DOCSLIB.ORG

Vitor Moura Lima Defying the Gods and the Odds

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Vitor Moura Lima Defying the Gods and the Odds: on Being a Cyborg Tese de Doutorado Thesis presented to the Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração de Empresas of PUC-Rio in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doutor em Administração de Empresas. Advisor: Prof. Luís Alexandre Grubits de Paula Pessôa Co-Advisor: Prof. Russell William Belk Rio de Janeiro April 2020 Vitor Moura Lima Defying the Gods and the Odds: on Being a Cyborg Thesis presented to the Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração de Empresas of PUC-Rio in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doutor em Administração de Empresas. Approved by the Examination Committee. Prof. Luís Alexandre Grubits de Paula Pessôa Advisor Departamento de Administração – PUC-Rio Prof. Russell William Belk Co-Advisor York University Prof. Alessandra de Sá Mello da Costa Departamento de Administração – PUC-Rio Prof. Marcus Wilcox Hemais Departamento de Administração – PUC-Rio Prof. Hélio Arthur Reis Irigaray Fundação Getulio Vargas Prof. Maribel Carvalho Suarez Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Prof. Denise Franca Barros Universidade do Grande Rio Rio de Janeiro, April 3rd, 2020 All rights reserved. Vitor Moura Lima MSc in Business Administration at FGV/EBAPE, Executive MBA in Marketing at FGV, BA in Advertising with extension in Branding at ESPM, and Digital Marketing Strategy Executive Certificate at Harvard University. He is the academic coordinator of the Executive MBA in Digital Marketing and Digital Media Analyst program at FGV. Frequently, he collaborates with mass media companies, such as O Globo and BBC. His research interests are: Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), Transhumanism, Biohacking, Cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence, Robots, Digital Marketing, and Semiotics. Bibliographic data Lima, Vitor Moura Defying the gods and the odds : on being a cyborg / Vitor Moura Lima ; advisor: Luís A. G. de P. Pessôa ; co-advisor: Russell W. Belk . – 2020. 190 f. : il. color. ; 30 cm Tese (doutorado)–Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Administração, 2020. Inclui bibliografia 1. Administração – Teses. 2. Transumanismo. 3. Ciborgues. 4. Self Estendido. 5. Self Interativo. 6. Semiótica. I. Pessôa, Luís A. G. de P. II. Belk, Russell W. III. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. Departamento de Administração. IV. Título. CDD: 658 To my family. Acknowledgements My research would never have been possible if it were not for the freedom I was given to follow my own ideas, thanks in large part to the kindness, friendship, and mentoring offered by Luís Pessôa, my advisor, and Russ Belk, my co-advisor. I have not only been learning how to do research properly but also how to be a better person. Thank you so much for having me under your guidance. My admiration and gratitude are immeasurable. You have no idea how important each one of our talks was to me. Please, never forget what you have done for my family and I. One day, I hope I can do the same for a student. I am truly blessed. Thank you. I am indebted and thankful to Alessandra Costa and Marcus Hemais for their guidance, care, and also for being role models throughout the whole Ph.D. course— it was tense and intense. I must also thank Detlev Zwick, Eileen Fischer, and Ela Veresiu for their kindness, priceless advice, and, above all, encouragement to do and to be. Thanks to all other professors and co-authors with whom I discussed my ideas throughout the years. A special thanks to Arthur Irigaray: if it were not for you and EPO (and Goffman), I would not be here (Thanks, "dad"). I am also honored and thankful to Maribel Suarez and Denise Barros for serving on my thesis committee; I could never forget to thank my friend Marcelo Boschi for all his mentoring and, of course, for introducing me to Luís Pessôa during a conference in 2015. I would like to thank all of the people both at PUC-Rio and Schulich who have made these years such a great opportunity to learn and evolve: Alessandra, Rafael, Renata, Diana, Flávia, Leila, Natália, Laís, Lorenna, Augusto, Shirley, Sheila, Viviya, Gülay, Jennifer, Rowan, Anupama, Claudia, and Pouyan. The faculty and many Ph.D. students who visited the Marketing departments and made them such interesting and diverse environments to be in. I am also extremely grateful to my dear friend Clara and her gift of: the first Android-based smartphone to setup my microchip. I am also very thankful to all the members of biohacking communities who shared their time and knowledge with me, online and offline, with an open heart, mind, and data. Keep calm and get chipped! I would like to thank my loving and gorgeous wife, Thássia, for her unwavering support and