Week 12

The readings of "Simulations" and "Artificial Ethics" reminded me of the movie "War Games". Both of these reading described how technology has a ‘mind of its own’. In the reading “Artificial Ethics” they say that “Do these programs possess consciousness?”(Driver 210). This sentence alone reminded me of the movie the war games because a boy named David, who is a computer hacker in his spare time. He decides to hack into a computer gaming company to play the latest and greatest game before it is released to the public. However, instead of getting into the gaming companies database, he hacks into the pentagon’s top secret war files. He then decides to play a simulation game called “Thermo Nuclear War”, which is a simulation of the war versus Russia. However, what started out as a game seems all too real, as WOPR takes over the systems at the NORAD project, and the folks there aren't sure if it is all a game or if the Russian missiles that appear to be poised to wipe out the US means World War III is imminent.

The computer game in this move seemed to have a mind of its own, a consciousness per say. But I don’t believe computers or technology actually has a conscious. I believe it was created by the designer of the actually software who was HUMAN and DID have morality and a conscious. Their personality and aspects of their conscience and morals are input in what they have created just as our when we develop something, whether it be a piece of literature or a work of art.

Week 11

Descartes

Week 10

"1984" Part Three

I can't believe the book ended the way it did. I really had hoped for Winston to start a revolution against the party.

Week 9

'1984' Section 2

In the second section my question about the identity of Julia are answered. He is a trouble maker and a rebel. It seems like she will do anything to break the rules but when out in the watchful eye of “Big Brother” she is the perfect person. She makes me angry in a sense because I feel that she is going to get Winston into some trouble. It doesn’t seem that he has as much self control as Julia does. She taunts him with bring him ‘real’ stuff such as coffee, sugar, and bread. I also find it odd with her promiscuity. It seems like she is the secret town whore with many locations out of sight by higher authority to do the deed. In my opinion it seemed like Winston is falling in a trap by falling in love with her. However, they eventually break up due to the initiation of them both into the ‘Brotherhood’. O’Brian requested that they break up in order to be initiated and to remain in the brotherhood. Also, Mr Charrington came up in this section. I do not like him and I do not think he is part of the Brotherhood. Anyway, he let Winston use his secret room so he could have relations with Julia. How nice. However, in the end of the section we find out that he is in fact a part of the Truth Police and he was setting the couple up the entire time. I KNEW IT!!!