The Reilly Center's Science, Technology, and Values minor will offer a new 1-credit, research-intensive course to all undergraduate students on the ethics of emerging technologies this Fall on Mondays from 5:05 to 6:10 in 400 Geddes Hall.
Man and Machine: Humanity, Technology, and the Future will explore rapidly advancing technologies (particularly those related to the human body) such as life extention, human enhancement, reproductive interventions, and human-computer interfaces and the potential ethical and policy dilemmas we will face as these technologies are implemented. Because these issues cut across the conventional lines of academic training and thought, the course will take a crossdisciplinary approach to studying the past, present, and future of technological innovation and the responsibilities of both the designers and users.
The goal of the course is to give students a variety of theoretical perspectives from which to analyze emerging technologies so they can respond knowledgeably and productively to the sociotechnical dilemmas that will confront us in government, industry, politics, education, and daily life. The course is open to everyone, including incoming freshman.
Students will assist in building the Reilly Center's annual Top 10 List of Ethical Dilemmas and Policy Issues in Science and Technology, which has received international attention.