Walden (Or, Life In The Woods) by Henry David Thoreau

Walden (Or, Life In The Woods) by Henry David Thoreau is one of my favorite novels of all times. I came across it in my junior year of high school in AP English III, when we read an essay from it in our AP text book. The essay reflected many thoughts that were similar to quite a few of my thoughts on technology at the time, so I thought I would go out and by the book for a summer reading. I’ve never read the entire book at once, but I have skipped through and read chunks throughout the book that seemed interesting at the time, some of which I have purposely reread up to four times because I enjoy it that much. I fell in love with this book, and it actually inspired me to take this class in the first place, so I figured I would share it with you guys in a blog post as a book I recommend for those who enjoy topics related to the ethics of technology, or anybody who has enjoyed the more current discussions in this class. This is because the novel shows many ideologies similar to those of the more classic philosophies of technology we have been discussing in class, while giving close up real life examples from the period of Industrialization that can easily relate to and show the intensity of these effects in modern society.

This novel is actual a collection of journal entries from Henry David Thoreau which he wrote during a retreat. This “retreat” was actually an escape from a society that he saw was falling apart to the extent that life was losing meaning. Thoreau discusses the effects he has seen technology have on society since Industrialization, and how technology was beginning to have the ability to control lives of individuals. He points out specific examples of people trying to make their lives better with technology but instead piling of complications and slowly taking away meaning of life. He decides to take a retreat in the woods living a simplistic lifestyle to find out what it really means to live.

Quotes from Walden, Or Life In The Woods:

 

 “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.” 

"It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which we morally can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts."

Heideggar

According to Heideggar the greatest danger is that we lose human beings into resources. He saw the danger of technology in terms of the human domination and exploitation of all beings by instrumental means. The essence of technology is not technological to Heideggar, but yet more of a way of being. To some degree I can follow these beliefs. In the world we live in today it is like we can not let anyone or anything just be itself. We are constantly putting constraints on people and coming up with new ideas or gadgets trying to improve what already is which can cause stress and controversy. If we would sometimes just let things stand as is then we might find more comfort in our own lives.

Heideggar

Heideggar talks about humans and losing them to different resources. He claims that this is the greatest danger and I can see where he is coming from. Technology often leads to exploitation of human beings and we are constantly putting constraints on them. The important part of his point to me is the idea that people are constantly trying to improve what already is good and advanced. In some points this is good but in others it is not necessary. But these individuals that come up with this new technology dominate others and dominate the actual technology that is made available to the world. We have no idea what technology is actually available to everyone until it actually comes out. This is all something that we have to think about.

Robotic Pets

The other day in class... we were discussing robotic pets and how they are becoming more prevalent in our society. Although to some these may seem nothing more than just harmless children's toys, there are many people who would argue that these "pets" are slowly blurring the lines between robots and humans as Turkle suggested in the second chapter of her book.

What is the problem about this? As just suggested, there are many fears that these sorts of toys are not teaching our kids how to take care of pets, but instead, are teaching are kids that animals do not have emotions and no matter how much you abuse them, they will still get up, and keep doing what you want.

Another fear is that kids will not be able to tell the difference between animals and robots, and treat a robotic toy that loses power in its batteries as a pet dog dying.... what if children became more emotionally invested in a machine than a real animal? What if future generations become more invested in robots and robotic companions that they are unable to become emotionally invested in each other?

I know its a large stretch, and it seems pretty ridiculous, but the more I read Turkle's book the more I am being slowly convinced that this is a possible future we may be heading into...

robotic pets

On the idea of people having a pet, that really isnt alive i think it totally depends on the situation. If a young child wants a tomogatchi or a furby i dont think that is much of an issue. that could be used as an educaitonal experience to teach them. or even with adults who are allergic to pets getting robots. that all seems to be okay with me

the problem then arises when people like to be human qualities in anything that resembles a human. they think that the robot can actually think and has feelings just as we do. if you think about it, most of us do that. why is that? I dont have a for sure answer but if i had to say it seems like people just want someone to listen to them. Same idea with pets. People know they have no clue what theyre saying but every once in awhile its nice to have someone sit and listen without getting any back talk.

