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Search Results for: robot
Perhaps We Shouldn’t Teach Robots After All
We all know the story: humans create robots, robots overthrow humans. It’s a trope almost as old as science fiction itself, first appearing in Karel Capek’s 1920 play R.U.R. (the first work to use the word “robot”), and then in … Continue reading
Posted in artificial intelligence, Could this Happen?, robot, technology
Tagged AGI, ai, artificial intelligence, Asimov, chatbot, deep learning, Elon Musk, Frankenstein, friendly AI, internet, machine learning, microsoft, programming, robot, Tay, terminator, twitter
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Robots Can Get Themselves Together
Replication, including molecular assemblers and nanofactories, while impressive in and of itself, is also the first step to self-replication, an often apocalyptic trope in science fiction. Grey goo is perhaps the most dramatic end-of-days self-replication scenario, involving robots that consume … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged Distributed Flight Array, M-Block, MIT, replication, robots, self-assembly, self-replication
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The Odds of Successfully Mining Asteroids
The Hoth asteroid field, which Han Solo improbably and awesomely navigates, is chock full of asteroids that contain valuable minerals and materials, including platinum. While I doubt there are any exogorths (space slugs) or mynocks (the winged parasites that live … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?, space, technology
Tagged armageddon, asteroid mining, asteroids, deep impact, ESA, JAXA, leviathan wakes, NASA, planetary resources, platinum, resources, star wars, the expanse, water
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Robo-Journalist Wins The Pulitzer
Okay, so that hasn’t happened yet, but the folks over at Narrative Science, a company that has created software that performs “automated narrative generation,” confidently predicts that its computer program will win the coveted prize by 2016. Let’s back up … Continue reading
Posted in robot, technology
Tagged AP, automated insights, computer program, journalism, LA Times, narrative science, New York Times, newspaper, Quakebot, robo-journalism, robots
1 Comment
Exoskeletons, Cyborgs, and Prosthetics—Oh My!
Ellen Ripley’s power-loader, Matt Damon’s Elysium exoskeleton, and Iron Man’s get-up aren’t just fiction anymore. Italy’s Perceptual Robotics Laboratory has created a “body extender” that allows wearers to curl 100 pounds in each hand. Someone who calls himself Hacksmith has … Continue reading
Posted in medicine, technology
Tagged Cybathon, cyborg, Elysium, exoskeleton, Iron Man, Nicolelis, pacemaker, Pistorius, prosthetics
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I, Snowbot
In science fiction, robots perform all kinds of tasks. Sometimes they dictate the fate of humanity, such as in Isaac Asimov’s “Reason,” in which Q-T, a robot with impressive and frustrating existential curiosity, keeps an energy beam steady during an … Continue reading
The Apes Shall Inherit The Earth (Or At Least A Little Piece)
One of the reasons Planet of the Apes resonates so deeply with viewers is the plausibility of its premise. Have you ever seen monkeys up close? Their profound intelligence is clear, and there’s no question we evolved from them. Their … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged animal rights, apes, buenos aires zoo, monkeys, orangutan, PETA, planet of the apes, sentience
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New Man’s War
In John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War, the home planet’s military consists of old folks who join the fight because they have nothing left to lose. Of course, they can’t just battle as is—they need some pretty serious upgrades first. They … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged avatar, captain america, DARPA, old man's war, super soldiers, synthetic organisms, transhumanism
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The Hyperloop: Getting Citizens Out of Southern California at 700 mph
Could This Happen doesn’t really try to predict the future–at this point, there isn’t much I think won’t happen if given enough time. Still, when one of my post on a particular invention or innovation is followed by a major … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
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Pacific Rim’s Jaegers Reflect a Departure from Hollywood Norms
In addition to the question of whether it’s possible to create mecha robots, my Slate piece addresses a cultural “could this happen?” question–namely, could we accept robots as companions rather than competitors?
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged androids, anime, Asimov, Hollywood, jaeger, Japan, jobs, love plus, mecha, pacific rim, replacement, robots, slate
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