The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future (FIS 338)
A unique class open to all in-person undergraduates at ASU that uses sci-fi movies to explore how emerging technologies are transforming the future – including the future of being human
Learn to navigate thefuture
Advanced technologies are transforming the world we live faster than ever before. The jobs we do, the careers we lead, the ways we live our lives, and the choices we make – all are being impacted by technologies from AI and automation to gene editing, brain computer interfaces, and much more.
In this changing world it’s never been more important to learn how to think about, understand, and develop the mindset and skills to thrive as humans in in a technology-driven future.
The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future is a one of a kind course designed to address exactly this challenge!
Whymovies?
Science fiction movies are a powerful reflection of our complex relationships with technology and the future. Through the right lens they provide a unique way of exploring how emerging technologies are potentially transforming our lives, where the opportunities are, and where the pitfalls lie.
In this class, twelve sci-fi movies are used to explore a number of cutting edge technologies and how they might be developed in beneficial and responsible ways – as well as what might go wrong!
Led by professor Andrew Maynard, a widely recognized communicator and international expert on advanced technology transitions, The Moviegoer’s Guide is a dive into the future of being human unlike anything else you’ll experience.
Keytopics
Key topics covered in The Moviegoer’s Guide to the Future include:
- Artificial intelligence
- Automation
- Being human
- Bioprinting
- Engineered viruses
- Cloning
- Cyborgs
- De-extinction
- Ethics of innovation
- Geoengineering
- Human augmentation
- Luddite movement
- Nanotechnology
- Predicting criminal intent
- Permissionless innovation
- Responsible innovation
- Science and belief
- Smart drugs
- Superintelligence
- Surveillance
- Synthetic biology
- Techno-terrorism
- And more …
Frequently askedquestions
Who can take the course?
Any undergraduates enrolled for in-person courses at ASU.
Where are classes held?
Tempe campus, Tuesdays 4:30 PM – 7:15 PM in the Fall Semester.
How much work is involved in the class?
This is a class that anyone can excel in if they are engaged and willing to put in a bit of effort. The assignments aren’t hard, but you will learn new stuff through them. And, of course, we watch movies in class most weeks! (I had one student claim it was their “stoner class” but they learned more from it than they expected – while really enjoying it!)
Do you really watch complete movies in class?
Yep – from beginning to end, just like going to the movie theater.
What movies will we watch in class?
- Jurassic Park
- Never Let Me Go
- Minority Report
- Limitless
- Elysium
- Ghost in the Shell (the anime version)
- Ex Machina
- Transcendence
- The Man in the White Suit
- Inferno
- The Day After Tomorrow
- Contact
Why these movies?
They’re entertaining movies to watch with others and they have something interesting to say about technology, society, and the future. Plus, they’re all movies that I still love after the gazillionth time watching them in class!
Is there a text book I will need to purchase?
Yes, we use the book Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies. However, you can pick up copies relatively cheaply, and the instructor will always make sure you have access to the text if you have problems.
What do other students say about the course?
You can check out websites like Rate My professor, as well as the comments below from the course evaluations. Most students say they come because it looks like an easy/interesting course, and leave saying it’s one of the best courses they’ve taken!
- “Excellent course, excellent instructor.”
- “Professor Maynard is the star of the show”
- “pure joy”
- “The [format] made an already stress-free class even less stressful”
- “I actually really enjoyed the textbook!”
- “I loved this course!”
- “Movies are always more fun than a lecture”
- “Nearly everything worked spectacularly for this course”
- “Content was extremely interesting and engaging”
- “Best class”
- Professor genuinely cares and it shows”
- “Watching Movies! You can’t really go wrong with that!”
Is there a sound track for the course?
Funny you should ask … there is a compilation of themes from the movies we watch (11 of them at least – there’s one that didn’t make the cut). If you’re interested, you can listen to it here:
Any trivia about the course that’s worth knowing?
One of the movies we watch – Ex Machina – was filmed in a unique hotel in Norway. You can read about the course instructor’s “pilgrimage” to the hotel here (not that they’re obsessed or anything …)
What’s one thing I should know about the course?
This is a course that’s more enjoyable the more students sign up – so the more friends you can persuade to join you, the better!
Where do I sign up?
Here’s the link to the course listing for Fall 2024.