Subtle Analogy in Class Video

The video we watched in class Thursday, February 21, 2013 mentioned a trial from Auschwitz concentration camps in which the man’s excuse for not worrying about or helping the people being thrown in the ovens and burning to death was because he didn’t have time to worry about it, because he was focused on keeping the oven working, and because one little person couldn’t have done anything about it anyways. The man in the video says that is completely irresponsible, and that the man on trial let something terrible happen because his one and only goal was to attend to the needs of technology. The man in the video also makes a subtle comment afterwards, saying that this kind of irresponsibility is common in our society, and then gloomy pictures of the environment were shown to end the video. I was very happy with the subtle analogy being made.
What he was trying to get across to the viewers is that completely irresponsible behavior is going on in every day life to this day, but in more indirect ways. The environment has been completely torn to shreds because of highways, rushes to build bigger cities, exhaust gases, mining, chemicals, and many more common activities of today’s third world countries, and nobody thinks a think about it, because their only concern is accomplishing their tasks, which are often tasks brought on by the cycles of society brought on by the obsession with efficiency and technological advancements. Not only are people living in poor, unhealthy conditions as a result of this, and sometimes even dying, but the amount of pollution, deforestation, and destruction of the environment altogether is completely absurd, and the excuse for everyone not joining together and fixing the problem is that they don’t have time in their busy lives, and because no one person could stop it anyways.

 

Top Ten Causes of Environmental Damage:

http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2012/01/top-10-causes-of-environmental-damage/

 

Top 10 Most Polluted Locations, and Common Causes:

http://environment.about.com/od/pollution/a/top_10_polluted.htm

 

Ellul

With Ellul, we saw that machines or gadgets are not what he thinks of as technology. Ellul sees technology as a technique, a way of life reflected in a machine. This viewpoint of technology is a whole way of life and we cannot see the impact because it is so vital. The efficiency of this technique or technology shapes our ideas and social values. I would agree with Ellul. We use technology to make our life easier and we have become so wrapped around the concept of technology and how much easier it has made our lives, that we now begin to think of every aspect of life as being as efficient as possible, and that often times will involve technology.

On the Required Reading

Reading Pierro Scaruffi's thoughts on Artificial Intelligence there was one part that stood out to me. He said, "Furthermore, there's the meaning of action. The children who play soccer actually enjoy it. They scream, they are competitive, they cry if they lose, they can be mean, they can be violent. There is passion in what we do. Will an android that plays decent soccer in 3450 (that's a realistic date in my opinion) also have all of that?" For me this is the fundamental and powerful difference between robots and humans that make them unacceptable as replacements for humans in certain aspects of our lives. A robot can perform the function but there is no menaing behind what they do. Robots can perform the behaviors of emotions or someone who loves you but they do not actually feel those things or understand why they do them. Part of the human expereince is sharing emotions with other people, the reciprocity of that situation is important and with a robot you do not receive that.

Pet Robot-Dog in Chevy Commercial

I was at the movie theatres the other day standing in line at the concessions stand when I noticed a television screen on the wall for people in line to watch. As odd as I thought this was, probably only because I don’t watch much television and I don’t see why so many people spend as much time watching it as they do, I watched it anyways when I was standing in line because I didn’t have anyone standing in line with me to talk to. Once again, since I don’t watch much television, I don’t know if this commercial is common or not, but I saw a commercial that made a clear connection with some of our discussions in class for which I will have the think provided below. It was a car commercial where when the car stops, a robot dog is sitting in the back with the child, and he sticks his head out the window and interacts with a deer. Although I’m sure the robot dog was not the main thing being advertised in the commercial, the fact that people are comfortable enough with the idea and the fact that people also feel as if robots are now common enough, to replace pets even in advertisements caught my attention.
Not only that, but I found it also very interesting that not only are the humans accepting this robot dog so easily as if it is a real pet, but the deer the robot dog interacts with seems to be interested in it, but also seems to regard it as another animal. To me, this symbolizes an acceptance of technology into nature, and in a way it does seem like that’s an underlying theme of the commercial, because they’re trying to convince you that the car rides so smooth and is so quite that it won’t even disturb nature, because the deer comes right up to the car. The commercial, in a way, is portraying technology as something that is conforming to nature, which in my opinion is very contradicting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruZArNGgZ1Q

A.I. Reflection

After watching A.I. I found myself wondering not so much if technology like this was around or if we were capable of creating human robots, rather, I was more intrigued as to why we would create something like this. David proves countless times throughout the movie that he can't understand human emotion and love. This to me can become very dangerous and really is a road I would rather not explore. Don't get me wrong, I am all for the advancement of technology and even robotics. Robotics have proved to be invaluable, especially in the medical and assembly line industries. Where I draw the line though is where robotics and artificial intelligence are used to create human robots.

