Introduction

My name is Thomas Van Conett, and I am a computer science major currently attending Delta College. This blog chronicles my work throughout my Honors Colloquy course, which I have used as an opportunity to further my research into some of my own interests, as well as a chance to better understand why others enjoy what they do. While my main interest is in computers, I also enjoy studying the human experience, the things we enjoy and why we do them. Computers today are quite good at doing the tasks they are programmed to complete, but emerging technologies are aimed at allowing them to do more than just what they are told. While the barrier between human and machine today is very clear, we may reach a point in the future where this line is blurred, or perhaps erased altogether. This blog is dedicated to learning more about this continuum, what does it mean to be human, and will that definition ever include artificial life?