Androids, Cyborgs, and The Human of Our Dreams

Androids, Cyborgs, and The Human of Our Dreams

In this mini-course at the intersection of world literature, the history of robotics, and cognitive science, we will explore the changing face of the humanoid robot and its societal consequences through selections of fictional narratives (the short story, novel, and theatrical play) from the eighteen hundreds to today. Merging empirical fact with creative fiction, you will also get a chance to unleash your imagination and write and/or share ideas of your very own short story, one-act theatrical play, or poetry.

Dr. Lopez-Gonzalez’s research interests lie at the nexus of human creativity and general intelligence, artificial intelligence, and society. For Dr. Lopez-Gonzalez (A&S '05, '07, '10), building an interactive human-centric relationship with technology is critical for an ethical and sustainable future with autonomous, intelligent systems. The core of her work lies in mapping out the cognitive behavioral and neural correlates of how humans seamlessly adapt to multisensory, multi-agent environments. Using an interdisciplinary approach that merges questions, theory, methods, data, and experiences from both the Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Arts, Dr. Lopez-Gonzalez is identifying the fundamental and nuanced roles of emotion, knowledge, and cognitive plasticity within real-time improvisatory and collaborative problem solving, decision-making, and action behaviors. Her work focuses on four applied domains: human-like automation (e.g. robotics), interdisciplinary Science-Art education (e.g. medical humanities), patient-centric digital app engagement in healthcare (e.g. brain disorders), and end user information technology education (e.g. data privacy and safety).

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Androids, Cyborgs, and The Human of Our Dreams
  • Session 1: Androids, Cyborgs, and The Human of Our Dreams

    In this mini-course at the intersection of world literature, the history of robotics, and cognitive science, Dr. Monica Lopez-Gonzalez (A&S ’05, ’07, ’10) will lead an exploration of the changing face of the humanoid robot and its societal consequences through selections of fictional narratives (...

  • Session 2: Androids, Cyborgs, and The Human of Our Dreams

    Looking for some inspiration to get your summer reading done during the dog days of summer? Search no more. In this mini-course at the intersection of world literature, the history of robotics, and cognitive science, Dr. Monica Lopez-Gonzalez (A&S ’05, ’07, ’10) will lead an exploration of the ch...

  • Session 3: Androids, Cyborgs, and The Human of Our Dreams

    Looking for some inspiration to get your summer reading done during the dog days of summer? Search no more. In this mini-course at the intersection of world literature, the history of robotics, and cognitive science, Dr. Monica Lopez-Gonzalez (A&S ’05, ’07, ’10) will lead an exploration of the ch...