In seeking the impact of the new universe on culture in the modern era, we need to remember that “culture” is not monolithic and that “impact” is a notoriously vague term. Thus it is no surprise that the new universe and its master narrativ…The second possible outcome of cosmic evolution reveals a quite different destiny. The biological universe—the universe in which cosmic evolution commonly ends in life, mind, and intelligence—means that we will almost certainly interact wit…
Arthur C. Clarke
writer · 2 mentions across 1 reading
In this course
Clarke appears in these readings as a theorist of technological futures and cosmic possibilities whose speculations about intelligence, extraterrestrial contact, and humanity's place in an evolving universe shape discussions of how science fiction narratives influence cultural responses to AI and advanced technology. The excerpts invoke his concept of "cosmic evolution" as a master narrative that structures how we imagine both the development of intelligence and our encounters with non-human minds—concerns central to understanding how fictional and theoretical frameworks condition our relationship to artificial intelligence. His work matters here as a bridge between hard science speculation and cultural imagination, establishing tropes about inevitable technological progress and distributed intelligence that the course readings use to interrogate contemporary AI discourse.
Mentioned in 1 reading
Appears alongside
People mentioned in the same passages — sorted by co-occurrence weight.