for "being my constant". My gratitude also goes to my friends for their encouragement and for understanding my absence throughout the years and for providing comfort and joy during our rare gatherings. To my family, with our soap opera history of ups and downs, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being there for me. I always say that "life doesn't pause for your doctoral course," and for that reason, life happens the way it happens. Unfortunately, my grandmother Reuza, who paid most of my undergraduate studies, passed away in the middle of the course. My uncle/godfather Flávio, who always kept asking for my Ph.D. title to hang on his wall, recently lost his battle against drug addiction. All my love to you. Finally, I am also grateful to PUC-Rio for my academic excellence award and the VRAc-I scholarship. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001. Abstract Lima, Vitor Moura; Pessôa, Luís Alexandre Grubits de Paula (advisor); Belk, Russell William (co-advisor). Defying the Gods and the Odds: on Being a Cyborg. Rio de Janeiro, 2020. 190p. Tese de doutorado - Departamento de Administração, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. Humanity's fascination for achieving something beyond what is given by an Almighty divinity can be found in many episodes since ancient times. Our quest for creation, extension, and controlling different forms of life, such as gods do, has been semiotically echoed through religions, myths, SCI-FI productions, and, of course, science. From the magical creation of Homunculi to the Altered Carbon dystopian setting, several issues arise from this complex relationship, perhaps mainly because of the rebellious act of benevolence committed by Prometheus, the fire (technology)-bringer. Although prior studies investigated technology consumption from different perspectives, they mostly employed a Heideggerian approach to them and, thus, viewed the technological device as only a tool. Given the consumption of insideable technologies, the way that we have been experiencing the dissolving boundaries between humans and machines, and the emerging changes in the human ontological status, the ensuing consequences, remain overlooked. To explore this singular phenomenon, based on abductive reasoning, I developed my theorization on the Interactive Self, mostly based on Sartre's latter existential-phenomenology approach. To do so, I had a prolonged and intensive immersion in the biohacking context, specifically grinding (cyborgs), that began in 2017 with a combination of netnography, ethnography, phenomenological interviews, and autoethnography. To analyze the large collected dataset, I followed the French Semiotics postulates, especially taking into account the existential- phenomenological turn in the Parisian School of Semiotics. As a result of this inquiry, my theoretical claim is that the Interactive Self is sustained by the process of the externalization of the internal and the internalization of the external in dialectical and perpetual dynamics. To sustain this argument and answer my research questions, I present this novel concept in two ways: First, I describe the conceptual components for the ontological condition of being a cyborg by means of NFC microchip consumption. Subsequently, I promote an articulation of Sartre's modes of existence within the aspect of volitional cyborgization, which places humanity one step closer in its ancient and ongoing dream of performing god-like miracles. In considering technology not as a mere tool to an end, as Heidegger would, I argue that it is a living, magical, and vibrant matter that has the power to change our ontological condition as human beings. In doing so, my research contributes to discussions on technology consumption, identity projects, and, tangentially, bioethics in consumer research within the context of Transhumanism. Keywords Transhumanism; Cyborgs; Extended Self; Interactive Self; Semiotics. Resumo Lima, Vitor Moura; Pessôa, Luís Alexandre Grubits de Paula (orientador); Belk, Russell William (co-orientador). Desafiando os Deuses e as probabilidades: sobre ser um cyborg. Rio de Janeiro, 2020. 190p. Tese de doutorado - Departamento de Administração, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. O fascínio da humanidade por alcançar algo além do que é dado por uma divindade pode ser encontrado em diversos episódios desde os tempos mais remotos. Nossa busca por criação, extensão e controle de diferentes formas de vida, assim como os deuses fazem, ecoa semioticamente por narrativas religiosas, mitos, produções de ficção científica e, certamente, ciência. Desde a criação mágica dos Homúnculos até a distopia de Altered Carbon, várias questões surgem desse relacionamento complexo, provavelmente devido
Recommended publications
  • 1 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT This Copy of the Thesis Has Been

