Splash Biography



RACHEL HARA, Psychologist and Philosopher who loves Robots




Major: Psychology

College/Employer: Southern Connecticut state University

Year of Graduation: 2018

Picture of Rachel Hara

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Born into this world at the beginning of the computer revolution (1996) I grew up with computers and machines evolving as fast as the speed of light. As a child I remember living without the internet and relying on CD's for games and other programs. Oh how the times have changed. Now the phones we have in our pockets are a fraction of the size and are exponentially more powerful than we could've ever imagined. This bought into question many things for me including what it was like to be a computer and if we as humans were any different. So here I am today teaching what I know about humanity and applying it to the robots we made.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H3319: The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines in Splash Fall 2018 (Oct. 27, 2018)
Philosophers since the dawn of time have debated about human nature and what it means to be human. But what if the answer to that question was in our pockets? Or in our homes or schools? What if the answer to our humanity was in computers and all that we've created for them. The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines asks these questions in a practical way to understand our own humanity through the devices we created ourselves. Through a group approach, students set up parameters for discussion and work as a team to understand their own humanity. There are no wrong answers and you set the pace. The more discussion the better the class. This class is truly what you make of it.


E3308: The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines in Sprout Fall 18 (Sep. 29 - Oct. 13, 2018)
Philosophers since the dawn of time have debated about human nature and what it means to be human. But what if the answer to that question was in our pockets? Or in our homes or schools? What if the answer to our humanity was in computers and all that we've created for them. The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines asks these questions in a practical way to understand our own humanity through the devices we created ourselves. Through a group approach, students set up parameters for discussion and work as a team to understand their own humanity. There are no wrong answers and you set the pace. The more discussion the better the class. This class is truly what you make of it.


C3309: Primary Sources and Propaganda in Sprout Fall 18 (Sep. 29 - Oct. 13, 2018)
In the age of the Internet there's dozens upon hundreds of variations on the truth. But truth is singular, it's versions contain mistruths. These mistruths come in the form of propaganda designed to manipulate the truth into something to be used for personal gain. People rarely notice what's happening unless they know what to look for. In Primary Sources and Propaganda I will show you not only how to spot propaganda in the media but how to understand the original source material that was manipulated


H3089: The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines in Splash Spring 18 (Apr. 07, 2018)
Philosophers since the dawn of time have debated about human nature and what it means to be human. But what if the answer to that question was in our pockets? Or in our homes or schools? What if the answer to our humanity was in computers and all that we've created for them. The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines asks these questions in a practical way to understand our own humanity through the devices we created ourselves. Through a group approach, students set up parameters for discussion and work as a team to understand their own humanity. There are no wrong answers and you set the pace. The more discussion the better the class. This class is truly what you make of it.


E2851: The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines in Sprout Fall 17 (Sep. 30 - Oct. 14, 2017)
Philosophy has always questioned what it means to be human. But what if the answer to that question was in our pockets? What if the answer was staring right in front of us and we didn't even know it. The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines takes a student driven approach to answer the questions existentialism has failed to answer because the answer might just be right in front of us.


H2877: The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines in Splash Fall 17 (Nov. 11, 2017)
Philosophers since the dawn of time have debated about human nature and what it means to be human. But what if the answer to that question was in our pockets? Or in our homes or schools? What if the answer to our humanity was in computers and all that we've created for them. The Talos Principle: Life as Defined by Machines asks these questions in a practical way to understand our own humanity through the devices we created ourselves. Through a group approach, students set up parameters for discussion and work as a team to understand their own humanity. There are no wrong answers and you set the pace. The more discussion the better the class. This class is truly what you make of it.


H2584: The Talos Principal, Life as Defined by Machines in Splash Spring 17 (Apr. 08, 2017)
Ever wonder what makes people, well, people? Ever think about the machines we use and interact with every day and what they think and feel? What makes us different from the machines we invented for our own use? This class will look at machines in the context of societal interaction and the ethical implications of what it means to be called human. The class will be discussion based, with no prerequisites except an open mind.