Assignments
Requirements/Guidelines for each assignment type:
Readings + Reflections
- Submit 1/2 page reflections
- Discussions, things you found interesting / unexpected / strange, questions, how does this relate to your interests and projects…
- Not a summary
Mini-Design Exercises
- pick a problem in the focus area that affects a significant number of people
- do research to read up on the problem and its symptoms, as well as existing designs/research
- propose a creative, novel solution
- present your design sketch in class (1 min)
- also upload on form as 1/2-1 page, or sketches, drawings, video, …
Final Group Project
- develop one of your designs
- do further research into related science, user needs, relevant technologies, etc.
- prototype/implement a version of your design
- present your design (intermediate week 7 & final week 13) in class (10-15 min):
- problem, related work, novel approach, use case, what did you learn, future work
- write up final project (format should follow short conference paper, example)
- abstract, introduction, related work, methods, system design, results, discussion, limitations/future work, conclusion
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Week 1: Intro
1) Reading + Reflection
In preparation for class, please read these two readings, which deal with what cognitive augmentation is and why we should care about it. Please submit your reactions and reflections on the readings here before class–we will use these to inform the discussion!
Three Ways to Advance Science — Nick Bostrom
Augmenting Human Intellect and Amplifying Perception and Cognition – Albrecht Schmidt
Week 2: Augmenting Memory
1) Reading + Reflection
In preparation for the next class, please read the following excerpt from a thesis that gives a preview of the 1) frameworks on how human memory works and 2) technologies for augmenting memory (in the field of Human-Computer Interactions). Please submit your reactions and reflections here before class — these will be used to guide our in-class discussions.
2) Mini-Design Exercise
Create one slide with your idea for a system that could augment or support some target user group with a memory related issue. This can be high level and does not necessarily have to be realizable with today’s technologies. Examples can be found at the top of the Google Slides document where you will upload your design. To be done before class as well. — Students will present their slides 2-min each during class.
Week 3: Sleep engineering
1) Reading + Reflection
Read the readings and submit a reflection
Pick one from below:
Targeted dream incubation at sleep onset increases post-sleep creative performance
Sleep disruption by memory cues selectively weakens reactivated memories
2) Create your profile on the google slides!
3) Mini-Design Exercise
Submit here! (should be focused on sleep!)
Week 4: Enhancing Reasoning & Decision Making
1) Readings + Reflections
Submit your reflections (1/2 page) here
Summary of cognitive biases – Tversky and Kahneman
Heuristics and biases: The Science of Decision making – Steve Dale
Optional:
Wearable Reasoner – Valdemar Danry et al.
2) Form groups
In addition, please take a look at the profiles of your colleagues on the course website so that we can start forming small teams of 2-3 people for the group projects.
Week 5: Somatic interfaces
1) Readings + Reflections
Submit your reflections (1/2 page) here
2) Mini design exercise
Add your slides here
Week 6: Interfacing with the brain
1) Final projects
Submit your plans for final projects here!
2) Readings + Reflections
Submit your reflections (1/2 page) here
3) Mini design exercise
Add your slides here
Week 7: Project Proposal #1
Student groups present designs for some sort of novel Cognitive Enhancement system.
8~10 min each group (depending on people in group + discussions)
Presentations are to cover:
- What is the motivation?
- What is some related work and relevant background research?
- What is the core idea?
- How could it be realized?
- Why should we care (usage scenarios)?
- How much of it can you get done by week 13?
- What resources and devices are needed?
1) Upload your group’s slides here by the end of class.
2) Please add in any comments and feedback for the projects here.
Week 10: Augmenting the Senses and Perception
1) Readings + Reflections
Week 11: Drugs and Gene Editing
Read these articles and submit a reflection here Nootropics as Cognitive Enhancers: Types, Dosage and Side Effects of Smart Drugs
Cognitive Enhancement through Genetic Editing: a New Frontier to Explore (and to Regulate)?
Week 12: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues
Read the readings and submit reflections here!
Rather than doing a design exercise, we will start the class with each of you arguing for a policy related to any of the topics we have talked about in class. We will use the same format where you upload slides here.
Each presentation should be a max of 3 minutes (plus a couple of minutes for questions/rebuttals) per person.
Your policy can be at any level (eg a policy for a school, workplace, government, etc). The most important part is that you take a clear stand about something related to cognitive augmentation technology, eg:
- MIT should ban the use of generative AI in assignments
- Devices which augment memory must pass a cybersecurity audit before they can be sold
- Train operators and pilots should be required to use fatigue-monitoring technology