God, human, animal, machine : technology, metaphor, and the search for meaning / Meghan O'Gieblyn.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [275]-287)

Image -- Pattern -- Network -- Paradox -- Metonymy -- Algorithm -- Virality.

"For most of human history the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our understanding. Ever since Descartes's division of mind and body, though, science tamed much that had seemed divine or supernatural. And it also forced us to ask whether our own consciousness - our souls - we in fact illusions. Facing the relentless advancement of modern technology, with artificial intelligences surpassing our comprehension and control, concepts that have long been considered to set human apart and define them as such - intelligence, self-awareness, creativity - have been destabilized. An urgent rethinking of human identity and the core questions of existence is long overdue. Meghan O'Gieblyn tackles this challenge with intellectual rigor, verve, and an ironic sense of contradiction. As a former religious believer still haunted by questions of faith, she draws deeply and sometimes humorously from her own experience and serves as the best possible guide to navigating this new and uncharted technological terrain."--book jacket.