Séquence 3
Augmented
Thème: savoir, création innovation Axe: sciences et techniques, promesses et défis Problématique: how does transhumanism question the very notion of humanity? Final task: contribute to an online sciences magazine
Start
1. scenario and roles
2. Step 1: what is transhumism? Brainstorming
table of content
3. Definition + Memorise 1 + liste des films
4. CO- video / the concepts of Transhumanism
5. Step 2: the journalists'investigation: join Sutori
6. First staff meeting+ atelier 1
7. Step 3- Frankenstein/ first transhumanist novel+ ateliers 2 ( présentation des films)
8. Step 4: the dangers/Eugenics
9. Step 5-Meet David Pearce
10. Grammaire: les modaux + Memorise 2
11. Step 6- the future of transhumanism- GW
12.second staff meeting
13. Your magazine
Scenario
You are a team of journalists and you were asked to publish a special issue of your magazine "The sciences" on the issue of Transhumanism. In pairs, you will have to write a series of articles on different subjects and to collaborate on the creation of this magazine. So as a team of real journalists, you need to master your subject first.
A way to enhance human capacities, abilities with technologies.
A definition?
Brainstorming
Your word cloud on WooclapTJAGRX
what could have been added
Choisissez votre outil pour apprendre, mêmes mots à l'intérieur.
Step 1: the concepts of transhumanism
Fusing with the machine to be enhanced
cryonics
Super intelligence
cloning
Immortality
humans raised to be used as clones to repair humans
based on the principle that humans don't use all their brain capacity
Humans are frozen until they reach their destination, allows them not to age
Implants
Difference
Once awakened they cannot go back
denying the right to live to the clones
Can be achieved through mind transfer
Loss of control
Loss of control
Your Turn!
1. Join Sutori
2. Your 2° task
You are journalist from "The Science Magazine". You were asked to publish a special issue of the magazine about Transhumanism. This is time for research. Follow the steps on the sutori. You will use the notes to write your articles, but also to intervene during the first staff meeting, so the quality of your interventions depends on the quality of your research.
Time for the first staff meeting
step 02
step 03
step 01
The editors in chief have to react, to guide you, to ask you questions to make sure you went deeper enough into the subject.
You expose your findings to the editors in chief following the pieces of advice given.
You collaborate for your researches and post them on Sutori so that everyone can use them.
At length lassitude succeeded to the tumult I had before endured, and I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it was in vain; I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel. I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life.Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch. I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep.
STEP 2
questions
questions
s'entrainer pour le bac méthodologie.
La traduction
Start
2. Traduire
Traduire de l'anglais vers le français
1. relire plusieurs fois le texte en se posant les bonnes questions
Correction, proposition 1
Interpreting a text
EE/EO-Watch these extracts from a movie dated 1994, and one dated 2025, both adapted from the novel. Find the common points and differences with the text. Get ready to explain which one you would choose for the magazine and why.
Oral presentations
Your editors have asked you to present a movie of your choice that deals with transhumanism to the team in order for all the journalists to be on the same level of knowledge. Each of you will have 2' to do this presentation. Follow the steps.
Tomorrow's children-1934
Before watching: 1934? Part 1: - situation? - solutions?(2) Part 2:
Why?
The visit
Problem?
Who?
How?
trailer competition-GW create the trailer of a transhumanist movie/animé/video game...
step 04
step 02
step 03
step 01
Create the trailer with imovie or capcut with a voice over + text. Record your voice using the corresponding tone (creepy, ironical...)
imagine the pitch of a movie/animé inspired by one of the elements seen in class (for ex, a case of the supreme court)
Choose a tone (satirical, ironic, critical, funny, dramatic..)
Choose one concept of transhumanism
Meet david pearce, one of the most famous British Guru of Transhumanism- each group is in charge of 1 "super". Write on the given magnets
Correction mindmap
Let's train and memorize
Last step before second staff meeting
Group work: each group works on a different subject, and in each group, each student has a different document
The aim is for each group to be able to participate in the staff meeting adding something new to the discussion
- Step 1: (within your group but alone) THINK On your own: read the document, take notes on your side of the white board and get ready to expose to the rest of the group
- Step 2: (within your group) GROUP exchange the information you understood with the other members of the group. Make sure everybody understands, so use your own words.
- Step 3: SHARE Synthesize all your exchanges taking notes in the middle of the white board. Make them clear enough for them to be a help you will use during the staff meeting.
What if the military used transhumanism?
Journalist group work: each one will read one of the articles on his own and then you will exchange on your document in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 1
2. DARPA
1. Super soldiers?
Read article 2 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
Read article 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
article 2
article 1
Vocabulary
3. dARPA's secrets
4. The comics warning
Watch video 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
Read article 3 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
Video 1
article 3
Humanizing the machines
Journalist group work: each one will read one of the articles on his own and then you will exchange on your document in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 2
2. The movie industry denounces AI
1. Is A.I a danger to arts?
Read and watch file 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Read article 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
File 1
article 1
Vocabulary
3. 2023 interview- 60' Australia
4. Meet Sofia
Watch video 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Watch video 2 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Video 1
Video 2
Making fun of Transhumanism
Journalist group work: In pairs, you will go through one of the articles or files and then you will exchange on your document(s) in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 3
Students 1 &2: Is cryonics serious?
