MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AND CONFLICTS
20.9. 2017
Jakub Drmola
Introduction

“WE'VE ARRANGED A GLOBAL CIVILIZATION IN WHICH MOST CRUCIAL ELEMENTS PROFOUNDLY DEPEND ON SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE ALSO ARRANGED THINGS SO THAT ALMOST NO ONE UNDERSTANDS SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY. THIS IS A PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER. WE MIGHT GET AWAY WITH IT FOR A WHILE, BUT SOONER
OR LATER THIS COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF IGNORANCE AND POWER IS GOING TO BLOW UP IN OUR FACES.”
― CARL SAGAN, 1995

BASIC INFORMATION
-CDS403 Modern Technologies and Conflicts
-8 ECTS
-Wednesday 13:30 - 15:00
-M117
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-Jakub Drmola
-office hours: Monday 9:00 - 11:00 (4.70)
-jdrmola@mail.muni.cz
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GRADING
-A: 92-100
-B: 84-91
-C: 76-83
-D: 68-75
-E: 60-67
-F: 59 or fewer
-viewpoints: 24b
-position papers: 21b
-essay: 25b
-exam: 30b
-up to 10 bonus points

VIEWPOINTS
-students will be split into small teams to prepare, present and defend assigned viewpoints during
class
-should be ~10 minutes long and include sources
-will be followed by a moderated discussion
-will be evaluated based on their quality, originality, style, persuasiveness, etc.

POSITION PAPERS
-describe, explain and argue your opinion and critical reflections on the subject of the class and
the presentations
-3000-4000 characters
-not counting sources, which should be put in footnotes or endnotes
-upload it by Sunday midnight to the IS
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ESSAY
-write an essay about topic of your choice that is related to theme of the course
-findings and conclusions to be presented and discussed during one of the last classes
-around 18000 characters long to the standards of academic writing
-uploaded to the IS by the end of December
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EXAM
-final exam will test knowledge and understanding of subject matter covered by lectures and
literature

date
content
20. 09. 2016
Introduction and structure of the course
27. 09. 2016
Technological progress: history, trends, ethics, regulation and dual use
  4. 10. 2016
Space security
11. 10. 2016
IT and the state: espionage, sabotage and cyberwar
18. 10. 2016
Reading week
25. 10. 2016
IT and the society: privacy, freedom, politics and surveillance
  1. 11. 2016
AI and autonomy in warfare
  8. 11. 2016
AI and autonomy in society
15. 11. 2016
Nuclear and chemical weapons
22. 11. 2016
Biological weapons and PGS
29. 11. 2016
Energy generation, climate change, geoengineering
  6. 12. 2016
Essay presentations
13. 12. 2016
First term of final exam