• Science

    Robot Love

    By M. Farbman Posted on 3.10.2009 5 Comments

    "Socially interactive" robots are being developed that can interact naturally with people, such as turning toward a person to give the impression of paying attention. The goal is to have such machines perform assistive tasks from hugging to encouraging stroke victims to perform important exercises or children with autism to imitate behavior. Researchers designing what such robots will look like also have to avoid the "uncanny valley" -- a phrase based on the idea that people are most comfortable with robots that look either completely human, or identifiably not human. Also in today's links: blaming quants, mapping science, imaging religion, and more.

    3.11.2009 at 11:42am - Comment by rockfireborn2

    Hello All companies that develop antonymous machines have alternate hidden agendas usually military backed. The Honda ASIMO is in various designs and sizes as well,automated factories can probably produce thousands in a week just in time for the next war on the poor nation that can not defend them selves.Just imagine,poor sport bots that self destruct when programmed to.I wonder how much HE can be packed in the payload compartment? I'm not a fatalist but I have common sense ! Regards.scared stiff

  • Science

    In Defense of the LHC

    By Posted on 3.18.2009 23 Comments

    Today’s most ambitious scientific instruments are modern-day cathedrals in their size and complexity, if not in their purpose—these are, after all, structures built to shatter worldviews, not to reinforce them. And the grandest of all, pictured on these pages and fired into action today, will take us on a journey to one of the least-accessible places imaginable: the realm of quantum particles, less than a billionth the size of a single atom.

    3.10.2009 at 12:50pm - Comment by rockfireborn2

    Everything that has not been proven in a lab over and over many times is nothing more than a theory an idea with merit. I don't know key word knowledge) about how the LHC will be able to create enough gravity in such a small area of space to enable the creation of a sub miniature black hole the most destructive force in nature. I always imagined that black holes were a gateway to another dimension a rip in space time I guess string theory would come into play. (key word theory) I believe in our global scientific community that they are in the pursuit of facts not theories to better the knowledge of human kind,and to what cost well it does not outweigh the benefits such as maybe the ability to send heavy weight payloads into orbit and beyond with the discovery of anti gravity or the ability to generate gravity wells to propel crafts to the speed of 99% of light. Maybe new cancer fighting medicines. The cost of such marvelous discoveries does not out weight the human cost if not discovered in the near future. Good day.



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