Go through the file and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
article 1
Students 3&4: Pure fun?
Go through the file and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
File 1
Vocabulary
Where is the future taking us?
Journalist group work: In pairs, you will go through the article(s) or file(s) and then you will exchange on your document in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 4
Students 1 &2: Neuralink
Read the following article and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
article 1
Students 3&4: to be human is to be transhuman
Go through the file and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Vocabulary
File 1
Time for the second staff meeting
step 02
step 03
step 04
step 01
Time to choose the subjects of your articles. Use the notes on Sutori, explain your choices to the editor in chief.
The editors in chief have to react, to guide you, to ask you questions to make sure you went deeper enough into the subject and that there are no duplicates
You now have a lot of documents, you will have to sort.
You expose your lastest findings to the editors in chief following the pieces of advice given.
Watch the video carefully and take notes to find out about the different concepts of transhumanism
correction
What it means
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.
Houses that repair themselvesImagine soldiers fashioning buildings and fortifications out of lightweight scaffolds instead of plywood, two-by-fours, and heavy sandbags. Then, those scaffolds quickly begin to fill in with durable material all on their own. And when that material is damaged, it grows right back to where it was.
A few weird projects
Cyborg insectsUnmanned Aerial Vehicles may be all the rage, but they’re clunky and require people to design and assemble every piece. What if there were a way to piggyback sensors on flying creatures for free?DARPA’s spy bugs were part of a 2006 project that wanted to implant transmitters in insects to use them for surveillance. The Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems program was run by teams from the University of Michigan and Cornell University.Within a few years, researchers had developed interfaces capable of controlling insects’ actions. And if plain old spy bugs weren’t wild enough, the insects eventually received nuclear power as well.
Plant-eating robotsPerhaps the most aptly named project on this list, the Energy Autonomous Tactical Robot program sought to create robots that could feed off plants just as animals do. EATR would have enabled robots to remain in surveillance or defensive positions without resupply much longer than humans or robots with more limited power sources.
Robotic infantry mules Heavy lifting is one of the largest challenges affecting troops’ health and performance. Recognizing the effect the weight of soldiers’ loads can have on them, DARPA began working with robotics company Boston Dynamics to create the Legged Squad Support System.Capable of carrying 400 pounds, the LS3 is intended to deploy with an infantry squad.
5. Brain implants for PTSDDARPA doesn’t just focus on cool gadgets for fighting wars. The agency also funds research on solutions for the negative effects war can have on soldiers.Basically, the program wants to make a brain implant that will help soldiers struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, substance abuse, and more.Because of the ramifications of such a device, SUBNETS has special ethics experts to help them create a safe piece of neurotechnology.
Lab-grown blood Blood pharming is the process of creating red blood cells from cell sources in a lab rather than inside a human body. DARPA’s Blood Pharming program was projected to increase the efficiency of production and lower the high costs associated with growing red blood cells.If completely successful, the program would have greatly increased access to transfusable blood for soldiers and hospitals around the world and reduced the risk of disease transmission during a transfusion.
In pairs, write a short account about the common points and differences. Don't forget to use expressions to give your opinion level B1/B2.
Contrast and paradox
Present a movie to your editorial board
- Show the trailer or a meaningful extract (not counted in your 2') - Explain the synopsis of the movie or TV show - Explain what concept of transhumanism is exploited and how. - Tell us about the limits or dangers exposed.
Pas plus de 20 secondes par diapo (sauf trailer) donc 5 ou 6 diapos au total.
- Plagiarism? what you risk - image right: test "The little mermaid, Disney" on Google. - Using an AI:how the teacher can recognize it: test.
