...In this screening we watched the movie Ex-Machina and then we discussed the movie and the questions that we had about the movie. I watched it the night before because I was going to be late for the screening, but it made me much more familiar with what was happening and I was able to see other people’s reactions and how they differed from my own. There were many occasions the night before when I was laughing or gasping, but when I was at the screening people’s reactions were very different, and for many parts people had no reactions. This movie really made me think more about the possible effects of artificial intelligence and whether or not some day they will blend in with humans. This film obviously relates to the course on the sci-fi front in the creation of artificial intelligence, but it also connects to the identity part when Eva realizes that she has artificial intelligence and comes to understand where she came from and what that means for her. This contributed to my personal growth because in the past I have never really thought about what would happen if we did have artificial intelligence. It made me wonder if at some point we wont be able to tell the difference between artificial intelligence or actual people. This movie also is very relevant to my English 101 class in which we just read feed and watched Her. I found it very interesting how seamlessly...
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...Artificial intelligence and first contact with an alien species are two popular science fiction topics. They are popular because they deal with something humanity might very well experience in the future. That raises an important philosophical question; How will humanity react when faced with a completely alien intelligence either man-made or extra-terrestrial? Iris Murdoch essay, “The Idea of Perfection” explains how humanity interacts with the unknown, or the sublime, by masking the sublime with knowledge and experiences already obtained previously instead of approaching it as completely unknown. This theory is presented in the film “Ex Machina” and Mary Doria Russell’s novel “The Sparrow”. In both of these works the characters meet mysterious and completely foreign life forms which forces them to adapt by...
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...discovery to be significant it must challenge previously held views and assumptions, however it may not be surprising as the process of a significant discovery is not always sudden and unexpected and can instead be a result of careful planning. In Simon Nasht’s documentary Frank Hurley: The Man Who Made History (2004) Hurley’s discovery of his ability to manipulate truth and shape history through his photography provokes a questioning of authenticity and integrity in art. However, this discovery is a product of an extended and deliberate process and is not made unpredictably. In Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, the protagonist discovers that there is no clear answer to what make us human and this challenges the audience’s assumptions about...
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...Did you know that the Avengers 2 gained $1,404,705,868 while Guardians of the Galaxy gained just $771,172,112? The marvel movie Guardians of the galaxy contains all the excitement and action one superhero fan would want. The Avengers is a another Marvel production that got big numbers because of the common love for superhero comics. The Guardians of the Galaxy still experiences the same components that torment numerous superhero movies, including uninspired antagonists and a substantial dependence on deus ex machinas. The Avengers was a big hit for Marvel studios when it come out last fall. This film was greatly successful because of the fun, the amazing level of creativity flowing through everything from the character designs to the action...
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...Google Research and Development Projects TC American Public University System Google Research and Development Projects Google has an arm of their company called Project X that is tasked with researching and developing new and evolving technologies. When many people think about Google they simply think of the company as a search engine and web mail hosting company. The fact is that Google excels in those areas but is also on the forefront of new technologies that have the potential to change how people drive, how internet services are deployed in remote areas, how home environmental systems are controlled and how internet orders are delivered (ExtremeTech, 2015). In particular, Google’s self-driving car, DeepMind artificial intelligence, Project Wing drone, Project Loon balloon internet and Nest home automation technologies show promise to improve the quality of life for many in the world. Google’s research and development mission is to consolidate information from across the world from many sources and then make that data both useful and available to all internet users (Spector, Norvig & Petrov, 2015). Additionally, Google uses the technology to improve existing goods and services as well as improving the environment through clean energy initiatives. Google as a company is focused on rapidly developing and implementing new technology in all areas but the research but the research and development arm is hyper-focused on technology innovation (Research.google.com, 2015)...
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...unnoticed until now is itself remarkable. We're so exquisitely privileged to be living in this time, to be born right on the precipice of the greatest paradigm shift in human history, the only thing that approaches the importance of that reality is finding like minds that realize the same, and being able to make some connection with them. If these books have influenced you the same way that they have us, we invite your contact at the email addresses listed below. Enjoy, Michael Beight, piman_314@yahoo.com Steven Reddell, cronyx@gmail.com Here are some new links that we’ve found interesting: KurzweilAI.net News articles, essays, and discussion on the latest topics in technology and accelerating intelligence. SingInst.org The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence: think tank devoted to increasing Humanity’s odds of experiencing a safe, beneficial Singularity. Many interesting articles on such topics as Friendly AI, Existential Risks. A SingInst.org/Media Videos, audio, and PowerPoints from the Singularity Summits; and videos about SIAI’s purpose. blinkx.com/videos/kurzweil Videos on the internet in which the word “Kurzweil” is spoken. Great new resource! PRAISE FOR THE...
