For one week this February, the UCLA Comparative Literature Dept was home to a celebration––and critique––of technology’s nascent trajectories. The event, called Cyber Days, brought hundreds of students, faculty, and industry experts together. First, a two-day conference examined the importance of blockchains, cryptocurrencies, and cybersecurity for sociocultural narratives in 2018. Special attention was paid to “Women in Tech” as a dedicated section of the proceedings.
Given our interest in cybersecurity, Cyber Days also included a three-day festival of new Russian cinema, the most culturally relevant DJs from Moscow today, and a three-day blockchain hackfest hosted by Hyperledger. In the spirit of maximum inclusion, our youngest participants were sixth-graders from UCLA’s new Geffen Academy, while the oldest were at least fifty years senior. Together we investigated technology’s most recent sociocultural trends––not to mention the concomitant shift from authorial to collaborative storytelling.
Movies, music, technology, and a substantial vodka sponsor. Just an average day at UCLA’s Dept of Comparative Literature. For full proceedings, extensive galleries, and video, see: https://www.cyberdays.info/
