The Scientific Basis for the Man-Nature Partnership

The Class Project:

If you recall, at the beginning of class you estimated that the lifetime for humans would be another 100-200 years. Pretty bleak. The generic reason that you gave for this estimate was just over-utilization of resources and the consequences of that action. Well this course has been about exposing you to the scientific basis for the existence of a man-nature partnership rather than the traditional man-nature exploitation relationship. The question is, can the population be re-educated or conned (subverted) in such a way so as to change.

Your task is to use the media (since you reach millions of people in an instant) to re-educate people to make morality based decisions. I use the word re-educate here on purpose for it is clear that some ancient cultures did function in this manner. Our modern society has simply forgotten or ignored that. Now for you specific assignment on the infomercial. You will be randomly selected into 4 different groups. The form of your infomercial should be the following:

Each member of your group should assume the position of a historical or fictional figure of your own choosing. So just like Data, Einstein, Hawking and Newton can have a poker game discussing the nature of the Universe, so too you should organize yourselves into a discussion about the nature of man and the future of our species. You can discuss it from any angle that you want, you can incorporate spritituality or the lack thereof into your attributes for man, you can vigorously defend the way that the planet has evolved or vigorously attack it. Be as creative as possible. The mission here, is that through the interaction of historical figures or made up ones, I want you to examine our species motivations at the most basic of all levels. Remember you are charged with subverting the viewing audience in to believing that only morality based decision making is acceptable. You are to try, through words, analogy and argument, to reverse 10,000 years of ego and self-important decision making. Good Luck! ___________________________________________________________________

The Electronic Universe Project

e-mail: nuts@moo.uoregon.edu