practice abstract

Summary
Mary Ann Doane's article tends to focus on the summaries of cinema that had to do with the creation of cyborgs, but mainly on L'Eve future. L'Eve future goes on to describe how Thomas Edison has created the perfect mechanical woman. He based the "perfect" physical qualities from a "beautiful temptress" in his friends life, her vocabulary consisted of the words of "great men", and her innerworkings were just wires and circuits that imitated the organic workings of the human body. After all that work and even sparking this women alive with the soul of an abandoned mother she still was not "human" because she lacked the main ability to reproduce. Bridges' article also deals with the problems of reproduction and basic human functions when it comes to mechanical humans. She then goes on to discuss and summarize stories that deal with the creation of cyborgs. The main point of the article is that it takes a collaboration between artists and scientists to create these working humanoid machines.

Terms
Technophilia- The fetishist love of technology.
Phallus Dentatus- well in this context it has to do with men's fear of childbirth and reproduction, making it out to be a deadly experience, but the actually meaning of Phallus Dentatus or "Toothed Penis" doesn't really making sense.
Dystopic- relating to a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
Automaton- a mechanical figure or contrivance constructed to act as if by its own motive power; robot.
Apocryphal- of doubtful authorship or authenticity.

Questions

1. In the Sandman, what is the significance of the role of Coppelius? What also is the significance of the scene where his fathers eyes are stolen by Coppelius?
2. What are your thoughts of the "Phallus Dentatus" in the movie Alien and the idea of men's fear of childbirth. Why did they choose to portray a man giving birth in such a grotesque way?
3. Do you think it is an equal effort of artists and scientists in the creation of cyborgs or machines? Can one be successful without the other?