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--- future_histories_of_technology [2025/10/22 15:10] – ntnsndr
+++ future_histories_of_technology [2026/08/13 22:56] (current) – [Modernism] ntnsndr
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 # Future Histories of Technology
-*This class explores both literature about future technologies and literary technologies that move across periods, regions, and disciplines. Our cultural and historical approach to future histories of technology will illuminate how race, gender and sexuality, class, and nationality structure seemingly neutral research and development, usage, and innovation. Ultimately, our goal is to see how we’re not passive consumers but active participants in reimagining the present and future of technology.*
+**MDST 2046**
+This course explores how visions of the future have shaped the development of technology, and how technologies shape visions of the future in turn. It reveals how claims over the future organize power relations and constrain imaginations. Coursework takes the form of a creative workshop, where students make original multimedia artifacts and engage in constructive critique with one another.
 ## Instructor
-Nathan Schneider ("Professor Schneider")
+Dr. Nathan Schneider ("Professor Schneider")
-<nathan.schneider@colorado.edu> ([[:email_etiquette|tips]])
+<nathan.schneider@colorado.edu> ([[:email_etiquette|email etiquette]])
-Armory 1B24
+Armory Building, 1B24
-Office hours Wednesdays 3-5 pm or by appointment
+Office hours: Wednesday at 3-5 p.m., or by appointment
 Website: [nathanschneider.info](https://nathanschneider.info)
@@ Line 19: / Line 21: @@
 ## Rhythm
-The course consists of a steady sequence of "epochs," which are two week units that cover a given topic. In addition to exploring assigned materials, in each epoch students will produce a time capsule: a future-oriented artifact, accompanied by a statement that describes it in light of the assigned materials. The epochs will follow roughly a common pattern:
+The course consists of a steady sequence of "epochs," which are two week, four-session units that cover a given topic. In addition to exploring assigned materials, in each epoch students will produce a creative artifact from the future, accompanied by a statement that describes it in light of the assigned materials. The epochs will follow roughly a common pattern:
 * Lecture and class discussions (classes #1-2)
 * In-class reflection time on assigned materials (class #2)
-* Workshopping capsules (class #3)
+* Workshopping artifacts (class #3)
-* Present completed capsule (class #4)
+* Present completed artifacts (class #4)
 Attendance for all sessions is a basic expectation of the course. Please do not attend, however, if you exhibit any symptoms of illness that may be communicable. Inform the instructor of any anticipated absence before it occurs.
@@ Line 32: / Line 34: @@
 ### Kudos (40%)
-Class participation will be evaluated with the aid of a contribution-tracking system based on "kudos." Students will issue kudos to document and celebrate each other's contributions to the class community, such as:
+Class participation will be evaluated with the aid of a contribution-tracking system based on "kudos." At the end of each epoch, students will evaluate fellow students in their groups. Students will document and celebrate each other's contributions to the class community, such as:
-* Insightful comments or questions during class discussion
+* Insightful contributions during class discussion
-* Impressive sharing of coursework
 * Helpful feedback on other students' work
-* Modeling leadership, support, or mentorship
+* Modeling leadership and mentorship
-The instructor will issue contribution grades based on a review of the kudos scores. This is an experimental tool and its results will be treated with serious discretion, informed by student feedback.
+The instructor will issue grades based on a review of the kudos scores and participation in scoring others, combined with the instructor's evaluation of student contributions during class discussions.
-### Capsules (60%)
-For each epoch, students will produce a time capsule: an artifact from or about the future with an accompanying statement. Diverse mediums are welcome, and students should plan to use different mediums from epoch to epoch. An artifact might be, for instance, a:
+### Artifacts (60%)
+For each epoch, students will produce an artifact from the future with an accompanying statement. Diverse mediums are welcome, and students should plan to use different mediums from epoch to epoch. An artifact might be, for instance, a:
 * Written, audio, or video science fiction story
@@ Line 51: / Line 53: @@
 * Forecast analysis of current trends to probable futures
-The extent of the work will vary by medium, but expect to produce a capsule that reflects two weeks' worth of thought and craft. Inventiveness and quality matter more than quantity.
+The extent of the work will vary by medium, but expect to produce an artifact that reflects two weeks' worth of thought and craft. Making things by hand is more welcome than automated fabrication. Inventiveness and effort matter more than quality or quantity.
 A 300-500-word statement accompanying the artifact should explain it to the class, connecting it to the current epoch and the assigned materials.
-Students will workshop complete drafts of their capsules with fellow students, before turning in a revised version before the final class of the epoch.
+Students will workshop complete drafts of their artifacts with fellow students, before turning in a revised version before the final class of the epoch. Make sure that it is possible to compare initial and final drafts. Turn in assignments as attachments, rather than links, wherever possible.
+Each epoch provides an assignment for its artifact, and these should build on each other. The artifacts don't have to be continuous in nature (such as all belonging to the same world), but each artifact should satisfy the assignments of several previous artifacts as well as its own.