Do “super soldiers” already exist?It is important to emphasise, first of all, the diverse nature of augmentation technologies, each with their specificities and constraints. As far as material augmentation devices are concerned, the best-known example is the exoskeleton. Applications for this device in the military appear to be much more complex than for the non-military since soldiers are often forced to adapt to the machine’s capabilities. Exoskeletons do not currently appear to be able to respond to the complexity of human movements, and the many possible interactions between the individual and his or her environment and are still subject to the problem of autonomy. But all this could change.The Pentagon is keeping a close eye on Lockheed Martin’s Onyx prototype, which is motorised for the lower limbs, and the flexible Wyss Exosuit device developed by Harvard University. However, these projects are clearly a far cry from the initial ambitions of an Iron-Man-inspired armour-exoskeleton. Beyond exoskeletons, there are programmes such as the “Z‑Man”, directly supervised by DARPA and which, inspired by gecko lizards, aim to enable combatants to climb vertical walls while carrying a full combat load – without the use of ropes or ladders. DARPA is also working on ultra-connected lenses that offer augmented reality with the aim of “providing individual soldiers with data from reconnaissance drones and sensors on the battlefield” or multiple cognitive devices – with or without surgery.What about chemistry?In terms of pharmacology, the US armed forces, like many military powers, have regularly used chemical substances throughout history. More broadly, there is a strong link between drugs and war. Amphetamines (to combat stress or fatigue) were used during the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. However, their use is under debate, particularly because of their side effects (euphoria, higher heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, etc.). An alternative is modafinil (Provigil), a powerful psychostimulant that also helps to improve alertness, without the side effects of amphetamines. In addition, certain substances such as the anxiolytic “emapunil” or the beta-blocker “propranolol” can reduce post-traumatic stress disorders or lessen feelings of fear. https://www.polytechnique-insights.com/en/braincamps/society/work-health-military-is-the-augmented-human-revolution-already-here/super-soldiers-augmented-humans-in-wartime/
Your roles: - Journalists: work in pairs, write a series of articles, each pair has a different subject and will write one or several articles. - Editors in chiefs: 2 students, they will be in charge of opening and editing the articles (use Madmagz:https://madmagz.com/), they will write the edito and the table of content, they will receive the journalists' articles and organize the magazine, they will have the lead on the editorial choices) - The director: that's me The Staff meetings: there will be 2 staff meetings at least. The team(s) will go to the editorial room(s) to explain to their editor(s) in chief and their director what they have learnt, chosen and how they are going to organize their work.
Tips for the first staff meeting
- The question you will have to discuss is about the content of the future magazine, the different parts it is going to contain...- Select the information you are going to present, the work on Sutori is collaborative, which means you may choose to present something that you haven't worked on, even if it is less comfortable. - Justify your choice, why do you think it would be interesting to publish something about that subject, to focus on that work, that leader.... - Pay attention, not to repeat something that has already been said... - Of course, we have just started, so you may use expressions like: "so far...", "if I get the concept right...", + giving your opinion.
Exemple of last year's magazine.
Tips for the staff meeting part 4
- The question you will have to discuss is about the content of the future magazine, the different parts it is going to contain...- Select the information you are going to present, the work on Sutori is collaborative, which means you may choose to present something that you haven't worked on, even if it is less comfortable. - Justify your choice, why do you think it would be interesting to publish something about that subject, to focus on that work, that leader....Give leads as to what you want to write. - Pay attention, not to repeat something that has already been said during the meeting or to choose a similar subject. - Only personal things will be allowed, no copying the internet, no plagiarism! So, you read, understand, synthesize with your own word and your own level. be sure to use expressions seen in class and use modals correctly.
Rappel: le superlatif, cliquez pour agrandir
Rappel: comparatifs, vous pouvez l'imprimer
Rappel: adjectifs courts et longs, cliquez pour agrandir
La tournure: plus....plus..., moins...moins...
The implications of AI image generation are far-reaching and could impact everything from film to graphic novels and more. Children’s illustrators were quick to raise concerns about the technology on social media. Among them is author and illustrator Rob Biddulph, who says that AI-generated art “is the exact opposite of what I believe art to be. Fundamentally, I have always felt that art is all about translating something that you feel internally into something that exists externally. Whatever form it takes, be it a sculpture, a piece of music, a piece of writing, a performance, or an image, true art is about the creative process much more than it’s about the final piece. And simply pressing a button to generate an image is not a creative process.”Beyond creativity, there are deeper issues. An online campaign – #NotoAIArt – has seen artists sharing concerns about the legality of AI image generators, and about how they have the potential to devalue the skill of illustration. To create images from prompts, AI generators rely on databases of already existing art and text. These comprise billions of images that have been scraped from the internet. [...]Harry Woodgate, author and illustrator of Grandad’s Camper, which won the Waterstones 2022 picturebook prize, says: “These programs rely entirely on the pirated intellectual property of countless working artists, photographers, illustrators and other rights holders.” It’s a point echoed by illustrator Anoosha Syed: “AI doesn’t look at art and create its own. It samples everyone’s then mashes it into something else.” The increasing use of AI [...] will also lead to a devaluing of the work of artists. “There’s already a negative bias towards the creative industry. Something like this reinforces an argument that what we do is easy and we shouldn’t be able to earn the money we command.” says an artists before going further. “There’s no question that AI-generated art devalues illustration,” he says. “People will, of course, begin to think that their ‘work’ is as valid as that created by someone who has spent a career making art. It’s nonsense, of course. I can use my iPhone to take a nice picture of my daughters, but I’m not Irving Penn.”For the moment, AI image generation is largely being used for fun, but it’s “rapidly approaching a level of sophistication and complexity that will allow it to generate highly realistic and nuanced images. AI-generated content has the potential to not only enhance the work of artists and designers, but also to enable the creation of entirely new forms of art and expression.” The Guardian, January 2023
AI generated picture for: Woman reading book, under a night sky, dreamy atmosphere,
Click on the text to read/ make it bigger
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. A descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The film is a parody of the classic horror film genre, in particular the various film adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus To help evoke the atmosphere of the earlier films, Brooks shot the picture entirely in black and white, a rarity in the 1970s, and employed 1930s-style opening credits and scene transitions .