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...THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE A TRANSLATION BY S. H. BUTCHER A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE trans. S. H. Butcher is a publication of the Pennsylvania State Univer- sity. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE trans. S. H. Butcher, the Pennsylvania State University, Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18201-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Cover Design: Jim Manis Copyright © 2000 The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university. THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE Analysis of Contents A TRANSLATION BY S. H. BUTCHER I ‘Imitation’ the common principle of the Arts of Poetry. II The Objects of Imitation. III The Manner of Imitation. IV The Origin and Development of Poetry. V Definition of the Ludicrous, and a brief sketch of the rise...
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...INTRODUCTION The plays and prefaces of Bernard Shaw deal with many and diverse themes. At least four, however, concern themselves with evolutionary themes and ideas: Man and Superman, Back to Methusalah, The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles, and Far-fetched Fables. In Man and Superman, especially the third act, the preface, and The Revolutionist's Handbook and Pocket Companion, Shaw touches on two main themes: the pursuit of man by woman and the direction of evolution, which Shaw sees as leading towards the development of the mind and brain. In Back to Methusalah, Shaw carries forward his vision of evolution as proceeding in the direction of mental development but introduces a seemingly new idea in the last play of the cycle, the antithesis of mind and body. Shaw's dualism receives its most explicit statement in the last play of the cycle although there may be indications of it in the earlier plays. The mind-body antithesis, however, derives as a philosophical problem from Descartes,1 although the antithesis also appeared in the Manichean and Gnostic heresies, the spirit, or mind, being regarded as good and the body as evil. Although the antithesis of body and mind makes its first open appearance in the Methusalah cycle, it is present, at least as an implicit assumption in Man and Superman. Don Juan continually expresses his longing for the life of contemplation, a life which is to be achieved at the expense of the body. We will deal with the presence of the mind body antithesis...
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...www.GetPedia.com * More than 500,000 Interesting Articles waiting for you . * The Ebook starts from the next page : Enjoy ! * Say hello to my cat "Meme" Easy PDF Copyright © 1998,2003 Visage Software This document was created with FREE version of Easy PDF.Please visit http://www.visagesoft.com for more details The Oxford Guide to English Usage CONTENTS Table of Contents =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Title Page TITLE EDITION Edition Notice Notices NOTICES CONTENTS Table of Contents Introduction FRONT_1 FRONT_2 Grammatical Terms Used in This Book Abbreviations FRONT_3 Word Formation 1.0 abbreviations 1.1 -ability and -ibility 1.2 -able and -ible 1.3 ae and oe 1.4 American spelling 1.5 ante- and anti- 1.6 -ant or ant 1.7 a or an 1.8 -ative or -ive 1.9 by- prefix 1.10 c and ck 1.11 capital or small initials 1.12 -cede or -ceed 1.13 -ce or -se 1.14 co- prefix 1.15 doubling of final consonant 1.16 dropping of silent -e 1.17 -efy or -ify 1.18 -ei or -ie- 1.19 en- or in- 1.20 -er and -est 1.21 -erous or -rous 1.22 final vowels before suffixes 1.23 for- and fore- 1.24 f to v 1.25 -ful suffix 1.26 hyphens 1.27 -ified or -yfied 1.28 in- or un- 1.29 i to y 1.30 -ize and -ise 1.31 l and ll 1.32 -ly 1.33 -ness 1.34 -or and -er 1.35 -oul- 1.36 -our or -or 1.37 Easy PDF Copyright © 1998,2003 Visage Software This document was created with FREE version of Easy PDF.Please visit http://www.visagesoft.com for more...