    1 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT This Copy of the Thesis Has Been

    University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk 04 University of Plymouth Research Theses 01 Research Theses Main Collection 2012 Life Expansion: Toward an Artistic, Design-Based Theory of the Transhuman / Posthuman Vita-More, Natasha http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/1182 University of Plymouth All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognize that its copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the author’s prior consent. 1 Life Expansion: Toward an Artistic, Design-Based Theory of the Transhuman / Posthuman by NATASHA VITA-MORE A thesis submitted to the University of Plymouth in partial fulfillment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Art & Media Faculty of Arts April 2012 2 Natasha Vita-More Life Expansion: Toward an Artistic, Design-Based Theory of the Transhuman / Posthuman The thesis’ study of life expansion proposes a framework for artistic, design-based approaches concerned with prolonging human life and sustaining personal identity. To delineate the topic: life expansion means increasing the length of time a person is alive and diversifying the matter in which a person exists.
  • Humana.Mente Complete Issue 26.Pdf

    Humana.Mente Complete Issue 26.Pdf

    EDITORIAL MANAGER: DUCCIO MANETTI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE Editorial EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: SILVANO ZIPOLI CAIANI - UNIVERSITY OF MILAN VICE DIRECTOR: MARCO FENICI - UNIVERSITY OF SIENA Board INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL BOARD JOHN BELL - UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO GIOVANNI BONIOLO - INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY FOUNDATION MARIA LUISA DALLA CHIARA - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE DIMITRI D'ANDREA - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE BERNARDINO FANTINI - UNIVERSITÉ DE GENÈVE LUCIANO FLORIDI - UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD MASSIMO INGUSCIO - EUROPEAN LABORATORY FOR NON-LINEAR SPECTROSCOPY GEORGE LAKOFF - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY PAOLO PARRINI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE ALBERTO PERUZZI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE JEAN PETITOT - CREA, CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN ÉPISTÉMOLOGIE APPLIQUÉE CORRADO SINIGAGLIA - UNIVERSITY OF MILAN BAS C. VAN FRAASSEN - SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY CONSULTING EDITORS CARLO GABBANI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE ROBERTA LANFREDINI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE MARCO SALUCCI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE ELENA ACUTI - UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE MATTEO BORRI - UNIVERSITÉ DE GENÈVE ROBERTO CIUNI - UNIVERSITY OF DELFT Editorial SCILLA BELLUCCI, LAURA BERITELLI, RICCARDO FURI, ALICE GIULIANI, STEFANO LICCIOLI, UMBERTO MAIONCHI Staff HUMANA.MENTE - QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Fiorella Battaglia, Antonio Carnevale Epistemological and Moral Problems with Human Enhancement III PAPERS Volker Gerhardt Technology as a Medium of Ethics and Culture 1 Nikil Mukerji, Julian Nida-Rümelin Towards a Moderate Stance on Human Enhancement 17 Christopher
  • 149-Page PDF Version

    149-Page PDF Version

    By Bradford Hatcher © 2019 Bradford Hatcher ISBN: 978-0-9824191-8-2 Download at: https://www.hermetica.info/Intervention.html or: https://www.hermetica.info/Intervention.pdf Cover Photo Credit: Found online. Appears to be a conception of an evolved Terran reptilian life form. Table of Contents Part One 5 Preface 5 Puppet Shows 7 Waldo Speaking, Part 1 11 Waldo Speaking, Part 2 17 Wilma Speaks of Spirit 24 The Eck 30 Gizmos and the Van 34 Growing Up Van 42 Some Changes are Made 49 Culling Homo Non Grata 56 Introducing the Ta 63 Terrestrial and Aquatic Ta 67 Vestan, Myco, and Raptor Ta 72 Part Two 78 Progress Report at I+20 78 Desert Colonies 80 The Final Frontier, For Now 85 The Stellar Fleet 89 Remembering Community 94 Prototypes and Lexicons 99 For the Kids 104 Cultural Evolution 112 Cultural Engineering 119 Bioengineering 124 The Commons 128 The Tour 132 Mitakuye Oyasin 137 A Partial Glossary 147 Part One It gives one a feeling of confidence to see nature still busy with experiments, still dynamic, and not through nor satisfied because a Devonian fish managed to end as a two-legged character with a straw hat. There are other things brewing and growing in the oceanic vat. It pays to know this. It pays to know that there is just as much future as there is past. The only thing that doesn't pay is to be sure of man's own part in it. There are things down there still coming ashore. Never make the mistake of thinking life is now adjusted for eternity.
  • The Romantic Economist

