Filmmakers, photographers, and artists have long been fascinated by the idea of artificial women that seem alive. The Stepford Wives, Lara Croft, the latest in Japanese female robots look so real they can easily fool the eye. Professor Julie Wosk of SUNY Maritime College showcases colorful images of female robots, androids, talking dolls, mannequins, and other artificial women ranging from early automatons to lifelike female heroines in today’s video games. These images tell a startling tale of changing attitudes toward science and toward women themselves. The virtual women also raise provocative new questions: How do these images reveal men’s fantasies and fears about women? What happens when we can no longer tell the difference between an artificial woman (or man) and a real one? This event was held by the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at Cooper Union.

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