How to Be A Cyborg
We have been using tools to aid our physical abilities for as long as we have been human, but more recently there has been an explosion in the tools that aid our mental processes. The philosophical underpinnings of this idea has been explored by Andy Clark, Alva Noe and others, who are trying to deconstruct what is means to be human. But much of the discussion is begin driven by through thought experiments, with limited input from real-world augmentation to the body. In popular media this is the cyborg, a symbiotic fusion of human and machine. This Pop-up class was offered in the Stanford D.school and began with the popular perception of cyborgs. But then students were led through a series of exercises to help them revision what a cyborg could be, along with the impact on society and culture. This workshop alternated between physical activity, hands-on exercises and crafting, media viewing and spontaneous creative combustion.