John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
Technology is transforming society in unpredictable ways. In a spring quarter course taught by Stanford Professor Ban Wang, COLLEGE 113: Utopia, Dystopia, and Technology in Science Fiction, students considered potential changes using science fiction to imagine future scenarios and their own responsibilities.
Each week, students read novels, essays, and watched films to examine the consequences and ethical implications of science and technology. One featured book was "The Three-Body Problem" by Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin. During a seminar with Wang, students discussed the book’s wide-ranging topics including history (such as the Chinese Cultural Revolution), science (like quantum mechanics), and philosophy (including the meaning of life). The discussions explored various ways people have tried to understand their place in an ever-expanding universe.
“What is the fundamental nature of matter is the ultimate scientific question,” Wang said to the class. He also posed questions from the book: “Can the fundamental nature of matter really be lawlessness? Can the stability and order of the world be but a temporary dynamic equilibrium achieved in a corner of the universe, a short-lived eddy in a chaotic current?” This prompted conversations about different methodologies researchers use to explain phenomena.
Books, short stories, and films discussed included:
- "Ecotopia" by Ernest Callenbach
- "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Cixin
- "Folding Beijing" by Hao Jingfang
- "Eternal Hospital" by Hao Jingfang
- "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula Le Guin
- "The Fish of Lijiang" by Chen Qiufan
- "Between the World Ship and the Spaceship" by Zhuoyi Wang
- Films such as James Cameron's Avatar, Joon-ho Bong's Snowpiercer, Alex Garland's Ex Machina, and Frant Gwo's The Wandering Earth
Wang’s seminar was one of ten courses offered as part of Civic, Liberal, and Global Education (COLLEGE), Stanford’s first-year requirement designed to deepen students’ critical understanding of society. Each quarter focuses on different themes: personal goals in fall; citizenship roles in winter; global context in spring.
“The class is about how we debate worries and concerns about rapid technological advances,” said Wang. “Students tackle technology’s impact on our society, values, human nature, and ecology.”
Other books included Ernest Callenbach’s novel Ecotopia which depicts an environmentally sustainable utopia where dystopian themes emerge showing how doing right can go wrong. Students also watched movies like Wandering Earth depicting planetary migration for humanity's survival or Avatar exploring technological embodiment on another planet.
Rishi Sadanandan ('27) noted that “This class really showed me how science and technology intersect with future implications.” Sadanandan appreciated Snowpiercer for highlighting both positive promises like climate change solutions through geoengineering mistakes resulting in adverse effects.
Wang started teaching science fiction seven years ago after being introduced to its impacts on technology representation by graduate student Melissa Hosek. Since then his interest has grown as scenarios increasingly mirror reality.
In his course Wang introduced “critical dystopias” – using sci-fi to reflect contemporary trends while considering alternatives. “Science fiction intervenes as a debating platform,” he said adding it voices dissent/triumphalism making it useful for discourse. He hopes exposure helps students recognize their agency/self-determination amid rapid changes considering their role/responsibilities protecting future prospects.
Sadanandan feels galvanized post-course saying “These movies warn you what could happen if wrong decisions are made… We live at times where choices shape/change futures.”
Wang’s class was among eight sections offered with COLLEGE lecturers Hosek Ruth Averbach Matthew Palmer leading others since fall 2021 when Stanford launched new first-year requirements inviting frosh reflecting place/purpose at Stanford/society/world replacing Thinking Matters requirement now piloted till 2025–26 academic year aimed preparing lifetime inquiry encouraging reflection ideals citizenship democracy putting values practice previously offering sustainability courses highlighting climate change solution pros/cons taught William Barnett Chris Field last year.
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