INF5010: Social Aspects of Technology and Science
Reading Assignments

May 18, 2006.

  • Louise's lecture is here .
  • and Johannes's 1 , Johannes's 2 , Johannes's 3 .

    May 12, 2006.

  • Read The Market and the Net by Phil Agre, and be prepared to discuss it in class.
  • The Preface to Ted Lewis's book, The Friction Free Economy.
  • For background in economics (optional), read chapter 2, The Neoclassical Perspective, from Essentials of Economics: A Hypermedia Text by Roger McCain, of Drexel University. Chapter 1 provides background for the background, and most of you should probably read that too. Chapter 3, Supply and Demand, from Roger McCain's webtext; this is a bit long and even repetative, so you may want to skim parts.
  • Editorial on Internet Businesses, by Phil Agre; the forwarded email by Robert Hettinga is optional.

    April 29, 2004.

  • Please, refresh your readings on ethics and add the following: on IS ethics and on Information ethics

    April 5, 2006.

  • An introduction to ANT through some applications of ANT with comparative discussion Traduction / Trahison - Notes on ANT, by John Law
  • How things (actor-net)work: Classification, magic and the ubiquity of standards, by Geoffrey Bowker and Susan Leigh Star, via the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Although this paper may be difficult for many of you, I think it is the most interesting paper we have had so far; you should read it at least twice; you will need some help with the actor-network theory, which will be covered during the next lecture.
  • A Bayesian Critique of Statistics in Health, by Robert Matthews. A controversial discussion of statistical issues in medical research. Although the Bayesian stance is dubious, the reports about failed medical studies are significant.

    March 22, 2006.

  • This is the article about the latest neouroscience research on marmosets we mentioned in class The reinvention of the self. Enjoy!
  • Database Metatheory: Asking the Big Queries by Christos Papadimitriou. Application of Kuhn, falsifiability, social networks, and even the Volterra equation to database theory.
  • Has there ever been a paradigm shift? by Arthur Young
  • Work by Karl Popper
  • An introduction to ANT through some applications of ANT with comparative discussion Traduction / Trahison - Notes on ANT, by John Law, Univeristy of Lancaster.This last one we take if time, else it will be left for next Friday.

    March 8, 2006.

  • Webpage on Megalitic temples of Malta and Gozo
  • Webpage on Tech makes life harder
  • A Sketch of the Kuhnian Philosophy of Science, by Silvio Chibeni, via Illinois State University. A brief summary of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas Kuhn (Chicago, 1962).
  • Objectivity, Value Judgment, and Theory Choice, by Thomas Kuhn, via Illinois State University. This fills in some points that are not so clear in Kuhn's book.
  • Profile: Reluctant Revolutionary, by John Horgan, Scientific American, May 1991, pp.40-49, via Illinois State University. An interview containing much pertinent information.

    March 1, 2006. We will be discussing some history and phylosophy of science and then connect it to the society. Please look at:

  • Webpage on Descartes and Mind/Body Dualism, by Serendip at Bryn Mawr. You may want to check all six parts, of which this is the first, but do read this one. A bit on the theory of narrative can be found in the paper Narratology: The Guide to the Theory of Narrative by Manfred Jahn and The Narrative Emergence of Identity by Mark Grover. For links, see outlilne of the second meeting.

    February 17, 2006.

  • Website: Teknofriesoner, starts on page 16.
  • Article: Television: Opiate of the Masses
  • Effects of Technology on Family and Community, by J.A. English-Lueck. Report on a study of the effects of technology on family life in Silicon Valley.

    January 27, 2006.

  • Chandlers website: Technological or Media Determinism
  • Webpage on Technological Determinism UK Technology Education Centre. You may also enjoy browsing some of the other related material on this site.
  • Check out this interesting article writen by Neil Postman, as well as What to ask about technology .
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    Maintained by Almira Karabeg
    Sist oppdatert Thursday, 18-May-2006 12:03:28 CEST.