COMPUTERS AND MODERN SOCIETY
• PERCEPTIONS & MISCONCEPTIONS OF COMPUTERS IN THE MEDIA
ANTHROPOMORPHISM
• Attributing human characteristics to things which are not human.
EXTENDED ANTHROPOMORPHISM
• Human
• Superhuman
• Subhuman
• Inhuman
THE "OZ SYNDROME"
• WHEN A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE IS PERCEIVED AS HAVING SPECIAL  KNOWLEDGE
• THAT GROUP TENDS TO BECOME POWERFUL BEYOND ITS ACTUAL CAPABILITIES

THE "OZ SYNDROME" EXAMPLE 1: THE FREEWAY
• ROUTING OF FREEWAY
• CITY PLANNERS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS, ENGINEERS, PRESERVATIONISTS, HOMEOWNERS
• "COMPUTER EXPERT"
THE "OZ SYNDROME" EXAMPLE 1: THE FREEWAY
• IT WAS GENERATED ON A COMPUTER THEREFORE...
• IT MUST BE RIGHT!
THE "OZ SYNDROME" EXAMPLE 2: THE MUGGING
• THE VICTIM: A LITTLE OLD LADY
• THE WITNESS: HALF A BLOCK AWAY AND TWO STORIES UP
• THE DESCRIPTION:
- PINK PANTS
- YELLOW SHIRT
- GREEN HAT
- PURPLE SCARF
THE "OZ SYNDROME" EXAMPLE 2: THE MUGGING
• THE PROSECUTION WITNESSES:
- THE VICTIM
- THE EYE WITNESS
- AND...
• A "COMPUTER EXPERT" WHO TESTIFIED THE ODDS WERE 500M:1
THE "OZ SYNDROME" EXAMPLE 2: THE MUGGING
• AT TRIAL: THE JURY CONVICTED
• ON APPEAL?
• OVERTURNED
- CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION (TRIAL BY A  JURY OF ONE'S PEERS, NOT TRIAL BY STATISTICS)
BUT WAIT A MINUTE...
• DNA?
• ISN'T THAT STATISTICAL?
FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE "OZ SYNDROME"
• INTIMIDATING ENVIRONMENT
• CYBERPHOBIA
• GEEK STEREOTYPING
• SPECIALIZED LANGUAGE
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS
• METABOLISM
• REPRODUCTION
• GROWTH
• DEATH
• CARBON
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER-CONTROLLED DEVICES
• METABOLISM?
• REPRODUCTION?
• GROWTH?
• DEATH?
• CARBON?
COMPUTERS OF THE FUTURE: SYMBIOTES OF HUMANS
• COMPUTERS WOULD CONTRIBUTE:
- ABSOLUTE OBJECTIVITY
- PERFECT RECALL
- PROCESSING POWER
- CONSISTENCY
COMPUTERS OF THE FUTURE: SYMBIOTES OF HUMANS
• HUMANS WOULD CONTRIBUTE:
- INSIGHT
- EXPERIENCE
- SUBJECTIVITY
- EMOTIONS
- CREATIVITY
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE MOVIE
• ANTHROPOMORPHISM WITH REGARD TO COMPUTERS
- EMOTIONS
- WORDS LIKE "HAPPY", "CONFUSED," "SAD"
- HUMAN FUNCTIONS: SLEEPING, DREAMING, RESTING, ETC
- NATURE OF THE DIALOG
- GENDER
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE MOVIE
• OZ FACTORS:
- THE COMPUTER ENVIRONMENT
- THE COMPUTER PERSON
- CYBERPHOBIA
- SPECIALIZED LANGUAGE
• "IT MUST BE RIGHT..."
• ARGUMENTS THAT THE COMPUTER IS A LIFE-FORM