ESP Biography

What could A.I. and technology tell us about ourselves? What exactly is information? How do we play games and what motivates us to play them? How do videogames reflect our brains and our cultural ideas? Using Norbert Weiner's work on cybernetics, Wittgenstein, and current cognitive science topics, we will discuss these abstract ideas and try to understand them through the lens of mathematics, philosophy, and cognitive science. We will use the games as tools to see these ideas. Please note that this class explores human behavior, which includes violence and sexuality. There will be no explicit content, but there will be discussion on how games present these topics and why. Games discussed: World of Warcraft Starcraft 2 League of Legends America's Army and other "military games" Team Fortress 2 EVE: Online Facebook and Twitter Second Life Topics covered: Human machines, information, and AI What is a "game?" Game theory, videogames, and feedback systems Moral issues in games and how they affect the world outside videogames Games as a way to explore emergent behavior and social organization Games as a reflection of culture

What could A.I. and video-games tell us about ourselves? What exactly is information? How can animals, humans, and machines communicate? What does it mean for something to have a 'mind' in a society where we are surrounded by technology? Using Norbert Weiner's work on cybernetics and current cognitive science topics, we will discuss these abstract ideas and try to understand them through the lens of mathematics, philosophy, and cognitive science.

Videogames are different from other artforms because they require us to make decisions and interact with a system, sometimes with lots of other people. You'll learn about scientific insights into the mind from study into games and the possible impacts on our society.