I believe that to create a robot that can fully understand and interact with a real human beings mind and emotions is simply impossible. There can be an unlimited amount of information and intelligence installed and stored into a robots hard drive but there can never be a substitute for real human emotion and feelings. Human life can be hard enough as it is, there is no reason to complicate things with the development of human robots; this is just going to throw a wrench into the machine.

Furby Infatuation

Dr. Langguth brought in his daughters Furby to class to raise the question of is this toy alive or not?  My initial reaction is of course not it is a battery operated toy.  But that is not how most children think.  As Turkle discusses in her book, children build such a strong connection with this toy that they go as far as wanting to "perform surgery" on it when the batteries die. This attachment to an inanimate object is very interesting.  Are these kids latching on to this toy because it gives them the attention they wish their loved ones would give them?  Or do they really, truly believe that it is real?  I found it interesting too that if you were to place a barbie upside down and a Furby, most people would flip the Furby right side up first simply because you can hear it complain or sound in distress.  If we can develop sentimental feelings for a simple robot as a Furby, imagine the attachment to a robot that looks and sounds like a human.

Kant

I found it interesting that Kant felt like maybe there is a process by nature to a perpetual peace, that in spite of ourselves we might eventually reach this peace. I think that humans are constanly learning and in battle with ourselves and society to fulfill our "role" given to us by society and once we feel like we have fulfilled our role we might find peace in ourselves. These conflicts shape us into who we are as a person which could detour us or lead us down a different path. Maybe this is what Kant was thinking about when mentioning nature as that process to perpetual peace.

Ellul

I really like Ellul's sociological perspective on technology. The examples he provided in the video of heart transplants technology (which is good) but is fed by the negative consequence of car accidents. He has a  very good point. Both theology and sociology study how progress leads to devastating consequences for others. More technology has led to an ailing environment and technological progress often comes at the expense of workers who make wages barely enough to live on. Before this class I had not thought of technological progress as negative in any way, but I am beginning to see that it does have clear negative consequences.

Furbies and Human Interaction

Today in class Dr. Langguth brought his daughter's Furby to our class. At first it was somewhat charming and funny to watch, and it is easy to see why children would attach to these creature-like toys. This is similar to what Turkle discussed, how children see the toy as a real pet they can interact with and develop a relationship with. However, I found it annoying how you can't turn it off, just like you cannot turn off a real pet. The difference is that one you know when to feed, but the toy Furby is more unpredictable and can turn evil if you feed it too much. I think that these toys are not teaching children how to develop relationships, but rather to rely more on their electronic toys, which can create addictions to electronic means of entertainment instead of promoting human interaction.

Alive or Not

Turkle talks about a toy referred to as a Furby. She talks about how children now feel that these things are acutely alive because of how real they seem. These things "need" various things or else they show a sort of emotion, similar to what a human might do. When I was a kid I had a Furby, but not nearly as advanced as the ones now a days. It still needed various things like the one now but not as much emotion was involved. I also had a tamagotchi growing up. These had to be fed and bathed and things and if they weren't taken care of correctly they would die and the game would start over. When mine would die, I would say it died it I wouldn't actually think it died like a human would die. These children that Turkle talks about would describe the Furby as alive and capable of love and death. 

I think that this is alarming for the future. If children can't distinguish between alive and not alive, the world is in trouble. 

"Alive Enough"

 The second chapter of "Alone Together" explores concepts such a robotic pets like Furbys or robotic dogs. If these toys are to evoke emotional responses from children, and appear to need care and affection, then are they essentially “alive”?  Whether the child is acting as teacher or a playmate to his/her Furby, he/she becomes attached to the robot to the point where if it dies, it loses all appeal, despite being able to be reset.  