Read the first paragraphs
Taking place in the present – and firmly within the Marvel universe – it features Professor Michael Collins, a pacifist working for Marvel all-purpose evil corporation Roxxon. Thinking he was making limbs for amputees, Collins is horrified to discover the company is using his research to make cyborgs for the military. When he tries to inform on them ,his boss has him silenced and uses his brain to power the new iteration of Deathlok; sending to him to a ‘field tests’ involving the murder of South American rebels opposing USA corporate takeover. Being forced to go against his deepest core beliefs by taking lives shocks Collins enough to allow him to take control of his new body, and then on to take on his bosses at Roxxon.McDuffie and Wright set themselves a bigger challenge, and more interesting path with Collins: a man who now inhabits a living weapon that explicitly refuses to kill.Taking the concept of military-industrial concept directly, the series explores the relation between business and the military, and the way both have the power to twist people into their own ends. Unlike the 1970’s series, in which the military was the sole responsible factor, this series took place directly in the post-Reagan era in which the forces of market capitalism sought to atomize individuals. Collins is shielded, at first, from the consequences of his work. He is an upwardly mobile Black man with a nice house and a nice family. He could’ve kept it all if only he kept his head down and played ball.
Collins has been remade against his will, by the system that sees every person (but especially Black people) as disposable tools. Collins’ rebellion becomes more meaningful than Manning’s because he does not simply turn his gun on his former corporate overlords. He does not seek vengeance through brute strength, but atonement by undoing his contribution to Roxxon.It’s an intensely moral story, cutting to the question of personal responsibility. How much can we blame the individual for taking part in a wicked system? The answer it gives is remarkably clear – Collins is responsible for the ill use made of his technology. He cannot shriek away from the truth with excuses. When given a chance to achieve humanity once again, at the end of the mini-series, at the price of letting Ryker go free, he refuses. He refuses the company-mandated happy ending because that would mean he is still under their thumb, that they can dictate what he is. Collins refuses to be twisted and, despite being stuck in a cyborg body, still feels much more like a free man.
Deathlock
Click on the texts and pictures to them make bigger
Questions: 1. Situate the scene: who is the main character, where is he and what has he just done? Justify by quoting from the text. 2. Show that Doctor Frankenstein is not self-assured at the beginning of the text. Pick out the lexical field that corresponds to his work. 3. Explain why the scientist is disappointed with his creature. Pay attention to the tenses you are going to use. 4. After the creation is completed, what does he realize? Pick out the corresponding lexical fields to justify your answer. How do these words contrast in order to illustrate his expectations or his disappointment? 5. How does he consider his creature at the end of the text? What is your reaction? What could be expected from the creature and why?
On your notebooks
This film dates back to 1934. In the United States, this was the period of the New Deal (T. Roosevelt's reconstruction policy between 1933 and 1938), a period of reconstruction following the crisis of 1929. The first state to adopt a compulsory sterilization bill was Michigan in 1897. Until 1909, sterilization rates across the country were relatively low (with California being the only exception with 20,000 between 1909 and 1977--60,000 nationwide) until the Supreme Court's Buck v. Bell ruling in 1927, which legitimized the forced sterilization of patients in a home for the mentally retarded in Virginia. The number of sterilizations performed each year increased until 1942. North Carolina's eugenics program, which ran from 1933 to 1977, was the most aggressive of the 32 states that had eugenics programs. An IQ of 70 or below meant that sterilization was considered appropriate in North Carolina. Tomorrow's children tells the story of the Buck v.Bell case.
Click and read the article
The Turing test (the purpose of the movie Ex Machina), originally called the imitation game by Alan Turing in 1950, is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. Turing proposed that a human evaluator would judge natural language conversations between a human and a machine designed to generate human-like responses. The evaluator would be aware that one of the two partners in conversation was a machine, and all participants would be separated from one another. The conversation would be limited to a text-only channel, such as a computer keyboard and screen, so the result would not depend on the machine's ability to render words as speech. If the evaluator could not reliably tell the machine from the human, the machine would be said to have passed the test.
Ex machina
Ex Machina is a 2014 science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Alex Garland. It follows a programmer who is invited by his CEO to administer the Turing test to an intelligent humanoid robot. But the AI is going to manipulate him.