    The Romantic Economist

    This page intentionally left blank THE ROMANTIC ECONOMIST Since economies are dynamic processes driven by creativity, social norms and emotions, as well as rational calculation, why do econo- mists largely study them through the prism of static equilibrium models and narrow rationalistic assumptions? Economic activity is as much a function of imagination and social sentiments as of the rational optimisation of given preferences and goods. Richard Bronk argues that economists can best model and explain these creative and social aspects of markets by using new structuring assumptions and metaphors derived from the poetry and philosophy of the Romantics. By bridging the divide between literature and science, and between Romanticism and narrow forms of rationalism, economists can access grounding assumptions, models and research methods suitable for comprehending the creativity and social dimensions of economic activity. This is a guide to how economists and other social scientists can broaden their analytical repertoire to encompass the vital role of sentiments, language and imagination. Educated at Merton College, Oxford, Richard Bronk gained a first class degree in Classics and Philosophy. He spent the first seventeen years of his career working in the City of London, where he acquired a wide expertise in international economics, business and politics. His first book, Progress and the Invisible Hand (1998) was well received critically, and anticipated millennial angst about the increasingly strained relationship between economic growth and progress in wel- fare. Having returned to academic life in 2000, Bronk is now a writer and part-time academic. richard bronk is currently a Visiting Fellow in the European Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
  • THE IMPACT of the FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION on the JOBS MARKET Senate of the Italian Republic – 11Th Labour and Social Secu

    THE IMPACT of the FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION on the JOBS MARKET Senate of the Italian Republic – 11Th Labour and Social Secu

    THE IMPACT OF THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ON THE JOBS MARKET Senate of the Italian Republic – 11th Labour and Social Security Committee For the victims of terrorism fallen in the line of work Introduction The issue of the relationship between technology and work has returned to the heart of the public debate. This is by no means a new discussion: fear of jobs being destroyed by the emergence of new tools for producing goods and services, and their new processes, crisscrosses the history of the industrial economy, leaving us with memories of Luddites, Keynesian technological unemployment, and the “the end of work” alarm raised in the early 1990s. The new Industrial Revolution appears to have been enabled by technologies that are increasingly available at low cost to companies and individuals. These technologies are destined to evolve at an unpredictable pace, in unpredictable ways and with unforeseeable content. Their consequences may impact business models and production processes; above all, they are ushering in new ways of relating to consumers and the markets through more efficient, personalized and immediate channels of coordination enabled by technology. The hallmark feature of this technology is its way of integrating physical processes and digital technologies as a means of renewing organizational models. Another way of expressing this is to say that production is “smartening up” along a number of different paths, either making a break or evolving from the past. Large factories are looking to go beyond assembly lines and replace them with autonomous “islands”, manned by people and machines – teams of workers and robots. Small companies are leveraging a typically Italian feature of the economy – the fact that they are concentrated in districts, and are specialized in niche output – as they work to combine classical artisanal with digital skills.
  • 2016-2017 Report