However, this emotional and psychological response does not just apply to children. She conducted an experiment where the participants would hold the Furby upside down for as long as they wanted.  Even though the Furby has no emotions and is not living, most people could not hold the Furby upside down for very long before their emotions caused them to turn it back over.  If robots such as Furbys can already make us feel for them, it seems as though we are only waiting for the day when robots become better companions and confidants than real people. Will people start to rely more on computer generated “perfect” responses than the actual experience of other people, despite the potential for flaws and biases? And if so, is that bad? 

Alive or Not? From a Different Perspective

Here are my thoughts on the second chapter of Turkle. technology has been at a steep incline since the 1970's and every year more and more amazing things come out for both fun and necessities. Turkle speaks of two major machines that children believe are alive: Furby and Tamogotchi. I owned both a Furby and a tamogotchi, so I want to express the similarities from my own experiences with the stories in Turkle's book. One, Turkle says that children believe that these things were partly alive and children often got emotionally attached to the machines.

My tamogotchi was not a "pet" to me. I played with my tamogotchi for a long time but i never felt an emotional attachment to it. I had no pets at the time either so it was the closest thing to a pet I had, yet no feelings of remorse came over me when it died. Tamogotchi's, for me and my older brother, were a contest to see who could keep theirs alive the longest. When it finally "died" we would start over and play the game again. I would even say it died, but that did not mean that i ever thought it was actually alive. I believe it is just an easier wat to say the game died than it is to say the batteries ran out or I was neglectful. I use the smae vernacular today when i play a video game. When i get shot in a first person shooter game, I say that guy killed me, not that guy terminated my character. I think Turkle may be looking into this particular part of the study from a wrong angle. Saying the game died does not neccessarily mean the child thinks the machine was alive at one point, but simply a way of explaining something in the current era.

Lindman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rj2Ga9Y7oU

Here is a link to Pia Lindman talking about her art and her experience for a class at MIT. I think it's pretty interesting how she showed that simulating the physicality of emotions leads to the real emotion.

AI

The A.I. film was incredibly intriguing. The themes about imbibing robots with emotions and well as replacing children with robot children were both somewhat disturbing. It raises the question of whether or not it's our emotions that make us human. The ability to feel pain and experience feelings is how we think, act, and react, as well as how we interpret our experiences. The little boy in the film, although he was definitely mechanical, did feel. It raises many moral implications--especially in regards to where our current technological advancements are headed.

I also found it very intriguing how Spielberg decided to portray the robots and how they interacted with each other. in the film, the robots were, in fact, assisting each other. Joe went so far as to aid the boy in his escape--multiple times! If robots are, indeed, so mechanical, how did they develop the ability to determine when, and when not, to aid a fellow robot. The way in which this movie was filmed, and how the robots were depicted, greatly increased the relate-ability of the audience to the robots as they were more and more human-like as the movie progressed. Would purely "helpful" robots be such a bad thing?

Turkle Readings

     I find it interesting that many of the people Turkle gave robots to were almost ashamed of the way that they behaved. They denied vehemently that the robot was a person or had the qualities of a person. However, once they got past a certain moment, they opened up about their experiences with the robot. Due to the reactions of the robot, they felt as if the robot was actually paying attention to them and responding to what they said. It made them feel as if someone was earnestly interested in what they had to say. Sometimes, they were even more interested in taking to a robot than a person due to the subject of the "conversation." If it had to do with a very private aspect of their lives, they would rather not talk to a person because it could be very embarrassing. However, one thing that I found disturbing was the fact that someone could get lost in a relationship with a robot. When Turkle mentioned the story about the woman and her great-granddaughter,  I thought that robots could definitely be harmful. As soon as the robotic baby started to do anything, the two year old child was neglected. However, when she was asked about it, the woman denied that the robot was anything more than a doll. I find it disturbing that so much more attention can be given to robots while we neglect those around us.

I think A.I. makes a lot of good connections to what we are talking about. The most strinking connection for me was with the lover robots like Joe. One of Turkle's main points is that we are beginning to replace human relationships with robotic ones. While we currently do this with things like My Real Baby and AIBO Turkle warns that we might end up with people have relationships with robots like Joe. David is also like an advanced version of a My Real Baby. I think the movie does a god job of making us think about what Turkle is trying to make us think about: Should we allow ourselves to replace humans and human relationships with robots?

