Believing In Bits

Download or read book Believing in Bits written by Simone Natale and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019-10 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As technologies that work by computing numbers, digital media apparently epitomize what is considered scientific and rational. Yet, people experience the effects of digital devices and algorithms in their everyday life also through the lenses of magic and the supernatural. Algorithms, for instance, are discussed for their capacity to "read minds" and predict the future; Artificial Intelligence as an opportunity to overcome death and achieve immortality through singularity; and avatars and robots are accorded a dignity that traditional religions restricted to humans. The essays collected in this volume address these and similar phenomena, challenging and redefining established understandings of digital media and culture by employing the notions of belief, religion, and the supernatural." -- Provided by publisher.