    2016-2017 Report

    The Society of Fellows in the Humanities Annual Report 2016–2017 Society of Fellows Mail Code 5700 Columbia University 2960 Broadway New York, NY 10027 Phone: (212) 854-8443 Fax: (212) 662-7289 [email protected] www.societyoffellows.columbia.edu By FedEx or UPS: Society of Fellows 74 Morningside Drive Heyman Center, First Floor East Campus Residential Center Columbia University New York, NY 10027 Posters courtesy of designers Amelia Saul and Sean Boggs 2 Contents Report From The Chair 5 Special Events 31 Members of the 2016–2017 Governing Board 8 Heyman Center Events 35 • Event Highlights 36 Forty-Second Annual Fellowship Competition 9 • Public Humanities Initiative 47 Fellows in Residence 2016–2017 11 • Heyman Center Series and Workshops 50 • Benjamin Breen 12 Nietzsche 13/13 Seminar 50 • Christopher M. Florio 13 New Books in the Arts & Sciences 50 • David Gutkin 14 New Books in the Society of Fellows 54 • Heidi Hausse 15 The Program in World Philology 56 • Arden Hegele 16 • Full List of Heyman Center Events • Whitney Laemmli 17 2016–2017 57 • Max Mishler 18 • María González Pendás 19 Heyman Center Fellows 2016–2017 65 • Carmel Raz 20 Alumni Fellows News 71 Thursday Lectures Series 21 Alumni Fellows Directory 74 • Fall 2016: Fellows’ Talks 23 • Spring 2017: Shock and Reverberation 26 2016–2017 Fellows at the annual year-end Spring gathering (from left): María González Pendás (2016–2019), Arden Hegele (2016–2019), David Gutkin (2015–2017), Whitney Laemmli (2016–2019), Christopher Florio (2016–2019) Heidi Hausse (2016–2018), Max Mishler (2016–2017), and Carmel Raz (2015–2018).
  • Human Enhancement Technologies and Our Merger with Machines

    Human Enhancement Technologies and Our Merger with Machines

    Human Enhancement and Technologies Our Merger with Machines Human • Woodrow Barfield and Blodgett-Ford Sayoko Enhancement Technologies and Our Merger with Machines Edited by Woodrow Barfield and Sayoko Blodgett-Ford Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Philosophies www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophies Human Enhancement Technologies and Our Merger with Machines Human Enhancement Technologies and Our Merger with Machines Editors Woodrow Barfield Sayoko Blodgett-Ford MDPI • Basel • Beijing • Wuhan • Barcelona • Belgrade • Manchester • Tokyo • Cluj • Tianjin Editors Woodrow Barfield Sayoko Blodgett-Ford Visiting Professor, University of Turin Boston College Law School Affiliate, Whitaker Institute, NUI, Galway USA Editorial Office MDPI St. Alban-Anlage 66 4052 Basel, Switzerland This is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Philosophies (ISSN 2409-9287) (available at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophies/special issues/human enhancement technologies). For citation purposes, cite each article independently as indicated on the article page online and as indicated below: LastName, A.A.; LastName, B.B.; LastName, C.C. Article Title. Journal Name Year, Volume Number, Page Range. ISBN 978-3-0365-0904-4 (Hbk) ISBN 978-3-0365-0905-1 (PDF) Cover image courtesy of N. M. Ford. © 2021 by the authors. Articles in this book are Open Access and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. The book as a whole is distributed by MDPI under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND.
  • Powering Fast Forward Thinking

    Powering Fast Forward Thinking

    1 Powering Fast Forward Thinking THE AXA 2019 FORESIGHT TRENDBOOK 2 Editorial 3 AXA Foresight: Who are we? 4 Environment 5 Health 21 New Tech 37 Socio-Economics 53 Appendix 69 Acknowledgement & Credits 70 3 EDITORIAL Editorial Using past experience to anticipate probable future is at the core of insurance. At the same time, as an investor and asset manager, we know that past performance is no guarantee of future results. Societies’, companies’ and individuals’ fates may be overturned, for better or worse, by an unexpected combination of existing trends, by major scientific breakthrough or by a “black swan” event. Foresight is not about the extrapolation of existing trends, it is about the identification of potential disruptions. At AXA, day-to-day management matters but we also have the conviction that true achievements are founded on long term visions. We feel that a foresight effort is important to build our strategy but might also be useful to tackle many public debates. This first Trendbook is a modest contribution to answer this need to broaden our horizons. With this publication, we hope to provide more than a simple compilation of “trending topics”: exploring “ Foresight is not about the substance beyond buzzwords and, based on latest scientific evidence, sharing visions and options for decision-making. extrapolation of existing Indeed, we believe that concepts such as “slashers”, “affective computing” or “genetic engineering” will change trends, it is about the the way we think, live and work. identification of potential Our research initiatives, notably through the AXA Research Fund, are focused around four pillars: Environment & disruptions.
  • A Narrative Pedagogy for Transformative Christian Faith

