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Technology & Transcendence: Scientific Ambition and the Human Condition
July 16-22, 2023 | Santa Fe, NM
Should there be limits to the pursuit of technology? In the Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to human beings. In Aeschylus’ classic, it is a blessing and a curse for us, and Prometheus is punished for his transgression. This myth is archetypal for the deepest questions that surround our ambivalent experience of technology. We’ll read texts, study films, and perform astronomical observation, pivoting on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (subtitled “the modern Prometheus”), and culminating in Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Blade Runner. The modern enlightenment project set new ambitions for what technology can do, and we have, for the 200 years since Shelley’s novel transfixed our imagination, wrestled explicitly with the question of whether technology serves us, transforms us, or potentially dehumanizes us.
Classes and Readings
Coming soon
Summer Academy Sessions
July 23–29, 2023
Art & Nature: Intersection of Imagination and Ingenuity
The community formed among students is a natural extension of the friendships and ideas shared in the classroom. To further nurture a sense of community, Summer Academy students participate in non-academic workshops such as archery, pottery, yoga, and cooking. Off-campus excursions will include a refreshing visit to Lake Abiquiu and a tour of Meow Wolf’s immersive, multimedia arts installation.