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GIST
![Anne Dalke's picture Anne Dalke's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-39.jpg)
Welcome to "GIST": A Course about Gender, Information, Science and Technology, offered in Spring 2011 @ Bryn Mawr College. This is an interestingly different kind of place for writing, and may take some getting used to. The first thing to keep in mind is that this is not a place for "formal writing" or "finished thoughts." It's a place for thoughts-in-progress, for what you're thinking (whether you know it or not) on your way to what you think next. Imagine that you're not worrying about "writing" but instead that you're just talking to some people you've met. This is a "conversation" place, a place to find out what you're thinking yourself, and what other people are thinking, so you can help them think and they can help you think. The idea is that your "thoughts in progress" can help others with their thinking, and theirs can help you with yours.
We're glad you're here, and hope you'll come both to enjoy and value our shared imagining of the future evolution of ourselves as individuals and of our gendered, scientific, technological world. Feel free to comment on any post below, or to POST YOUR THOUGHTS HERE....
![merlin's picture merlin's picture](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a6d5b49cbe6de88689a20ef2130cc796.jpg?d=https%3A%2F%2Fserendipstudio.org%2Fexchange%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2FSerendipStudioAvatar.png&s=85&r=G)
MARINA AND MERLIN PRESENTATION
We (Marina and Merlin) Led a class activity today, in which we tried to illustrate a particular aspect of the transformation of information. Our goal was to look at the critical distinction between observations and interpretations..
Question:
HOW Can you interpret something created by code and algorithms?
![tangerines's picture tangerines's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-831.gif)
Sadie's Final Performance Description
Apo and I performed an excerpt from our skit, "A Natural Disaster," in class as our final performance.
Here is the full description of Apo's and my final performance.
![Riki's picture Riki's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-295.png)
Class Notes for 4/20
Class Notes for 4/20
Reactions to Lady Gaga:
phreNic -- The image is not necessarily empowering. She's the motorcycle. You ride motorcycles...
m. aghazarian's letters to dead people post -- who is the master and who is the creator when you use technology?
check out merlin's post about a complicated idea involving nanobots
Anymore thoughts on Bloodchild?
Hilary: do others think the interpretation is useful? (humans as technology and technology as humans)
the message is that technology is something you can have intimate personal relationships with; emotions tied into technology
![J.Yoo's picture J.Yoo's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-854.png)
In June 2009, China banned the "gold farming" practice.
Saw this article a while back: http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/ebusiness/218101859
"In addition to its ongoing crackdown on Internet porn, the Chinese government has declared that virtual currency cannot be traded for real goods or services..."
It's worth noting, though, the in-game items like armor and weapons are not considered currency, and therefore are not covered by the ban. So, my question is, what's stopping people from farming the gold, buying a shiny new breastplate, and selling it off to the highest bidder for real-world cash?
![Apocalipsis's picture Apocalipsis's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-836.jpg)
Apo's Final Performance Description
The following is a copy of the scene performed in class today from my second webpaper written with tangerines. In terms of the presentation schedule, I introduced the plot and tangerines elaborated on the character development prior to the performance.
A NATURAL DISASTER
By: Sadie Mahmoud & Apocalipsis Rosario
CHARACTERS
![Anne Dalke's picture Anne Dalke's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-39.jpg)
At MIT: technology and militarism; selling sex through mobile technology
There's so much going on in the MIT Gender & Tech course that I wish we could participate in and learn more from-and-about! Tomorrow night they are discussing technology and militarism, with help from Jennifer Terry's Killer Entertainments site on Vectors, and the author's note.
![fawei's picture fawei's picture](/exchange//files/images/SerendipStudioAvatar.png)
Notes 4/25
Notes 4/25
Werner Herzog quotation:
· Understanding between people
· Responses imply some ‘dark corners’ are necessary
Supports Chorost: increased exposure to the ‘dark corners’ is a negative aspect of increased internet communication
Chorost on privacy:
![Franklin20's picture Franklin20's picture](/exchange//files/images/SerendipStudioAvatar.png)
Frankenstein: An expecting Parent
I found this cartoon of Frankenstein in the New Yorker. I thought it was interesting in the way it presents Victor Frankenstein as an expecting parent, especially considering the way that in the actual story, Victor creates a monster but doesnt consider what the effects of his creation will have.
![cara's picture cara's picture](/exchange//files/images/SerendipStudioAvatar.png)
Generated poem by cara and spreston
Where is the dead computer?
The program dies like a dead information.
Never fight a cyborg.
Sign on roughly like a normal cell phone.
Why does the phone sign on?
Phones fall!
The digital user quietly break downs the information.
Where is the virtual program?