    A Narrative Pedagogy for Transformative Christian Faith

    Story-Making: A Narrative Pedagogy For Transformative Christian Faith Author: Nathaniel Girard Samuel Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/3403 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2013 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry STORY-MAKING: A NARRATIVE PEDAGOGY FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHRISTIAN FAITH a dissertation by NATHANIEL GIRARD SAMUEL submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2013 © copyright by NATHANIEL GIRARD SAMUEL 2013 ABSTRACT STORY-MAKING: A NARRATIVE PEDAGOGY FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHRISTIAN FAITH NATHANIEL GIRARD SAMUEL ADVISOR: THOMAS H. GROOME The mid-twentieth century upsurge in scholarship on the methodological and conceptual importance of narrative for theology - established in the work of H.R. Niebuhr, Hans Frei and Stephen Crites inter alia – was a watershed moment for narrative pedagogy in Christian religious education. By and large, narrative approaches have however tended to privilege one form of narrative embodiment - literary (or discursive narratives) - over action (or non-discursive narratives). This dissertation points to the equivocal and pluriform nature of narrativity, and its codification in much more than oral and written textuality. I extend it to refer to a distinct competency for establishing a meaningful world (or ethos) to inhabit, which congeals in varied forms of human expression including our lived narratives. Narrative competency allows us to understand ourselves as persons and communities in (synchronic) relationship with the rest of creation, as well as in (diachronic) relation with persons and communities from the past and in the anticipated future.
  • Where's My Jet Pack?

    Where's My Jet Pack?

    Where's My Jet Pack? Online Communication Practices and Media Frames of the Emergent Voluntary Cyborg Subculture By Tamara Banbury A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts In Legal Studies Faculty of Public Affairs Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario ©2019 Tamara Banbury Abstract Voluntary cyborgs embed technology into their bodies for purposes of enhancement or augmentation. These voluntary cyborgs gather in online forums and are negotiating the elements of subculture formation with varying degrees of success. The voluntary cyborg community is unusual in subculture studies due to the desire for mainstream acceptance and widespread adoption of their practices. How voluntary cyborg practices are framed in media articles can affect how cyborgian practices are viewed and ultimately, accepted or denied by those outside the voluntary cyborg subculture. Key Words: cyborg, subculture, implants, community, technology, subdermal, chips, media frames, online forums, voluntary ii Acknowledgements The process of researching and writing a thesis is not a solo endeavour, no matter how much it may feel that way at times. This thesis is no exception and if it weren’t for the advice, feedback, and support from a number of people, this thesis would still just be a dream and not a reality. I want to acknowledge the institutions and the people at those institutions who have helped fund my research over the last year — I was honoured to receive one of the coveted Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships for master’s students from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
  • Meetup Culture at Wpi ______

    Meetup Culture at Wpi ______

    ____________________________________________________________________________ MEETUP CULTURE AT WPI ______________________________________________________________________________ An Interactive Qualifying Project submitted to the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science Submitted on: May 31, 2018 Submitted by: Amanda Ezeobiejesi Quyen Dinh Thuc Hoang Hung Phu Gia Hong Advised by: Professor Lane T. Harrison This report represents the work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review. ABSTRACT This project quantifies student-centered benefits of attending special interest meetings called “meetups”, and identifies barriers that impact student attendance to meetups, in order to provide recommendations for improving extracurricular education at WPI. Our objective is to ensure that WPI students understand the benefits of attending meetups in the greater Boston area that relate to their academic interests and professional development. The results of 322 student survey responses and multiple interviews suggest that WPI students are generally unaware of meetups and the benefits of attending them, but that the small percentage of students who have attended meetups report significant improvements to their educational experience and career prospects. i | P a g e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our team would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the following individuals for their support and encouragement throughout the duration of this project: Our project advisor, Professor Lane Harrison, who supported our team throughout the entire duration of the project. His enthusiasm, kind attention, and diligent guidance increased our passion for the project and allowed the IQP to be as impactful as possible.
  • The Metacomics of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis

    The Metacomics of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis

    University of Alberta Telling Stories About Storytelling: The Metacomics of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis by Orion Ussner Kidder A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Department of English and Film Studies ©Orion Ussner Kidder Spring 2010 Edmonton, Alberta Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission. Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l’édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-60022-1 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-60022-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L’auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l’Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats.