The Digital Humanist and the Challenges to Humankind

Professor Juan Luis Suárez
Director, CulturePlex Lab. University of Western Ontario

Join visiting academic Professor Juan Luis Suárez as he explores the changes to humankind and how Digital Humanists' affect the definition of what a human being is in the digital age. He will argue that the humanities are relevant when dealing with many issues including: genetic editing, massive changes in human behaviour, artificial intelligence, and the ecosystem. The common thread across all these issues is that they force us to think at the intersection of human history and human evolution, something we have not had to do before.

Professor Juan Luis Suárez is a Professor of Digital Humanities and Computer Science at Western University, Ontario, where he is also Professor in Hispanic Studies. He is also Director of the CulturePlex Lab - one of Canada's leading centres for digital research and innovation within the humanities (www.cultureplex.ca). His publications include: Technologies of Humanism. The Evolution of Spanish Humanism (Tecnologías del humanismo. La evolución del humanismo español) 2011; Protheus' Heirs. A Theory on Spanish Humanism. (Herederos de Proteo. Una teoría del humanismo español) 2008; and Staging Imagination. Calderón's Theatre (El escenario de la imaginación. Calderón en su teatro) 2002. He has also edited special issue journal on "Complexity and Its Sciences", Revista de Occidente, April 2008 and co-edited "Calderón's Virtual Worlds", Anuario Calderoniano5, 2012. He has just completed the book The Digital Humanist (El humanista digital).

Doors open 5:15 for a 5:30 start. After the lecture please join Professor Juan Luis, the Transformative Technologies Research Unit and the Digital Studio for drinks in the theatre foyer.