Cyborgs endure!
Female, reality, and beauty.
Beautiful, ugly goddess desire a digital, lively cell phone.
Sign on swiftly like a lively cyborg.
The virtual cell phone fights the cell phone.
![ekthorp's picture ekthorp's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-866.jpg)
Oh, Poem Generator
Where is the small cyborg?
Gender, meaning, and dimensions.
Informations game like small informations.
![Apocalipsis's picture Apocalipsis's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-836.jpg)
Generated Poems
This poems were generated using Poem Generator.
1
Ah, media!
Generated, digital Adas digitally teleporting a male, performed cyborg.
Transporting mockingly like a illusion computer.
Humans critique like digital machines.
Notation, identity, and music.
2
Golly gosh, hierarchy!
Lord, decode!
Why does the SRA hyper reading?
Never expression a cyborg.
Machines close reading!
3
Male, female humans seriously flying a performed, performed human.
The SRA transportings like a generated alien.
All Adas flying male, female cyborgs.
![Anne Dalke's picture Anne Dalke's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-39.jpg)
Final Presentations!
This week we will be hosting your final presentations about what-and-how you have been learning in this course. If you are performing alone, please plan to take 5-10 minutes. If you are performing in a group, aim for 10-15.
Monday we'll have performances from
PhreNic
Marina & merlin
Apo & tangerines
Wednesday we'll hear from
fawei
leamirella
MissArcher2, rubikscube, cara, MSA322
Oak, m.aghazarian, J.Yoo, kgould
Franklin20, shin1068111, vgaffney, spreston, Hilary_B
J.Yoo, Riki, aybala50, kelliott, ekthorp, Hilary G
I don't have commitments from smile or TiffanyE--
let me know, please, either as a comment here or via e-mail?
![Apocalipsis's picture Apocalipsis's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-836.jpg)
Boston Hynes Convention Center, Anime Convention
There's thousands of people in Boston, currently celebrating at the Hynes Convention Center for this year's annual Anime Convention. I instantly thought of sharing this with you all in light of our recent discussions and panel presentations. Recognize any characters?
![Hilary_Brashear's picture Hilary_Brashear's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-863.jpg)
Small Post Inspired by a Werner Herzog quote
I was reading an interview with German filmmaker, Werner Herzog, in the most recent issue of GQ and Herzog said something that made me think about our discussion of the “efficiency of communication” we had on Monday. Herzog said, “I think psychology and self-reflection is one of the major catastrophes of the twentieth century. A major, major mistake…explaining and scrutinizing the human soul, into all its niches and crooks and abysses and dark corners, is not doing good to humans. We have to have our dark corners and the unexplained.
![tangerines's picture tangerines's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-831.gif)
A Mini Essay on Tron: Legacy & Its Connections to GIST
As we discussed the relation of Tron to our class, I was struck by the intersections between Tron and GIST. However, I also realized a significant difference. (I’d like to mention here that I do realize/appreciate how the film relates to/complements the themes of the course, I just saw an interesting contrast as well…) In this class, we have done our best to break down boundaries and binaries, searching for the “spectrum” of gray rather than individual shades. I have really appreciated this because I think it’s important to understand how these boundaries work/don’t work and the purposes they attempt to serve.
![Hilary_Brashear's picture Hilary_Brashear's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-863.jpg)
Class Notes 04/ 18/ 11
In continuing our discussion Chorost and new technologies Professor Dalke brought up Paul Grobstein and his discussion of language: we need an ambiguous transaction in order to get a response.
Mirella questioned if efficiency is getting rid of ambiguity? Can efficient communication still have an inaccuracy?
Sadie pointed out that we presume that efficient forms of communication (sending a text) can be more accurate when in fact it could be more ambiguous. (what did that text really mean)
![rubikscube's picture rubikscube's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-870.jpg)
Class notes for Wednesday, April 20
Notes for GIST Wednesday, April 20
course evaluations
Lady Gaga album cover for “Born this Way”
- resemblance to “Tron: Legacy” light cycle (motorcycle)
- PhreNic: hot woman and motorcycle, not necessarily empowering. you ride motorcycles!
- Apocalipsis: looks dirty.
- J.Yoo: it/she will need maintenance someday
sign-up for performances
info about final portfolio
comments from MIT student about “Teknolust” postings
- he compared colors of Ruby, Olive, and Mareen to RGB colors, representing connection to digital world
![shin1068111's picture shin1068111's picture](/exchange//files/images/SerendipStudioAvatar.png)
Class note for 04/18
Class Notes
- Ordinary language
o Bidirectional function
- Efficiency of technological conversations
o We don’t need ambiguous languages
- Efficiency & ambiguity?