UPDATE : EVENT CANCELLED
A seminar will be taking place at Moorpark College that will ask the question: What will we do when aliens visit Earth? Your voice can be heard at this seminar, which will be taking place on Thursday in the EATM building.
The seminar, which is being run by Professor Kasalovi, will have astronomy and physics professor Ron Wallingford and philosophy professor Janice Daurio, both speaking about the topic at hand.
The seminar is not a lecture, which involves students just sitting and listening to the speakers, because here students are encouraged to discuss the topic during the event. This open discussion will help students become more involved with the seminar. This specific topic was chosen because this is the Year of Technology and Humanity.
“The whole point of the year is to ask the question: how does technology change us and make us who we are?” said Tracy Tennenhouse, the moderator for the seminar.
The Year of Technology and Humanity seeks to spark discussion about how technology affects our humanity. This seminar relates well to the theme because it will discuss how aliens would fit into our society. It will also explore the changes that could occur if aliens did come to Earth, as well as its effect on the technology that we have today.
Another topic that has been discussed this year regarded social media and its effects on our personality, which was presented at a lecture from Interim President Bernard Luskin on Jan. 28. This lecture focused on the effects that the technology of today has on us, and whether or not social media makes us antisocial.
Instead of focusing on the technology and its effect on humanity today, this seminar seeks to ignite conversations about the technology of tomorrow. This involves how our idea of humanity can be affected through changing circumstances and introduction to new technology.
“We want students to get involved in the question: What would we mean by the word ‘humanity’ if aliens ever came to Earth? Would our definition change?” Tennenhouse explained.
These are some of the topics that Tennenhouse wants students to think about while attending the seminar, and is the primary motivation for organizing this event.
“Another motivation for this seminar is to see Ron Wallingford paired with Janice Daurio,” said Tennenhouse. “These are two people from different disciplines that approach debating and arguing about the subject at hand in different ways.”
Students that are interested in this topic and want to be engaged in an in-depth discussion are encouraged to attend this seminar and become involved in the conversation. The seminar will start at 2:30pm in EATM 208. For more information, please contact Tennenhouse at [email protected].