 Evaluation rubric:
-* Artifact that reflects thoroughness, creativity, and craft
+* Artifact that reflects thoroughness, creativity, and craft, and that completes the epoch's assignment
 * Complete, stylistically correct statement that explains the artifact and its relation to the theme of the epoch
 * Sophisticated [[engagement_with_assigned_sources|engagement]] with at least two assigned materials
 * Complete draft ready for peer review
 * Evidence of revision and participation in peer review
+## Grading
+Grading will follow the expectations stated in this syllabus.
+If you need an extension on any assignment, consult your instructor ahead of time. Late projects will be penalized 5 percentage points per day.
+Plagiarism and similar lapses in [[academic honesty]] can result in no credit for the assignment and referral to campus authorities.
+Based on the stated percentage structure, grades will be awarded as follows: A (94-100), A- (90-93), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), F (0-59). The minimum passing grade is 60 for undergraduates and 70 for graduate students.
 ## Agreements
 * This syllabus is a living document and may be revised during the course. The current, binding form will be maintained on Canvas, and any changes will be explained in a Canvas announcement.
-* Be intentional about use of screen devices during lecture and class discussions. They can be useful for collaboration and accessibility, but such devices [[:screen_devices|may also]] interfere with your learning experience and that of students around you.
+* Be present in our interactions together; students should put away [[:screen_devices|screen devices]] during lectures and class discussions
 * We respect one another's privacy and freedom to explore. Content shared in the course, in class or online, will not be shared beyond it without permission.
 * We adhere to basic [[:university policies]] regarding accessibility and [[:academic honesty]]; we take responsibility for understanding relevant policies and procedures.
+**AI policy:** Since this course emphasizes the cultivation of craft and creativity, generative AI should not be the primary means of producing anything turned in as original work.
 ## Epochs
@@ Line 76: / Line 93: @@
 The course proceeds through a series of two-week "epochs," each with its own set of assigned materials and creative work. All materials are accessible digitally at no cost, either on the open internet or through the campus library.
-Students are not expected to study every word of the assigned materials; rather, they should generally familiarize themselves with all and choose one or two in each epoch to focus on especially.
+Students are not expected to study every word of the assigned materials; rather, they should generally familiarize themselves with all and choose two in each epoch to focus on especially.
 ### Worldbuilding
@@ Line 82: / Line 100: @@
 * Ursula Le Guin, "[The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction](https://otherfutures.nl/uploads/documents/le-guin-the-carrier-bag-theory-of-fiction.pdf)" (1986)
 * Julian Bleeker, "[Design Fiction: A Short Essay on Design, Science, Fact, and Fiction](https://web.archive.org/web/20171004021016/http://drbfw5wfjlxon.cloudfront.net/writing/DesignFiction_WebEdition.pdf)," Near Future Laboratory (March 2009)
-* Amelia Winger-Bearskin, "[Before Everyone Was Talking About Decentralization, Decentralization Was Talking to Everyone](https://immerse.news/decentralized-storytelling-d8450490b3ee)," _Immerse_ (July 2, 2018)
 * Ezra Klein, "[N.K. Jemisin’s Master Class in World Building](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6xyFQhbsjQ)," _Vox_ (August 27, 2018)
+* Sheila Jasanoff, "[Future Imperfect: Science, Technology, and the Imaginations of Modernity](https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/3305673/1.-Jasanoff-and-Kim-2015-Dreamscapes-of-Modernity-Sociotechnical-Imaginari.pdf)," in Sheila Jasanoff and Sang-Hyun Kim (eds), _Dreamscapes of Modernity: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and the Fabrication of Power_ (University of Chicago Press, 2015)
-### Apocalypse
+Artifact: Depict a world that is neither utopia or dystopia.
-* [Revelation 17-22](https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=588101810) (NRSV)
-* Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, "[Proletarians and Communists](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch02.htm)," in _Manifesto of the Communist Party_, trans. Samuel Moore (Progress Publishers, 1969 [1848])
-* Vernor Vinge, "[The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19940022856)," _Vision 21: Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in the Era of Cyberspace_, NASA Lewis Research Center (December 1, 1993)
-* Sarah T. Roberts and Mél Hogan, "[Left Behind: Futurist Fetishists, Prepping and the Abandonment of Earth](https://escholarship.org/content/qt8sr8n99w/qt8sr8n99w.pdf)," _b2o_ 4, no. 2 (2019)
 ### Prediction
@@ Line 97: / Line 110: @@
 * Jenny Andersson, "[The Future of the World: Futurology, Futurists and the Struggle for the Post Cold War Imagination](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npHGfwxfpn4)," Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (2020)
 * Dylan Matthews, "[How a Ragtag Band of Internet Friends Became the Best at Forecasting World Events](https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/2/13/24070864/samotsvety-forecasting-superforecasters-tetlock)," _Vox_ (February 13, 2024)
-* Russ Roberts, "[Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Black Swans](https://www.econtalk.org/taleb-on-black-swans/)," _EconTalk_ (April 30, 2007)
+* Dan Schwartz, "[Are Prediction Markets Good for Anything?](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/14/are-prediction-markets-good-for-anything), _Asterisk_ (April 2026)
+Artifact: Develop a character facing a dilemma.