Click and read the article
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Transcript
Séquence 3
Augmented
Thème: savoir, création innovation Axe: sciences et techniques, promesses et défis Problématique: how does transhumanism question the very notion of humanity? Final task: contribute to an online sciences magazine
Start
1. scenario and roles
2. Step 1: what is transhumism? Brainstorming
table of content
3. Definition + Memorise 1 + liste des films
4. CO- video / the concepts of Transhumanism
5. Step 2: the journalists'investigation: join Sutori
6. First staff meeting+ atelier 1
7. Step 3- Frankenstein/ first transhumanist novel+ ateliers 2 ( présentation des films)
8. Step 4: the dangers/Eugenics
9. Step 5-Meet David Pearce
10. Grammaire: les modaux + Memorise 2
11. Step 6- the future of transhumanism- GW
12.second staff meeting
13. Your magazine
Scenario
You are a team of journalists and you were asked to publish a special issue of your magazine "The sciences" on the issue of Transhumanism. In pairs, you will have to write a series of articles on different subjects and to collaborate on the creation of this magazine. So as a team of real journalists, you need to master your subject first.
A way to enhance human capacities, abilities with technologies.
A definition?
Brainstorming
Your word cloud on WooclapTJAGRX
what could have been added
Choisissez votre outil pour apprendre, mêmes mots à l'intérieur.
Step 1: the concepts of transhumanism
Fusing with the machine to be enhanced
cryonics
Super intelligence
cloning
Immortality
humans raised to be used as clones to repair humans
based on the principle that humans don't use all their brain capacity
Humans are frozen until they reach their destination, allows them not to age
Implants
Difference
Once awakened they cannot go back
denying the right to live to the clones
Can be achieved through mind transfer
Loss of control
Loss of control
Your Turn!
1. Join Sutori
2. Your 2° task
You are journalist from "The Science Magazine". You were asked to publish a special issue of the magazine about Transhumanism. This is time for research. Follow the steps on the sutori. You will use the notes to write your articles, but also to intervene during the first staff meeting, so the quality of your interventions depends on the quality of your research.
Time for the first staff meeting
step 02
step 03
step 01
The editors in chief have to react, to guide you, to ask you questions to make sure you went deeper enough into the subject.
You expose your findings to the editors in chief following the pieces of advice given.
You collaborate for your researches and post them on Sutori so that everyone can use them.
At length lassitude succeeded to the tumult I had before endured, and I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it was in vain; I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel. I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life.Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch. I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep.
STEP 2
questions
questions
s'entrainer pour le bac méthodologie.
La traduction
Start
2. Traduire
Traduire de l'anglais vers le français
1. relire plusieurs fois le texte en se posant les bonnes questions
Correction, proposition 1
Interpreting a text
EE/EO-Watch these extracts from a movie dated 1994, and one dated 2025, both adapted from the novel. Find the common points and differences with the text. Get ready to explain which one you would choose for the magazine and why.
Oral presentations
Your editors have asked you to present a movie of your choice that deals with transhumanism to the team in order for all the journalists to be on the same level of knowledge. Each of you will have 2' to do this presentation. Follow the steps.
Tomorrow's children-1934
Before watching: 1934? Part 1: - situation? - solutions?(2) Part 2:
Why?
The visit
Problem?
Who?
How?
trailer competition-GW create the trailer of a transhumanist movie/animé/video game...
step 04
step 02
step 03
step 01
Create the trailer with imovie or capcut with a voice over + text. Record your voice using the corresponding tone (creepy, ironical...)
imagine the pitch of a movie/animé inspired by one of the elements seen in class (for ex, a case of the supreme court)
Choose a tone (satirical, ironic, critical, funny, dramatic..)
Choose one concept of transhumanism
Meet david pearce, one of the most famous British Guru of Transhumanism- each group is in charge of 1 "super". Write on the given magnets
Correction mindmap
Let's train and memorize
Last step before second staff meeting
Group work: each group works on a different subject, and in each group, each student has a different document
The aim is for each group to be able to participate in the staff meeting adding something new to the discussion
- Step 1: (within your group but alone) THINK On your own: read the document, take notes on your side of the white board and get ready to expose to the rest of the group
- Step 2: (within your group) GROUP exchange the information you understood with the other members of the group. Make sure everybody understands, so use your own words.
- Step 3: SHARE Synthesize all your exchanges taking notes in the middle of the white board. Make them clear enough for them to be a help you will use during the staff meeting.
What if the military used transhumanism?
Journalist group work: each one will read one of the articles on his own and then you will exchange on your document in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 1
2. DARPA
1. Super soldiers?
Read article 2 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
Read article 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
article 2
article 1
Vocabulary
3. dARPA's secrets
4. The comics warning
Watch video 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
Read article 3 and get ready to explain it to the others, but first, take notes on your side of the placemat
Video 1
article 3
Humanizing the machines
Journalist group work: each one will read one of the articles on his own and then you will exchange on your document in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 2
2. The movie industry denounces AI
1. Is A.I a danger to arts?
Read and watch file 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Read article 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
File 1
article 1
Vocabulary
3. 2023 interview- 60' Australia
4. Meet Sofia
Watch video 1 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Watch video 2 and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Video 1
Video 2
Making fun of Transhumanism
Journalist group work: In pairs, you will go through one of the articles or files and then you will exchange on your document(s) in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 3
Students 1 &2: Is cryonics serious?
