Daniel P. Hurley

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

Computer Science Professor, 1986-present
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California 90405
Courses taught: Statistics, Precalculus, PreAlgebra, Algebra, Introduction to Computers, C, C++, FORTRAN, Data Structures, Visual Basic, Assembly, Operating Systems, Pascal, and Java.

Computer Science Professor, 1984-1986
Antelope Valley College
Lancaster, California 93534
Courses taught: Introduction to Computers, BASIC, Pascal, Data Structures, Assembly and Computer Mathematics.

Part-time Instructor, 1982-1984,1986
California State University, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California 90032
Courses taught: Calculus, Algebra, Elementary Mathematics for Teachers, and BASIC.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

Master of Arts, Humanities, 1998
Master of Science, Applied Mathematics, 1984
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, 1981

Coursework in Mathematics
Set Theory, Complex Analysis, Numerical Analysis, Matrix Theory, Linear Programming, Group Theory, Probability, Statistics, Linear Analysis, Calculus of Variations, and Differential Equations (Ordinary, Partial, and Non-linear).

Coursework in Computer Science
FORTRAN, BASIC, COBOL, Pascal, PDP-11 Assembly, Networks, Discrete Structures, Relational Data Bases, Systems Architecture, Data Structures, and Automata Theory.

Interests Include: The future of computing/humanity, psychology, philosophy, and travel (The Bahamas, India, Thailand, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, England, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Spain, Argentina, Hungary, Canada, Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, New York, New Mexico, Yosemite  National Park, Everglades National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Carlsbad National Park, Guadalupe National Park, Zion National Park, Denali National Park  ...)

References upon request

HAL 9000 is an AI computer that runs the whole ship. In the movie it is mainly represented as a red camera eye with a soft toned male voice. It is told in the movie that Hal was made in 1992 and is supposedly incapable of error. Hal is truly a great example of artificial intelligence possessing even the ability to appraise art which is often contributed to human feelings rather than logic. It also expresses other feelings such as doubt, fear, and insecurity. In fact Hal seemed to be more human than the human crew members, who were rather monotone. Hal is considered a villain in the movie; however, I cannot help but sympathize with it. I think this movie, particularly this segment, raises many moral questions. It is hard to say whether HAL was wrong or right in its actions; was it responsible for the murder of other crew members on the same level as another human would be? I am still not certain if its actions were completely based on fear of being shut down or as a logical response to save the mission. This situation in a way reminds me of an episode from a BBC TV show Doctor Who, Girl in the Fireplace. In that episode the lead stumbles upon a ship that has robots responsible for repair. The robots ultimate objective is maintaining the ship in working condition. Therefore when the ship broke and they were out of parts they used crew members to replace the missing parts thud killing everyone on board. In our eyes its wrong but for robots with just one objective and no human morals was there a fault? I find myself drawing connections between repair robots and HAL and end up sympathizing with it. It is not clear if Hal, despite it seeming ability to feel, had the morals that bind humans in society. And if its ultimate objective was the success of the mission was it really at fault? But discounting the morality of HAL the whole concept behind it is very interesting. In our last homework we became acquaintance with a mini version of AI, Alice. It was much more limited than Hal in its speech; nevertheless it’s a great step toward the future. I find it rather sad that the general public is often doubtful and fearful of artificial intelligence. I think it is largely due to the media in which AI is always portrayed as evil. There is no movie I know that had AI and did not use it as a villain. This negative image, in my opinion, stunts the public growth of technology and sows doubt in public mind. I find the concept of AI very fascinating and hope to see more advancement in the future. Places I have visited (so far!)