u/frankmkv

Hi folks, I’m teaching an upper-level humanities course, Humans and Technology, and would love to bring some sci fi into the fray. I’m looking for recommendations of works that gel with the content and themes of the course.

I’ll share a simple rundown of the course below, but the tl;dr is this: the course seeks to complicate students’ understanding of technology’s impact on how we conceptualize our world and ourselves. As a part of this I’m requiring students to independently read a relevant novel throughout the semester and make connections to the courses content. Any works that spring to mind as productive for stimulating this sort of thinking, please share!

More info if it helps to narrow:
Students develop and creatively articulate a nuanced understanding of tech adoption in the enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Information Age, and in the dawning era of AI proliferation. Students explore:

- theories and ideas of society/tech co-constitution (i.e., human society and technology evolve together; we make our tools and our tools make us)

- historical perspectives on contemporary technologies as discerned by reading primary sources (Kant, Marx, Kuhn)

- the phenomenology of tech use — what’s it like to use technologies as part of daily being

- the future of tech and posthumanism

It is this last part (what the future holds) that’s a weak place in my syllabus specifically. Some kickass works of sci-fi could do well to help generate speculation and meaningful conversation about the possibilities and trajectories of our world.

Seems to me most sci fi (could be big literary names or more niche genre stuff) answers the mail here… but if anyone has specific recommendations that should be included, please let me know!

An English professor at my university recommended Klara and the Sun after we spoke about how the first semester went, so that’s on there. No need to help identify texts to “compliment” this one… just want to have a solid list of possible recommendations (students can always propose their own novel too).

I’m not seeking interview advice per se, but rather I’m chewing over where would be most impactful to focus my development over the next year.

I manage an instructional design team at a university and would like to eventually enable my transitioning to a private company serving higher education or serving k12.

Knowing there are many, many variables at play, I’d nonetheless love to hear some general thoughts from anyone who has had a hand in hiring decisions.

My instinct is something related to data. “Data-driven” is an adjective I’d love to apply to myself, but in truth I haven’t done a lot with it beyond the operational-level things I need to track to keep my team on track, which seems like a glaring omission in my skillset.

Thanks folks!

Damn, I feel cringey asking, but I’ll swallow my pride here.

I’m currently in Coral Springs, and may of the barbers near me are more of the sorta urban vibe. Dudes playing play station in the shop, blasting reggaeton. Nothing wrong with it… heck I used to get my hair did at Top Notch Barber Shop Home of the Five Dollar Haircut in Davie until it got shot up a couple times and they had to raise their prices.

But are there any shops in broward where the vibes are like… skateboarding videos, thrash music, barber looks like he was in a legendary hardcore band in the 90s?

A tall order for broward I’m sure. And I’m not holding my breath, it would simply be my preference. They’d “get me” more, and I wouldn’t walk out with a skin fade I didn’t ask for and a notch in the ol eyebrow

GTD methodology has done wonders for my work productivity, but despite David Allen’s conviction and recommendation that the work/life delineation isn’t entirely meaningful and that GTD applies to life, which includes work, I’ve really only had success implementing it professionally and not in my personal life. Work is unambiguous, life is messy. I’ve never gotten it to stick outside of work, but I want to make another effort.

Will you folks kindly share some examples of your Purpose & Principles Horizons of Focus? Especially if you feel you do a good job honoring that in your life. I’m trying to get a feel for how broad or specific people go. While I know this is deeply subjective and can change from one person to the next, I haven’t gotten this to stick, so I’m curious about others.