Go through the file and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
article 1
Students 3&4: Pure fun?
Go through the file and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
File 1
Vocabulary
Where is the future taking us?
Journalist group work: In pairs, you will go through the article(s) or file(s) and then you will exchange on your document in order for each group to synthesize to the editor in chief during the next editorial board meeting.
group 4
Students 1 &2: Neuralink
Read the following article and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
article 1
Students 3&4: to be human is to be transhuman
Go through the file and get ready to explain it to the others, take notes on your side of the placemat.
Vocabulary
File 1
Time for the second staff meeting
step 02
step 03
step 04
step 01
Time to choose the subjects of your articles. Use the notes on Sutori, explain your choices to the editor in chief.
The editors in chief have to react, to guide you, to ask you questions to make sure you went deeper enough into the subject and that there are no duplicates
You now have a lot of documents, you will have to sort.
You expose your lastest findings to the editors in chief following the pieces of advice given.
Watch the video carefully and take notes to find out about the different concepts of transhumanism
correction
What it means
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.
Houses that repair themselvesImagine soldiers fashioning buildings and fortifications out of lightweight scaffolds instead of plywood, two-by-fours, and heavy sandbags. Then, those scaffolds quickly begin to fill in with durable material all on their own. And when that material is damaged, it grows right back to where it was.
A few weird projects
Cyborg insectsUnmanned Aerial Vehicles may be all the rage, but they’re clunky and require people to design and assemble every piece. What if there were a way to piggyback sensors on flying creatures for free?DARPA’s spy bugs were part of a 2006 project that wanted to implant transmitters in insects to use them for surveillance. The Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems program was run by teams from the University of Michigan and Cornell University.Within a few years, researchers had developed interfaces capable of controlling insects’ actions. And if plain old spy bugs weren’t wild enough, the insects eventually received nuclear power as well.
Plant-eating robotsPerhaps the most aptly named project on this list, the Energy Autonomous Tactical Robot program sought to create robots that could feed off plants just as animals do. EATR would have enabled robots to remain in surveillance or defensive positions without resupply much longer than humans or robots with more limited power sources.
Robotic infantry mules Heavy lifting is one of the largest challenges affecting troops’ health and performance. Recognizing the effect the weight of soldiers’ loads can have on them, DARPA began working with robotics company Boston Dynamics to create the Legged Squad Support System.Capable of carrying 400 pounds, the LS3 is intended to deploy with an infantry squad.
5. Brain implants for PTSDDARPA doesn’t just focus on cool gadgets for fighting wars. The agency also funds research on solutions for the negative effects war can have on soldiers.Basically, the program wants to make a brain implant that will help soldiers struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, substance abuse, and more.Because of the ramifications of such a device, SUBNETS has special ethics experts to help them create a safe piece of neurotechnology.
Lab-grown blood Blood pharming is the process of creating red blood cells from cell sources in a lab rather than inside a human body. DARPA’s Blood Pharming program was projected to increase the efficiency of production and lower the high costs associated with growing red blood cells.If completely successful, the program would have greatly increased access to transfusable blood for soldiers and hospitals around the world and reduced the risk of disease transmission during a transfusion.
In pairs, write a short account about the common points and differences. Don't forget to use expressions to give your opinion level B1/B2.
Contrast and paradox
Present a movie to your editorial board
- Show the trailer or a meaningful extract (not counted in your 2') - Explain the synopsis of the movie or TV show - Explain what concept of transhumanism is exploited and how. - Tell us about the limits or dangers exposed.
Pas plus de 20 secondes par diapo (sauf trailer) donc 5 ou 6 diapos au total.
- Plagiarism? what you risk - image right: test "The little mermaid, Disney" on Google. - Using an AI:how the teacher can recognize it: test.
