OCS Seminars
Adrienne Mayor: Gods and Robots – Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology
Science has always been driven by imagination. In her talk, Adrienne Mayor presented the fascinating story of how the ancient Greeks imagined robots and self-moving devices and invented sophisticated machines in the ancient city of learning, Alexandria (the original Silicon Valley). Greek myths refer to the creation of automatons and grappled with ethical concerns about biotechne, “life through craft” and foreshadowed some of today’s most advanced innovations in robotics, AI and human enhancements.
Biography:
Adrienne Mayor is a Stanford research scholar in classics and history of science, and a Berggruen Fellow 2018-19, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford. Her books include The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women across the Ancient World (2014); The Poison King: Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy (2009 National Book Award finalist) and most recently Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology.
