it.

Body Paragraph Three: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well a topic sentence as the beginning of the paragraph. And remember, Body Paragraph Three should follow Body Paragraph Two in terms of building logically upon it.

Concluding Paragraph: Re-state your thesis. Summarize what has been successfully argued in the essay. End with a thoughtful and strong statement. This paragraph, like your introductory paragraph, need not be longer than five sentences, but should also not be shorter.

Grammar and formatting: Make sure to check your grammar and spelling as you go along. There is a bit more room for error in an in-class essay, but your essay must be readable and legible (so make sure your handwriting is clear). Double-check your essay for errors before you turn it in. You may choose to double-space or single space an in-class essay (depending on what your teacher requests).

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR IN-CLASS ESSAY

Par. 1: THESIS: Write out thesis statement here.

Par. 2: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 1 here.

Par. 3: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 2 here.

Par. 4: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 3 here.

Par. 5: CONCLUSION: Final thought to leave reader with.

*Remember, this is just a sample outline—yours can differ slightly. Also, you obviously will want to fully develop your intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion—so while you are providing the main idea of these paragraphs here in the outline, you will flesh them out with evidence/support in your actual essay.

Homework for Monday

Create a short story that is a contemporary parallel to A Wrinkle in Time. Here are the primary things I want you to consider: how will The Dark Thing manifest in your story? What contemporary social problems or issues will inform your narrative? Remember, Madeline L'Engle was informed by the Cold War--totalitarianism and collectivism vs. freedom of thought, individualism, and democracy. What issues today might serve for a battle between The Dark thing and "light"? You can set your story at Whittier College, or elsewhere, but it must be set in 2016. Also, make sure you consider how the Dark Thing will be defeated, or if it will be defeated (and if not, why not?).

2 pages, typed and double-spaced. Can be longer if you like.