Do “super soldiers” already exist?It is important to emphasise, first of all, the diverse nature of augmentation technologies, each with their specificities and constraints. As far as material augmentation devices are concerned, the best-known example is the exoskeleton. Applications for this device in the military appear to be much more complex than for the non-military since soldiers are often forced to adapt to the machine’s capabilities. Exoskeletons do not currently appear to be able to respond to the complexity of human movements, and the many possible interactions between the individual and his or her environment and are still subject to the problem of autonomy. But all this could change.The Pentagon is keeping a close eye on Lockheed Martin’s Onyx prototype, which is motorised for the lower limbs, and the flexible Wyss Exosuit device developed by Harvard University. However, these projects are clearly a far cry from the initial ambitions of an Iron-Man-inspired armour-exoskeleton. Beyond exoskeletons, there are programmes such as the “Z‑Man”, directly supervised by DARPA and which, inspired by gecko lizards, aim to enable combatants to climb vertical walls while carrying a full combat load – without the use of ropes or ladders. DARPA is also working on ultra-connected lenses that offer augmented reality with the aim of “providing individual soldiers with data from reconnaissance drones and sensors on the battlefield” or multiple cognitive devices – with or without surgery.What about chemistry?In terms of pharmacology, the US armed forces, like many military powers, have regularly used chemical substances throughout history. More broadly, there is a strong link between drugs and war. Amphetamines (to combat stress or fatigue) were used during the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. However, their use is under debate, particularly because of their side effects (euphoria, higher heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, etc.). An alternative is modafinil (Provigil), a powerful psychostimulant that also helps to improve alertness, without the side effects of amphetamines. In addition, certain substances such as the anxiolytic “emapunil” or the beta-blocker “propranolol” can reduce post-traumatic stress disorders or lessen feelings of fear. https://www.polytechnique-insights.com/en/braincamps/society/work-health-military-is-the-augmented-human-revolution-already-here/super-soldiers-augmented-humans-in-wartime/
Your roles: - Journalists: work in pairs, write a series of articles, each pair has a different subject and will write one or several articles. - Editors in chiefs: 2 students, they will be in charge of opening and editing the articles (use Madmagz:https://madmagz.com/), they will write the edito and the table of content, they will receive the journalists' articles and organize the magazine, they will have the lead on the editorial choices) - The director: that's me The Staff meetings: there will be 2 staff meetings at least. The team(s) will go to the editorial room(s) to explain to their editor(s) in chief and their director what they have learnt, chosen and how they are going to organize their work.
Tips for the first staff meeting
- The question you will have to discuss is about the content of the future magazine, the different parts it is going to contain...- Select the information you are going to present, the work on Sutori is collaborative, which means you may choose to present something that you haven't worked on, even if it is less comfortable. - Justify your choice, why do you think it would be interesting to publish something about that subject, to focus on that work, that leader.... - Pay attention, not to repeat something that has already been said... - Of course, we have just started, so you may use expressions like: "so far...", "if I get the concept right...", + giving your opinion.
Exemple of last year's magazine.
Tips for the staff meeting part 4
- The question you will have to discuss is about the content of the future magazine, the different parts it is going to contain...- Select the information you are going to present, the work on Sutori is collaborative, which means you may choose to present something that you haven't worked on, even if it is less comfortable. - Justify your choice, why do you think it would be interesting to publish something about that subject, to focus on that work, that leader....Give leads as to what you want to write. - Pay attention, not to repeat something that has already been said during the meeting or to choose a similar subject. - Only personal things will be allowed, no copying the internet, no plagiarism! So, you read, understand, synthesize with your own word and your own level. be sure to use expressions seen in class and use modals correctly.
Rappel: le superlatif, cliquez pour agrandir
Rappel: comparatifs, vous pouvez l'imprimer
Rappel: adjectifs courts et longs, cliquez pour agrandir
La tournure: plus....plus..., moins...moins...
The implications of AI image generation are far-reaching and could impact everything from film to graphic novels and more. Children’s illustrators were quick to raise concerns about the technology on social media. Among them is author and illustrator Rob Biddulph, who says that AI-generated art “is the exact opposite of what I believe art to be. Fundamentally, I have always felt that art is all about translating something that you feel internally into something that exists externally. Whatever form it takes, be it a sculpture, a piece of music, a piece of writing, a performance, or an image, true art is about the creative process much more than it’s about the final piece. And simply pressing a button to generate an image is not a creative process.”Beyond creativity, there are deeper issues. An online campaign – #NotoAIArt – has seen artists sharing concerns about the legality of AI image generators, and about how they have the potential to devalue the skill of illustration. To create images from prompts, AI generators rely on databases of already existing art and text. These comprise billions of images that have been scraped from the internet. [...]Harry Woodgate, author and illustrator of Grandad’s Camper, which won the Waterstones 2022 picturebook prize, says: “These programs rely entirely on the pirated intellectual property of countless working artists, photographers, illustrators and other rights holders.” It’s a point echoed by illustrator Anoosha Syed: “AI doesn’t look at art and create its own. It samples everyone’s then mashes it into something else.” The increasing use of AI [...] will also lead to a devaluing of the work of artists. “There’s already a negative bias towards the creative industry. Something like this reinforces an argument that what we do is easy and we shouldn’t be able to earn the money we command.” says an artists before going further. “There’s no question that AI-generated art devalues illustration,” he says. “People will, of course, begin to think that their ‘work’ is as valid as that created by someone who has spent a career making art. It’s nonsense, of course. I can use my iPhone to take a nice picture of my daughters, but I’m not Irving Penn.”For the moment, AI image generation is largely being used for fun, but it’s “rapidly approaching a level of sophistication and complexity that will allow it to generate highly realistic and nuanced images. AI-generated content has the potential to not only enhance the work of artists and designers, but also to enable the creation of entirely new forms of art and expression.” The Guardian, January 2023
AI generated picture for: Woman reading book, under a night sky, dreamy atmosphere,
Click on the text to read/ make it bigger
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. A descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The film is a parody of the classic horror film genre, in particular the various film adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus To help evoke the atmosphere of the earlier films, Brooks shot the picture entirely in black and white, a rarity in the 1970s, and employed 1930s-style opening credits and scene transitions .
