| Class | For Today | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1M 4/01 | (a) Read the course syllabus. (b) Watch (and think about) Twilight Zone episode TZ:S5E23: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (c) Read about Sam Bankman-Fried (any sources) and his sentencing (Thur 3/28). Form an opinion on SBF and his sentence. In class: watched a Charlie Brooker video | Number Go Up · Going Infinite · Effective Altruism (EA) |
| 1W 4/03 | S1E2: Fifteen Million Merits (discussion leads: Ashley and Foram) | Media |
| 1F 4/05 | S3E1: Nosedive (discussion leads: Aidan and Manreet) | China’s social credit system |
| 2M 4/08 | S5E2: Smithereens (discussion leads: Karan, Sophia Th) | . |
| 2W 4/10 | S5E3: Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too. Also watch (no notes required): TZ:S5:E6: Living Doll (discussion leads: Ashley, Yujin) |
XF:S5E10: Chinga |
| 2F 4/12 | S6E1: Joan is Awful (discussion leads: Alshari, Kefir) | Surveillance and Control |
| 3M 4/15 | S1E3: The Entire History of You (discussion leads: Anna and Kim) | . |
| 3W 4/17 | S4E2: Arkangel (discussion leads: Dulce and Ryan) | . |
| 3F 4/19 | S1E1: The National Anthem (discussion leads: Christopher and Esther) | Politics, Hate, Control |
| 4M 4/22 | S3E6: Hated in the Nation (discussion leds: Joanna and Nivita) | Race, Hate, War |
| 4W 4/24 | S4E6: Black Museum (discussion leads: Amit and Sean). Prof. Ghosal visits. | . |
| 4F 4/26 | S3E5: Men Against Fire (discussion leads: Amanda and Samantha) | . |
| 5M 4/29 | S4E5: Metalhead (discussion leaders: Diya and Sheda) | . |
| 5W 5/01 | At Quad 12-12:30; then Giedt. Discussion of Israel/Palestine. Violence and technologies of control. Protests at US universities. Instead of episode notes, please write a one-page reflection on something you read or watched for today. Suggested questions for class also good. (1) Some fiction: The Present (2020) and The Key (Anwar Hamed). (2) Some Al Jazeera videos (as many you can): Israel: Above the Law? (2024); Closed Cyberspace (2023); Israel’s Automated Occupation: Part 1 and Part 2. (3) Recent activites on campuses: Is Columbia in Crisis? (campus newspaper); Guardian articles on the topic (as many as you have time for); (4) One Jewish perspective: Naomi Klein’s Seder Speech (4/24/24). | May Day for Palestine event (11 am at Quad). The Key (2023), short film by Rakan Mayasi. Moved from assigned column: Weaponising water in Palestine (2023); Gaza: 60 min Warning (2021); Genocide in Gaza: Enabled by AI (2024); Rebel Architecture (2015). Defining antisemitism: IHRA (2016) vs. IJV (2021) |
| 5F 5/03 | S3E3: Shut Up and Dance (discussion leads: Arnav and Srujana) | Carcerality, Cruelty, Blackmail |
| 6M 5/06 | SPEC: White Christmas (discussion leads: Michelle and Victoria) | . |
| 6W 5/08 | (1) Twilight Zone episodes: TZ:S1E22: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street and TZ:S4E4: He's Alive. Write episode summaries as you do with BM episodes, focussing on interpretation and personal reaction. (2) Prof. Ghosal visits. (3) Deferred: Student protests, students’ ability/inability to make positive changes in the world. | Cancelled S4E3:Crocodile. TW episodes considered: TZ:S3E14: Five Characters in Search of an Exit, TZ:S5E12: Number 12 Looks Just Like You; TZ:S3E21: The Trade-Ins; TZ:S3E9: Deaths Head Revisited. |
| 6F 5/10 | S2E2: White Bear (discussion leads: Emily V and Julian) | Moved from 6W |
| 7M 5/13 | S3E2: Playtest (discussion leads: Konsing and William) | Games |
| 7W 5/15 | Star Trek: ST.TOS:S1E26|27 Errand of Mercy and ST.TNG:S5E25: The Inner Light and ST.VOY:S5E11: The Latent Image. Discussion leads: Hannah and Sophia Tz. Watch all; prepare lecture notes on any one. | . |
| 7F 5/17 | 2-3 person discussions. Columbia graduation speaker (offset 43:30). Aborted visit from protester/organizer at the quad (Stanford, Hannah). Topics for today: (1) Student protests on campusses. (2) CS students’ ability/inability to improve the world / avoid a BM future | . |
| 8M 5/20 | S2E1: Be Right Back (student leads: Juan and Ulysses). | Relationships |
| 8W 5/22 | (0) BM working title and 1-sentence description: extended deadline from 8M to 10pm today. (1) S6E3: Beyond the Sea (discussion leads: Semra and Shruti) (2) Unfinished discussions from last Wed, with Stanford and Hannah. | Dipak will do his follow-up from 6W at 2pm. Location to be announced. Please join if you can. |
| 8F 5/24 | S4E4: Hang the DJ (discussion leads: Hannah and Sophia Tz.) | . |
| 9M 5/27 | Holiday, don’t show up and I won’t | . |
| 9W 5/29 | Day1 student projects: AAKS, AHSY, DDS, EMS, JNV, KSS | . |
| 9F 5/31 | S3E4: San Junipero (discussion leads: Ann and Kelly) | . |
| 9U 6/02 | You’re invited! 8-10pm, totally optional activity: rock climbing (without the rocks) at Rocknasium. Suggest to fill out the waiver in advance. | . |
| 10M 6/03 | Day2 student projects: AAK, ACEK, AJSW | . |
| 10W 6/05 | Day3 student project AK, FMS, JRU | . |