Cyborg by Donna Haraway

Today in class we had a discussion about the cyborg. The cyborg is anything that is part mechanical and part human. I think I am going to expand on the idea that one of my classmates brought up. In recent years, new technology has given humans the opportunity to use machines for medical advances. Having machines and robots do the surgeries and tasks that only humans could once do, is something that seemed completely fictional. "Late twentieth-century machines have made thoroughly ambiguous the difference between natural and artificial, mind and body, self-developing and externally designed, and many other distinctions that used to apply to organisms and machines. Our machines are disturbingly lively, and we ourselves frighteningly inert."

I disagree with Hawaway in wanting to a cyborg rather than a goddess. I also am confused on her statement, "It means both building and destroying machines, identities, categories, relationships, space stories. Though both are bound in the spiral dance, I would rather be a cyborg than a goddess." A cybrog is just a "cybernetic organism". It is controlled solely by technology, while my definition of a goddess, would be an immortal being that is and has all sorts of power. I also think a goddess is glorified and almost praised. Is that asking too much!? I think the class was right... who wouldn't want to be a goddess!?

Oh ya... I wanted to address the question of why we chose art as our major.

Originally, I came into college thinking that I wanted to be a IPHY major. Then, I was convinced I wanted to be graphic designer. Come to find out, CU doesn't have graphic design as a major, BUT I could supplement for a graphic design major by doing studio art and ATLAS. As I began th ATLAS program, I learned that by combining this certificate and a studio major that it still isn't as similar to graphic design as I had been advised. Well... it's close enough, and during this frustrating process of not exactly knowing what I wanted to do... I figured it out. I think a lot of a college education is finding out what is right for you, as well as finding yourself. By taking different studios and other art and art history classes and I have really found a desire to be a working artist. Not only is it fun, I can channel my creativity.

I realize this is somewhat irrelevant, but our class got me thinking...