Read the first paragraphs
Taking place in the present – and firmly within the Marvel universe – it features Professor Michael Collins, a pacifist working for Marvel all-purpose evil corporation Roxxon. Thinking he was making limbs for amputees, Collins is horrified to discover the company is using his research to make cyborgs for the military. When he tries to inform on them ,his boss has him silenced and uses his brain to power the new iteration of Deathlok; sending to him to a ‘field tests’ involving the murder of South American rebels opposing USA corporate takeover. Being forced to go against his deepest core beliefs by taking lives shocks Collins enough to allow him to take control of his new body, and then on to take on his bosses at Roxxon.McDuffie and Wright set themselves a bigger challenge, and more interesting path with Collins: a man who now inhabits a living weapon that explicitly refuses to kill.Taking the concept of military-industrial concept directly, the series explores the relation between business and the military, and the way both have the power to twist people into their own ends. Unlike the 1970’s series, in which the military was the sole responsible factor, this series took place directly in the post-Reagan era in which the forces of market capitalism sought to atomize individuals. Collins is shielded, at first, from the consequences of his work. He is an upwardly mobile Black man with a nice house and a nice family. He could’ve kept it all if only he kept his head down and played ball.
Collins has been remade against his will, by the system that sees every person (but especially Black people) as disposable tools. Collins’ rebellion becomes more meaningful than Manning’s because he does not simply turn his gun on his former corporate overlords. He does not seek vengeance through brute strength, but atonement by undoing his contribution to Roxxon.It’s an intensely moral story, cutting to the question of personal responsibility. How much can we blame the individual for taking part in a wicked system? The answer it gives is remarkably clear – Collins is responsible for the ill use made of his technology. He cannot shriek away from the truth with excuses. When given a chance to achieve humanity once again, at the end of the mini-series, at the price of letting Ryker go free, he refuses. He refuses the company-mandated happy ending because that would mean he is still under their thumb, that they can dictate what he is. Collins refuses to be twisted and, despite being stuck in a cyborg body, still feels much more like a free man.
Deathlock
Click on the texts and pictures to them make bigger
Questions: 1. Situate the scene: who is the main character, where is he and what has he just done? Justify by quoting from the text. 2. Show that Doctor Frankenstein is not self-assured at the beginning of the text. Pick out the lexical field that corresponds to his work. 3. Explain why the scientist is disappointed with his creature. Pay attention to the tenses you are going to use. 4. After the creation is completed, what does he realize? Pick out the corresponding lexical fields to justify your answer. How do these words contrast in order to illustrate his expectations or his disappointment? 5. How does he consider his creature at the end of the text? What is your reaction? What could be expected from the creature and why?
On your notebooks
This film dates back to 1934. In the United States, this was the period of the New Deal (T. Roosevelt's reconstruction policy between 1933 and 1938), a period of reconstruction following the crisis of 1929. The first state to adopt a compulsory sterilization bill was Michigan in 1897. Until 1909, sterilization rates across the country were relatively low (with California being the only exception with 20,000 between 1909 and 1977--60,000 nationwide) until the Supreme Court's Buck v. Bell ruling in 1927, which legitimized the forced sterilization of patients in a home for the mentally retarded in Virginia. The number of sterilizations performed each year increased until 1942. North Carolina's eugenics program, which ran from 1933 to 1977, was the most aggressive of the 32 states that had eugenics programs. An IQ of 70 or below meant that sterilization was considered appropriate in North Carolina. Tomorrow's children tells the story of the Buck v.Bell case.
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The Turing test (the purpose of the movie Ex Machina), originally called the imitation game by Alan Turing in 1950, is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. Turing proposed that a human evaluator would judge natural language conversations between a human and a machine designed to generate human-like responses. The evaluator would be aware that one of the two partners in conversation was a machine, and all participants would be separated from one another. The conversation would be limited to a text-only channel, such as a computer keyboard and screen, so the result would not depend on the machine's ability to render words as speech. If the evaluator could not reliably tell the machine from the human, the machine would be said to have passed the test.
Ex machina
Ex Machina is a 2014 science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Alex Garland. It follows a programmer who is invited by his CEO to administer the Turing test to an intelligent humanoid robot. But the AI is going to manipulate him.
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