Hide Advanced Options
Courses - Fall 2024
HNUH
University Honors
Open Seats as of
05/16/2024 at 09:30 PM
HNUH248Q
Frankenscience: An Exploration of "Natural" and "Artificial" In Society and Science Fiction
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F
What is "natural" and what is "artificial"? While this distinction might seem obvious at first, modern biology has blurred it in surprising ways. Genetic engineering, vaccination, immunotherapies, bionics, and cybernetics all combine natural and artificial components to bring new dimensions to the way we think about human health. At the same time, humans have grappled with fears and innovation through speculative fiction far longer than these ideas have had practical applications. Landmark stories of artificial life include beings in Greek mythology (Talos), Jewish lore (golem), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and more to the present day. Approaching the interface between biological and artificial materials from both perspectives, this course will present history's cutting-edge developments in biomedical research and explore the boundaries of the natural and artificial in science fiction, allowing students to develop tools for grappling with AI and other "Frankenscience."
HNUH248Q is part of the Artificial? Intelligence? thematic cluster and pairs with HNUH248C to complete the cluster. Artificial? Intelligence? Courses will be offered through Spring 2026.