Humans Emulating Machines: Mimicking Predictive Text Algorithms

There have been several pieces of technology throughout history that have significantly affected individual lives and societies. Yet, no piece of technology has been adopted as quickly by as many people and groups as ChatGPT. ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer; it uses a deep neural network to draw information from large datasets and generate human-like text. In this activity, we are going to engage in a (very) human process of information generation to understand the use of predictive algorithms to generate text in response to a given prompt. Then, we will analyze the consequences of such technology using our sociological perspective

Dramaturgical History: The Roman Triumph

This paper examines an ancient Roman ceremony, the Triumph, and explains the effect this ritual had on Roman civilization during the Empire and the effects it still has on our historical interpretation of that society. Using Erving Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy, I compare the leaders of Rome to actors on a stage playing to an audience. In this paper, I argue that the Triumph, which was a ceremony dedicated to the creation of a “God amongst men” in a conquering general, fueled a reciprocal relationship between the actions of society and the way in which we remember the Empire. Achieving a record in historical texts was the primary goal for those who sought immortality; and to attain this they had to be uncommon in a world of commoners. Thus, the imperialistic drive of Roman leaders was not simply about war, it was about becoming a hero of Rome by stretching their empire as far as possible during their reign. The Triumph was the way in which Roman leaders would make sure that the audience, in a controlled environment, would witness this character created through war