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ageofscience

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Aug 11, 2006 16:52

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 ( Read more... )

Comments 16

birdflew August 11 2006, 22:48:32 UTC

My dad is a robotics engineer, so to make it seem like I'm interested I read about robots sometimes. Here's a video of my favourite robot being bullied around: Ballbot

ageofscience August 12 2006, 15:47:30 UTC

To make it SEEM like you're interested? We should all be so lucky to have parents where that's the most boring job thing they talk about!

Jill, I'll totally fill in for you any time your dad wants a daughter who likes talking about robots.

Also, ballbot is totally adorable!

nowliexinit August 12 2006, 01:57:30 UTC

The egg thing, I know I've seen that before. It was a tv show or a movie when we were kids, but I can't remember!

Also

I mean this in the nicest way possible, but it's become obvious we need to get you back into academia as soon as possible ;)

ageofscience August 12 2006, 15:45:21 UTC

The egg thing is in so many movies but I can never remember what any of them are!

And yeah, I don't disagree with you at all! I WANT TO TALK THEORY SO BAD!

nowliexinit August 12 2006, 16:02:45 UTC

I just finished summer school, 3 weeks off before it starts again!

I forgot how much fun/easy sociology is! I got a A+ on Sociology of Terrorism paper, wasn't enough of a challenge though =(

lovelustkill August 12 2006, 03:19:50 UTC

i work with robots all day :(
they're not really that exciting.

nowliexinit August 12 2006, 03:32:51 UTC

That's 'cause they don't party till all the carbon-based life forms leave.

ivytheadventure August 14 2006, 22:13:01 UTC

werd.

ageofscience August 12 2006, 15:48:10 UTC

If they were little adorable humanoids that talked to you, I bet you'd feel differently!

brokensound01 August 12 2006, 15:54:12 UTC

do not listen to Kristin and Marc, robots are a) a valid part of academia, and b) very exciting! of course you already know this.

i've done a lot of reading on this subject, about everything from your standard factory robots that Kristin works with to cyborgs to the refrigerator. thinking about the future is fun, and scary too.

you've probably heard of actor-network theory?

this is scary! a robot with agency! it's complex but it basically argues that robots (and all other forms of technology and nonhuman entities in general) already possess a relative amount of agency and that because of this we need to examine robots and humans on the same terms - i.e. that we're all actors within a network who function with one another to make that network work.

i don't necessarily buy it, but it's one of my favourite sociological theories out there.

ageofscience August 16 2006, 23:44:57 UTC

I totally don't know actor-network theory. This will be the thing I research tonight! It seems like something I will find FASCINATING!

In any case, the main things I pull out of your comment are as follows:
1. Why aren't you coming to York too so we can hang out and talk about robots?
2. Please come to York too so we can hang out and talk about robots.

brokensound01 August 17 2006, 01:25:37 UTC

hey do your phd there and maybe, just maybe it will happen.

a_clear_job August 14 2006, 11:58:45 UTC

fascinating topic. imo, the concept of robots is a revisitation of the quintessential desire to be "the creator" and "the controller" (i.e., a god). think of pygmalion. or gepeto and pinnochio. you're right, the desire is to have something less threatening. something without freewill and soul.

a_clear_job August 14 2006, 15:41:17 UTC

as a tie-in between this post and your previous post about anatomy, you would have loved the "machinery of man" exhibit that took place at the national art gallery about 9 years ago. one of my first discoveries of Fuseli (specifically, my second actual exposure to his work - having already seen a full-on Fuseli exhibit - but my first exposure to many of his anatomically-interesting drawings and etchings).

i like this image a lot ["Zephyros, the West Wind" (1813-1816)]:

( ... )

ageofscience August 16 2006, 23:48:12 UTC

Lately I keep running across all these reasons to reread childhood classics. Just today I was thinking about how Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is also kind of fascinating in this regard. But Pinocchio! Yes! Totally!

But yeah, it just strikes me as really problematic to try to feed that God impetus? Maybe? I don't think people generally deal well with weilding that kind of power.

a_clear_job August 17 2006, 02:02:18 UTC

But yeah, it just strikes me as really problematic to try to feed that God impetus? Maybe? I don't think people generally deal well with weilding that kind of power.

heheh. in the words of sage francis, "I don't have a God complex - you got a simple God" :P