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Why computing is insolvent2023HT
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Course plan
No lectures
We have conversations, and do practical work. We think, do, talk and repeat.
Recommended for those who wish to understand why computing is insolvent
The fabric of the natural and social worlds are unravelling we and we have all been complicit in soliciting a societal system that seems uncapable of addressing its most pressing problems. In particular, computing seems completely untouched by what is happening and does not seem to accept its role, is unable to grow up and face consequences of our involvement in all the catastrophic events we experience. Why is that, and what can we do about it?
The course is at last a given
Goals
To develop capacity for self-reflection & courage to reason openly about
foundational ideas in computing such as the need for greater computational
power, abstraction, the virtue of reductionism (divide-and-conquer), ideas
about value-neutrality, belief that human decision-making as optimization of
choices, thus amenable to automation, among other things.
Ability to ask uncomfortable questions and form an independent position.
Prerequisites
An open mind and a sense of profound discomfort at how about the mass extinction, the climate crisis, the rise of authoritarianism are met by complete silence in our professional field regarding our complicity. Our only answer seems to be to do more of what we have already been doing since the inception of the field (energy-efficient computations). Why?
Organization
The course features academic fieldwork, seminars and regular reflections. Students will get to formulate challenges and open questions to probe using support from course staff.
Content
A general overview of the general multipolar crises that face us today and potential explanations that include tech. Also critical system heuristics, an introduction to soft systems thinking, naturalistics decision making, situated cognition, an STS account of computing, cybernetics and operations research and values as manifested in, for instance, Green IT & Machine Learning.
Literature
Research papers and online material.
Lectures
Examination
Individual continuous reflection, project based on academic fieldwork, essay on values in research.
Examiner
Ola Leifler
Credits
6
Comments
Page responsible: Director of Graduate Studies
