“Technology and the human person” series will explore tough questions

From cloning and genetic manipulation to virtual reality and artificial intelligence, new technological developments promise radical changes in our understanding of what it means to be human.

In a lecture and discussion series this month and next, visiting scholars doing path-breaking work in fields as various as sociology, theology, law, politics, philosophy and computer science will assess some of the benefits, dangers and challenges that rapid advances in digital and biotechnology present to the human experience. Programs, open to the public, will be held Feb. 7, 28 and March 28. Each session begins at 5:30 p.m. and consists of two lectures followed by a panel discussion.

The colloquium is sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and several U.Va. departments and centers.

The schedule and speakers are listed online at: www.virginia.edu/iasc/colloquia.html.