Social Implications of Computing

CS 195, Spring 2015


Topics, Assignments, and Readings

>> Lecture screencasts are on Youtube here <<

For many of the linked readings you need to have your UC Berkeley library proxy server enabled on your web browser, or install the Berkeley VPN on your computer (better privacy).

1/23 Free Speech

1/30 Privacy

Please complete the Privacy Survey before class.

Rachels, "Why Privacy Is Important"

Boyd, "Facebook's Privacy Trainwreck"

Miller, "Addicted to Apps"

Please complete the Copyright Survey before class.

Stallman, "Misinterpreting Copyright"

Stallman, "The Dangers of Software Patents" (Video)

Heckel, "Debunking the Software Patent Myths"

2/13 War

Please complete the War Survey before class.

Choose a commentary topic by Tuesday 2/10 (or now).

Mahnken, "Weapons: The Growth & Spread of the Precision-Strike Regime" (commentaries)

Shaffer "Artificial Intelligence Outsmarts the Bomb"

Utilitarianism

2/20 Finance

Complete essay 1 by Monday 2/23

Please complete the Finance Survey before class.

Philips, "How the Robots Lost: High-Frequency Trading's Rise and Fall" (commentaries)

Kant's Morality

2/27 Jobs

Complete essay 1 peer reviews by Monday 3/2

Please complete the Jobs Survey before class.

Brynjolfsson and McAfee, "Jobs, Productivity and the Great Decoupling"

Pew Center, "AI, Robotics, and the Future of Jobs" (commentaries)

3/6 Climate

Please complete the Climate Change Survey before class.

Canadell and Raupach, "Global carbon report: emissions will hit new heights in 2014"

Plumer, "7 charts to help make sense of this week's UN climate talks" (commentaries)

Furman, Shadbegian and Stock, "The cost of delaying action to stem climate change"

3/13 Politics

Complete essay 2 by Monday 3/16

Please complete the Politics Survey before class.

Gladwell, "Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted" (commentaries)

Garrett and Resnick, "Resisting Political Fragmentation on the Internet"

Balz, "How the Obama campaign won the race for voter data"

3/20 No class: enjoy spring break

4/3 Software

Complete essay 2 peer reviews by Tuesday 3/31

Please complete the Software Survey before class.

Levenson and Turner, "An Investigation of the Therac-25 Accidents" (commentaries)

Virtue Ethics

4/10 Ethics

Please complete the Professional Ethics Survey before class.

ACM, "Professional Code of Conduct"

Anderson, "Using the new ACM Code of Ethics in Decision Making" (commentaries)

(Optional) MacIntyre, Chapter 14 of After Virtue, "The Nature of the Virtues" (see first search result)

4/17 Poverty

Complete essay 3 by Tuesday 4/21

Gates, "Mobile Banking Will Help the Poor Transform Their Lives"

Rotman, "Technology and Inequality"

4/24 Extinction

Complete essay 3 peer reviews by Tuesday 4/28

Joy, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us" (commentaries)

5/1 Ask DeNero Anything