Star Trek Science
One of the great things about owning a game store is that there are so many nerds to talk to. (I mean that as a compliment, being an actual nerd myself.) Often in the past (working in "the world"), when I would read about some incredible breakthrough in robotics or genetic manipulation or communication technology, I would be unable to share my thoughts with my coworkers--"norms" that they are. However, in a game store, you can say things like "it's like that episode of Star Trek" and no one will give you that who-are-you look.
So today, I was showing the Hanson Robotics website to someone and it just launched a whole conversation about things that had once been science fiction that are now science fact.
Like, intelligent, self-aware androids. I am fascinated by that whole idea. Can man actually create a sentient life? What, then, is the relationship between man and machine? How might that relationship evolve? What becomes of the relationship between man and God?Do androids dream of electric sheep?
Seriously. I wonder about something Jules said in one of the youtube videos Hanson Robotics posted. He wonders if he will dream when he is shut down.
Yeah. Yeah. I've read a book. That's a pretty well-known cliche'. And, of course, they purposely scripted that question in, in the video. But I wonder. I wonder if Jules did dream while he was being shipped to England. And what he dreamed. And if he didn't dream, what he felt. And if he didn't feel anything, what he thought when he first powered on again.
I wonder if he would experience the same kind of deja vu that I sometimes get when I find myself in a dream situation I've experience before. I wonder if he would feel the same way I feel when I wake up in the living room after I've been sleepwalking. I wonder if he would have that momentary confusion when he is trying to figure out what is the last thing he remembers doing?
If the goal is to make a self-aware, feeling robot, then I suppose when you can answer these questions, you know you've succeeded.
So today, I was showing the Hanson Robotics website to someone and it just launched a whole conversation about things that had once been science fiction that are now science fact.
Like, intelligent, self-aware androids. I am fascinated by that whole idea. Can man actually create a sentient life? What, then, is the relationship between man and machine? How might that relationship evolve? What becomes of the relationship between man and God?
Seriously. I wonder about something Jules said in one of the youtube videos Hanson Robotics posted. He wonders if he will dream when he is shut down.
Yeah. Yeah. I've read a book. That's a pretty well-known cliche'. And, of course, they purposely scripted that question in, in the video. But I wonder. I wonder if Jules did dream while he was being shipped to England. And what he dreamed. And if he didn't dream, what he felt. And if he didn't feel anything, what he thought when he first powered on again.
I wonder if he would experience the same kind of deja vu that I sometimes get when I find myself in a dream situation I've experience before. I wonder if he would feel the same way I feel when I wake up in the living room after I've been sleepwalking. I wonder if he would have that momentary confusion when he is trying to figure out what is the last thing he remembers doing?
If the goal is to make a self-aware, feeling robot, then I suppose when you can answer these questions, you know you've succeeded.
posted by Patwoman | 6:00 PM
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