bot bot bot
So I've been thinking about robots. I guess I mostly feel the same way about robots that I feel about anything associated with representations of The Future- a healthy mix of "I can't wait until that's what life is!" and deep skepticism.
My favourite representations of the future is that wacky machine that will, at the touch of a button, pick up an egg and awkwardly pass it along conveyor belts and mechanized "arms" (accompanied of course by loud bleeps and bloops), crack it into a bowl, fluff with automated beaters, pour into a pan, cook to perfection, and flip the finished product onto a plate. I love the idea that the future will entail that kind of marriage of awkwardness and excess. That's why we love robots, I think. They resonate with us because the part of us that never stops being a kid never stops being amazed at that exact type of frivolity.
But I also think that maybe we love the idea of robots for less rosy reasons too. The pursuit of making robots is kind of all about creating failed humans that are capable of doing everything we do, but still lesser, non-threatening approximations. So we just make them cartoonish and smaller in stature and feel fine about having them do our grunt work. But why is it that we think that if you could take away all the unpleasant tasks we have to do day-to-day that we would be better off? It's not that I think toilet scrubbing is the key to pure enlightenment, but I also don't think it's the thing holding us back from having totally satisfying and meaningful lives.
So I'm left with some questions, and I'm not sure I like what I think the answers are. What would this do to us? Is bringing things into existence so we can have boss them around and feel superior to them a good idea? What kind of qualities would we breed in people if we can make someone/thing else do all our unpleasant things and we never have to do anything we don't want to? Is this all the product of living in a world where there are an ever dwindling number of "real" people it's "okay" to feel superior to and subjugate?
I actually don't really know what I'm trying to say. So in closing:
Totally adorable little humanoid guy.
Robot Companionship. If granny is lonely because no one she loves bothers with her, is C-3PO going to be able to change that? But also a ROBOT SUIT.
Pregnant robot birthing another robot. Holy fuck. The future is now!
My favourite representations of the future is that wacky machine that will, at the touch of a button, pick up an egg and awkwardly pass it along conveyor belts and mechanized "arms" (accompanied of course by loud bleeps and bloops), crack it into a bowl, fluff with automated beaters, pour into a pan, cook to perfection, and flip the finished product onto a plate. I love the idea that the future will entail that kind of marriage of awkwardness and excess. That's why we love robots, I think. They resonate with us because the part of us that never stops being a kid never stops being amazed at that exact type of frivolity.
But I also think that maybe we love the idea of robots for less rosy reasons too. The pursuit of making robots is kind of all about creating failed humans that are capable of doing everything we do, but still lesser, non-threatening approximations. So we just make them cartoonish and smaller in stature and feel fine about having them do our grunt work. But why is it that we think that if you could take away all the unpleasant tasks we have to do day-to-day that we would be better off? It's not that I think toilet scrubbing is the key to pure enlightenment, but I also don't think it's the thing holding us back from having totally satisfying and meaningful lives.
So I'm left with some questions, and I'm not sure I like what I think the answers are. What would this do to us? Is bringing things into existence so we can have boss them around and feel superior to them a good idea? What kind of qualities would we breed in people if we can make someone/thing else do all our unpleasant things and we never have to do anything we don't want to? Is this all the product of living in a world where there are an ever dwindling number of "real" people it's "okay" to feel superior to and subjugate?
I actually don't really know what I'm trying to say. So in closing:
Totally adorable little humanoid guy.
Robot Companionship. If granny is lonely because no one she loves bothers with her, is C-3PO going to be able to change that? But also a ROBOT SUIT.
Pregnant robot birthing another robot. Holy fuck. The future is now!