 ### Modernism
@@ Line 105: / Line 120: @@
 * Jens Beckert, "Fictional Expectations," in _[Imagined Futures: Fictional Expectations and Capitalist Dynamics](https://www-degruyter-com.colorado.idm.oclc.org/document/doi/10.4159/9780674545878/html#contents)_ (Harvard University Press, 2016)
 * _[Stories from Tomorrow: Exploring New Technology through Useful Fiction](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stories-from-the-future-exploring-new-technology-through-useful-fiction/stories-from-tomorrow-exploring-new-technology-through-useful-fiction)_, UK Ministry of Defence (February 28, 2023)
+Artifact: Introduce the structure and experience of a system of power, and do so using a technology from the [Media Archaeology Lab](https://www.mediaarchaeologylab.com/).
+### Hype
+* John Cheney-Lippold, "[The Silicon Future](https://journals-sagepub-com.colorado.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1177/14614448241234864)," _New Media & Society_ (March 8, 2024)
+* Jamie Brassett and John O’Reilly, "[The Lore of Hyperstition](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14626268.2025.2503164)," _Digital Creativity_ 36, no. 2 (2025)
+* Aimee Walleston, "[Cultural Palantirism: Abuse of Fantasy Fiction Comes as No Surprise](https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1447345&post_id=183980193)," _Do Not Research_ (March 2, 2026)
+* Justin Hendrix, "[How to Study the Phenomenon of Tech Hype](https://www.techpolicy.press/how-to-study-the-phenomenon-of-tech-hype/)," _Tech Policy Press_ (March 29, 2026)
+Artifact: Have characters interact with promises that are appealing but potentially false.
 ### Liberation
@@ Line 113: / Line 139: @@
 * Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams (dirs.), _[Neptune Frost](https://colorado.kanopy.com/node/12574154)_ (2021)
-### Techno-optimism
+Artifact: What comes after liberation?
-* Marc Andreessen, "[The Techno-Optimist Manifesto](https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/)" (October 16, 2023)
+### Posthumanism
-* John Cheney-Lippold, "[The Silicon Future](https://journals-sagepub-com.colorado.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1177/14614448241234864)," _New Media & Society_ (March 8, 2024)
+* Kyle P. Whyte, "[Indigenous Science (Fiction) for the Anthropocene: Ancestral Dystopias and Fantasies of Climate Change Crises](https://journals-sagepub-com.colorado.idm.oclc.org/doi/pdf/10.1177/2514848618777621)," _Nature and Space_ 1, no. 1-2 (2018)
 * Donna Haraway, "[A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century](https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/donna-haraway-a-cyborg-manifesto)," in _Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature_ (Routledge, 1991) [only the first and last sections]
-* Philip Butler, "[Newhampton: A Future Forward(ified) Black City in the United States](https://link-springer-com.colorado.idm.oclc.org/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-7880-9_11)," in _Critical Black Futures: Speculative Theories and Explorations_ (Palgrave Macmillan Singapore, 2021)
+* Vernor Vinge, "[The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19940022856)," _Vision 21: Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in the Era of Cyberspace_, NASA Lewis Research Center (December 1, 1993)
+* Marc Andreessen, "[The Techno-Optimist Manifesto](https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/)" (October 16, 2023)
-### Climatology
+Artifact: Encounter human-like activity in non-human agents.
+### Apocalypse
+* [Revelation 17-22](https://bible.oremus.org/?ql=588101810) (NRSV)
+* Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, "[Proletarians and Communists](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch02.htm)," in _Manifesto of the Communist Party_, trans. Samuel Moore (Progress Publishers, 1969 [1848])
+* Sarah T. Roberts and Mél Hogan, "[Left Behind: Futurist Fetishists, Prepping and the Abandonment of Earth](https://escholarship.org/content/qt8sr8n99w/qt8sr8n99w.pdf)," _b2o_ 4, no. 2 (2019)
+* Daniel Kokotajlo, Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland, Romeo Dean, _[AI 2027](https://ai-2027.com/)_ (April 3, 2025)
+Artifact: Bring a world that you've already created to its end.
-* Kyle P. Whyte, "[Indigenous Science (Fiction) for the Anthropocene: Ancestral Dystopias and Fantasies of Climate Change Crises](https://journals-sagepub-com.colorado.idm.oclc.org/doi/pdf/10.1177/2514848618777621)," _Nature and Space_ 1, no. 1-2 (2018)
-* Kim Stanley Robinson, [excerpt](https://www.crisiscritique.org/storage/app/media/2020-11-24/kim-stanley-robinson.pdf) from _Ministry for the Future_ (Orbit, 2020)
-* David Naimon, "[Crafting with Ursula: Becky Chambers on Creating Aliens & Alien Cultures](https://tinhouse.com/podcast/crafting-with-ursula-becky-chambers-creating-aliens-alien-cultures/)," _Between the Covers_ (January 10, 2022)
-* [Climate Action Almanac](https://www.climatealmanac.org/), Center for Science and the Imagination, Arizona State University