Friday, March 22, 2013
Pure Science Fiction?
Based upon your recent reading of articles regarding science and technology developments, what connections or observations can you make about your read article(s) and the concepts and stories we have read or viewed? Please complete this blog response in class today, March 22nd, 2013.
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We have begun to read stories in class about robots, and creations of artificial intelligence gone too far. I found an article about a robot whose purpose in "life" is to separate the cream from the cookie of an oreo. With all the fine detail work gone into this robot, I think maybe this robot would be of better use defusing bombs and pulling orphaned children from burning buildings, all the while writing the newest Tween reading hit. Here is the article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.geekosystem.com/fourth-oreo-separating-machine/
The articles were about us making technology that we mostly read in Science Fiction stories. Some of these articles were about technology and the new stuff we could do with it. There was a suit that enhanced the body so you could do more activities. These concepts are a lot like the concepts we read in our Science Fiction stories.
ReplyDeleteScience and Science Fiction are connected heavily. The Cell Phone was inspired by Star Trek, in a self fulfilling invention prophecy. Inventors are inspired by the media, and media is inspired by current inventions and extrapolation. Ideas that seem far fetched to some are inspiration for others.
ReplyDeleteIn the articles of new science and technology, robots are very popular for people to create. In Frankenstein the man create this creature from different peoples body parts and he became afraid of this thing. I feel that someday people will create a robot that is so advanced and is capable thinking for itself that they will fear this creation.
ReplyDeleteI recently read an article in Popular Science about an iPad-controlled robot bartender. The accompanying video demonstrated the still glitchy design which doesn't quite seem to resemble a human bartender. The robot's movements are not as smooth and swift as a human's, which seems to contradict what we have read in previous stories. Technology also has the tendency to freeze or stop working all together, but humans can continue mixing drinks for an extended period of time. Many of the stories we have read in here have taught us that robots are extremely human-like, however, this "bartender" can only mix cocktails.
ReplyDeleteWe have been studying the Frankenstein complex, which we defined as the fear of what we can create. Many of the articles I found were interesting in regards to the technology but some of the products seem to have no general need, like a robotic bird. Other products like a robot doctor discussed in the article, FDA Approves First Robot For Hospital Use, get rid of the one on one contact most patients seem to be used to. This article raises a lot of questions, like what if there is a glitch in the system and the robot shuts down during a surgery, or what if the robot cannot recognize some of the symptoms a patient may be experiences? While our technology is meant to help us it seems like we are becoming too dependent on the things we have created if we are replacing human doctors with robotic doctors controlled by iPads.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these articles about all the different types of technology that are advancing it makes me feel like the more robots and things that are invented will keep advancing because so many new inventions have came out that are helpful to us and I believe that because of the way that new things are coming out and are way more advanced and help us to do more things that we couldn't do before, they will keep coming out and being way more advanced and that could be good but I think it also could be not good because things are getting so advanced that it could cause fear to people just because they aren't very experienced with being around robots or having robots around which can cause people to be afraid of what else could be coming out. In the story " Man charged for shooting a robot" it is scary that they are making robots so over advanced and are making robots a top things it amazes me that they are so advanced now and are being taking so seriously now, and I think too seriously.
ReplyDeleteObservations and connections I've made regarding the concepts and stories we've discussed, is that technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, robots are becoming more human-like. The article I read, "Synthetic, Self-Healing Skin That's Sensitive To The Touch" presents technology in which, "a breakthrough that could be the beginnings of a new kind of robot skin." This could be a great representation of the Frankenstein theory, as robots become more and more humanoid, I think society will fear how advanced our technology has become.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like to me that the scientists are trying to make robots to human like. I think its good that they are expeirementing and looking into this more. I just fear that it might get out of control and back fire on them. The technology is advancing so fast i want us to be aware of what we are creating before it gets bad.
ReplyDeleteI looked at an article where humans are trying to get robots to have feelings. I dont really know if this is a good idea because once robots start to pick and choose sides it creates problems. Those feelings they have could possibly do harm to certain people or things based on those feelings. If this does happen then all the writers we have been talking about will be right. There predictions would have been accurate about how when you give robots feelings there can be bad things that happen, maybe even potentially good things as well.
ReplyDeleteIn the articles of New Science and Technology, robots are becoming a very popular thing for people to create due to what they are capable of doing to help humanity. There was a Dog robot that was able to stand and throw a block all most a good 5 feet behind it with less effort. Even though the robots movements were not that smooth it still hurled the block far enough that it broke on impact with the ground. Basically robots will become the next new thing on the block as long as there's a reason for them then we will have people keep creating them.
ReplyDeleteA connection that I see between the stories and the real world is that the frankenstein concept is based on the fear of what man create, and man creates robots. Does man really know how to handle these robots? My primary example is from the movie Irobot. One robot was given emotions, given dreams, and he became an accused killer. There will always be people who don't trust our technology no matter how convienient it really is.
ReplyDeleteI read an article in Popular Science about a robotic suit that helps the elderly or physically disabled move around easier. It sounds nice at first but then the article mentions a little about military inventions with a similar idea. This relates to the stories we've read because this invention could become dangerous in the wrong hands. Also, the mention of military creating similar suits to this could be the destruction of humanity. As this product seems harmless, I'm sure the military version isn't and that's where the Frankenstein complex relates to this invention.