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...Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Bloom's Classic Critical Views alfred, lord Tennyson Benjamin Franklin The Brontës Charles Dickens edgar allan poe Geoffrey Chaucer George eliot George Gordon, lord Byron henry David Thoreau herman melville Jane austen John Donne and the metaphysical poets John milton Jonathan Swift mark Twain mary Shelley Nathaniel hawthorne Oscar Wilde percy Shelley ralph Waldo emerson robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge Stephen Crane Walt Whitman William Blake William Shakespeare William Wordsworth Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Edited and with an Introduction by Sterling professor of the humanities Yale University harold Bloom Bloom’s Classic Critical Views: William Shakespeare Copyright © 2010 Infobase Publishing Introduction © 2010 by Harold Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information contact: Bloom’s Literary Criticism An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data William Shakespeare / edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom : Neil Heims, volume editor. p. cm. — (Bloom’s classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references...
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...THE B L A C K SWAN The HIGHLY I mpact IM of the PROBABLE Nassim Nicholas Taleb U.S.A. $26.95 Canada $34.95 is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpre dictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9 / 1 1 . For Nassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. A BLACK SWAN Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what we don't know. We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate oppor tunities, too vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, and not open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the "impossible." For years, Taleb has studied how we fool our selves into thinking we know more than we actually do. We restrict our thinking to the irrelevant and inconsequential, while large events continue to surprise us and shape our world. Now, in this reve latory book, Taleb explains everything we know about what we don't know. He offers...
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...Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 i RTNA01 1 13/6/05, 5:28 PM READING THE NOVEL General Editor: Daniel R. Schwarz The aim of this series is to provide practical introductions to reading the novel in both the British and Irish, and the American traditions. Published Reading the Modern British and Irish Novel 1890–1930 Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Daniel R. Schwarz Brian W. Shaffer Forthcoming Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel Paula R. Backscheider Reading the Nineteenth-Century Novel Harry E. Shaw and Alison Case Reading the American Novel 1780–1865 Shirley Samuels Reading the American Novel 1865–1914 G. R. Thompson Reading the Twentieth-Century American Novel James Phelan ii RTNA01 2 13/6/05, 5:28 PM Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Brian W. Shaffer iii RTNA01 3 13/6/05, 5:28 PM © 2006 by Brian W. Shaffer BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Brian W. Shaffer to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and...
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...A Company of Swans Chapter One There was no lovelier view in England, Harriet knew this. To her right, the soaring towers of King's College Chapel and the immaculate lawns sloping down to the river's edge; to her left, the blue and gold of the scillas and daffodils splashed in rich abundance between the trees of the Fellows' Gardens. Yet as she leaned over the stone parapet of the bridge on which she stood, her face was pensive and her feet— and this was unusual in the daughter of a professor of classics in the year 1912— were folded in the fifth position. She was a thin girl, brown-haired and brown-eyed, whose gravity and gentleness could not always conceal her questing spirit and eagerness for life. Sensibly dressed in a blue caped coat and tarn o'shanter bought to last, a leather music case propped against the wall beside her, she was a familiar figure to the passers-by: to ancient Dr. Ferguson, tottering across the willow-fringed bridge in inner pursuit of an errant Indo-Germanic verb; to a gardener trimming the edges of the grass, who raised his cap to her. Professor Morton's clever daughter; Miss Morton's biddable niece. To grow up in Cambridge was to be fortunate indeed. To be able to look at this marvelous city each day was a blessing of which one should never tire. Harriet, crumbling bread into the water for the world's most blase ducks, had told herself this again and again. But it is not cities which make the destinies of eighteen-year-old girls, it is people— and...
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...THE PLAYER Good game design is player-centric. That means that above all else, the player and her desires are truly considered. Rather than demanding that she do something via the rules, the gameplay itself should inherently motivate the player in the direction the designer wants her to go. Telling players they must travel around the board or advance to the next level is one thing. If they don’t have a reason and a desire to do it, then it becomes torture. In creating a game, designers take a step back and think from the player’s viewpoint: What’s this game about? How do I play? How do I win? Why do I want to play? What things do I need to do? MEANINGFUL DECISIONS Distilled down to its essence, game design is about creating opportunities for players to make meaningful decisions that affect the outcome of the game. Consider a game like a boxing match. So many decisions lead up to the ultimate victory. How long will I train? Will I block or will I swing? What is my opponent going to do? Where is his weakness? Jab left or right? Even those few, brief questions don’t come close to the myriad decisions a fighter must make as he progresses through a match. Games invite players into similar mental spaces. Games like Tetris and Chess keep our minds busy by forcing us to consider which one of several possible moves we want to take next. In taking these paths, we know that we may be prolonging or completely screwing up our entire game. The Sims games and those in...
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