---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nancy Holliman <[email protected]> Date: Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 8:35 PM Subject: Save the date: Michael Chorost to lecture at Duke, March 14 To: Hastac <[email protected]> *"Michael Chorost is not only a clear and concise science writer, but also a visionary." --New York Times, 2/14/2011* * * Dear colleagues: HASTAC is pleased to announce a return visit by the lively, thought-provoking and influential science writer and futurist, Michael Chorost, on *March 14, 2011 from 12-1 pm* in Bay 4, Room C105 of the Smith Warehouse at Duke University. Lunch will be provided. Chorost will read from his new book,* Word Wide Mind: The Coming Integration of Humanity, Machines, and the Internet*. His first book, *Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human* depicts and analyzes his experience with hearing loss and his decision to get a cochlear implant<http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/cochlear-implant/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier> in 2001. The *Times* writes: "In that eloquent and thoughtful book, [Chorost] refers to himself as a cyborg: He has a computer in his skull, which, along with a second implant three years ago, artificially restores his hearing." In *World Wide Mind*, Chorost takes this idea a step further to explore the possibilities and implications of integrating humans and computers, outlining how brain implants could "read" from and "write" to the human brain to create sensory and emotional forms of communication. Brand-new neural technologies like optogenetics have made this conceptually feasible. They could lead to the emergence of a *World Wide Mind*, a new form of intelligence composed of people and machines working together. Sparkling, accessible, and dryly funny, Chorost's book offers a provocative take on the future of the Internet and humanity. The reading will be immediately followed by a Q&A and discussion led by students in Cathy Davidson's courses, "This is Your Brain on the Internet" and "Twenty-first Century Literacies." Any and all are welcome to linger and to participate in the discussion (also held in Room C105, from 1:00-2:30). We hope you will be able to join us for this exciting lecture! The book will be available for purchase and the author will sign copies after the event. Sincerely, The HASTAC Team at Duke University *Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory* www.hastac.org -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens Commons Strategies Group, http://www.commonsstrategies.org/