ReplyDeleteI have read the popular science article "man charged for shooting robot" showing a great example of the frankenstein complex. It shows a great example because people are now becoming afraid, of robots and what they will possibly do to you, and are defending themselves against robots.
ReplyDeleteI recently found an app that when held up, it will display whatever the user is pointing the phone at's wikipedia article. For example if I looked at Arapahoe High School through my phones camera my phone would display its article. I am very interested in things like this and would like to have something like it. I do not see how this could be a bad thing, aside from people using an app like it while driving or not noticing things that happen around them like when they text, but problems like that are negligible to benefits technology like this presents.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "Text Messages Could Include Your Animated Face, Looking Frustrated" was about how instead of just siri doing commands for you, there will now be an animated face that you can program what to say through text messaging. You can adjust the emotions to whatever you want, whether you want her to express a lot of emotion or very little, angry or happy, panicked or sad. Soon after that you will be able to program it so your face and voice appear. I thought that this was pretty cool so people know the tone you're trying to type in.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-03/talking-head-could-let-you-send-texts-featuring-your-frustrated-face
All these articles really relate to the Frankenstein Complex. Technology is developing at an exponential rate and it just keeps becoming more and more advanced. For instance, there is a robot named BigDog which is now capable of running 28 mph and is able to hurl a cinderblock. That in itself is a bit terrifying, just the immense power these creatures we created already have. Yet this fear of our creations can't dominate our thinking, as there are also plenty of other robots that are benifiting humans. For instance the robotic suit that can help people who have extreme trouble moving.
ReplyDeleteThere are many new pieces of technology that are coming out. Advanced electronics that bring data just at the sight of something. In the stories we have read. Many of them gave images of great and wonderful technologies. Although not all of them would be seen that way. The stuff of science fiction today is tomorrows reality. From our stories to today we see that. Things such as radar, or video calling. And now we see more advancements. Things that in the past, people would only dream about. They are slowly becoming the reality.
ReplyDeleteI read an article involving a patient talking with their doctor via an Ipad-robot. Although this technology may make doctors offices more efficient and convenient, I feel that the accuracy of diagnosing illnesses will decrease. If the doctor is physical unable to examine the patient, then they cannot get a true analysis in order to correctly diagnose the illness. I also think that a doctor's liability will increase due to the added risk of complications. Although the overall technology may seem like I good idea, I don't think it will take off and be around in 10 years.
ReplyDeleteIn the articles I read, the new technology is rapidly doing everything for us. There is the Hal Robot that improves the efficiency of moving. This could help the elderly or possibly even victims of paralysis, but a fear could be that it takes over our bodies or even becomes so advance that we can't control them.
ReplyDeleteI read an article in Popular science about a robotic dog throwing a cider block across a room. It looks cool and all but what happens when that cinder block is being thrown at you. We have read about the fear of our own creation's in Frankenstein and it could definatly show with this robot.
ReplyDeleteThe article that stood out to me most was the one about a information system for robots of the future. the article disccused having a "cloud" of information that robots will upload their knowledge to, so that other robots can access this information. For example a hospital robot can upload its floor plan so that a vacuum robot knows were to clean. This can be both an excellent invention that has the capabilities of helping people, but also very dangerous. My biggest concern is information getting into the wrongs hands, such as the floor plan of one's house accessed by a theif. All in all though this can be a very excellent invention used for good.
ReplyDeleteThe article I read about is "Watch PR2 Robot 'Learn' How to Smartly Position An Unstable Object" It says that since a human hand has not yet been able to recreate, they are now using dimensions and algorithm to place an object accurately. The robot uses their mistakes to then find the exact angles it needs to go to set the unstable object up standing. Although it doesn't recreate true human actions, I think we are getting closer and closer to get where we might have talked about in these stories. So what are we trying to achieve with all of this technology? It seems that we are not too far off from a robot that can think and act like a human.
ReplyDeleteThe science advancements and technologies we read about online connect significantly to the concepts we have learned about in science fiction. Many of the articles were about robots. Inventors seem to have a fasination with them along with science fiction writers. Their is always that idea that they could one day turn on us and over take our abilities. This idea is solely based on science. I read an article about a robot that had real living cells, that is getting pretty advanced. The article explains how they were trying to get the robot to help using surgery. I feel this is very risky and controversial. We need to perfect our abilities, rather then creating something to do it for us.
ReplyDeleteThe scientific advancements we read about online connect directly to the concepts we are diving into right now. The technology i looked at seems to have a common goal of making our lives easier through technology, much like in EPICAC where a super computer built to win wars for us was built. Yet in the story the computer strays from his originally reason for being built and instead tries to become more human like. This idea scares me as i believe we do not know about the technology we are creating now and the ramifications it could have against us in the long run, if we make them so much smarter than us then they could overtake us one day.
ReplyDeleteIn popular science, there were a lot of inventions that surprised me with how advanced they were. I think that if we continue to advance the things that we create, we have to potential to create something that could think for itself. When that happens, i thin we have created something that should be feared.
ReplyDelete