Required Reading

Please see Piero Scaruffi's blog for an excellent overview of the question of technological progress and the "singularity." Here is a brief excerpt on our current favorite topic, robots:

Don't be Fooled by the Robot

Human-looking automata that mimic human behavior have been built since ancient times and some of them could perform sophisticated movements. They were mechanical. Today we have electromechanical sophisticated toys that can do all sort of things. There is a (miniature) toy that looks like a robot riding a bicycle. Technically speaking, the whole toy is the "robot". Philosophically speaking, there is no robot riding a bicycle. The robot-like thing on top of the bicycle is redundant, it's there just for show: you can remove the android and put the same gears in the bicycle seat or in the bicycle pedals and the bike with no passenger would go around and balance itself the exact same way: the thing that rides the bicycle is not the thing on top of the bike (designed to trick the human eye) but the gear that can be anywhere on the bike. The toy is one piece: instead of one robot, you could put ten robots on top of each other, or no robot at all. Any modern toy store has toys that behave like robots doing some amazing thing (amazing for a robot, ordinary for a human). It doesn't require intelligence: just Japanese or Swiss engineering. This bike-riding toy never falls, even when it's not moving. It is designed with a gyroscope to always stand vertical. Or, better, it falls when it runs out of battery. That's very old technology. If that's what we mean by "intelligent machines", then they have been around for a long time. We even have a machine that flies in the sky using that technology (so much for "exponential progress"). Does that toy represent a quantum leap in intelligence? Of course, no. It is remotely controlled by a remote control just like a tv set. It never "learned" how to bike. It was designed to bike. And that's the only thing it can do. Ever. If you want it to do something else, you'll have to add more gears of a different kind, specialized in doing that other thing. Maybe it's possible (using existing technology or even very old mechanical technology) to build radio-controlled automata that have one million different gears to do every single thing that humans do and that all fit in a size comparable to my body's size. Congratulations to the engineer. It would still not be me. And the only thing that is truly amazing in these toys is the miniaturization, not the "intelligence". A human is NOT a toy (yet).

First part of Alone Together

Now that we have completed the first part of Turkle's "Alone Together", I have a vastly different understanding of our growth in technology. I was aware that we, as a society, had made monumental gains in technology, but was not even close to grasping all the things machines were capable of and what us people are trying to get them to be able to do. Personally, it scares me to think that humans are making machines to do things that humans themselves are capable of doing. What does that say about us as a species? How far are we going to allow techonology to grow? What will happen to the jobs that humans once did that will be replaced by machines? This should scare us that the machines being made are so capable of grasping out attention and affection that even the people constructing the machines fall for their "true" existence.

A.I. Film

I enjoyed the film A.I. For the most part. I liked the beginning through when the Mom dropped off the boy in the woods. At this point, it got weird. The beginning was weird as well, but in a different way. The second part of the story was just strange. I think that the whole idea is very far off from where we are today. Robots are one thing, the normal vision you get when you think about them, but to think of a robot looking and acting just like a human child, I think, is far away in the possible future. I can see how, if this happens, it could pull at emotions. Watching the movie, the viewer is put in the mindset that the child is a robot, but yet when the mom leaves him it pulls at the viewer's emotions. If the whole movie was more like the first section of it, then I might be tempted to watch it again. The second part was just weird, those are the only words I have for it. When they had the destroying of robots, and the guy robot going to the hotel room where the dead lady's was, and the lost city toward the end; I could have done without these parts. At the same time, I suppose they all nada meaning in order to end up in the new kind world where it was only robots.

AI Thoughts

After watching this movie, I still feel as if robots could never get to the level of human beings emotionally.  All David wanted to do was be a human but it is impossible to recreate the human species.  If robots did somehow gain emotions one day the world be very different.  Which leads me to the discussion we had in class.  Technology is an amazing asset but we need to know our limits.  We can't create robots because we are too lazy or selfish to take care of others.  We can't simply pass that role on to a seemingly emotionless object.  I think it is incredibly selfish to even think, "Oh, a robot will take care of them!"  Don't get me wrong, I think robots have many positives, but letting them be sole providers is definitely not one.  One of the main experiences of life is learning how to care for others and if we eliminate that from society, I think the repercussions will be great. 

A.I. Reflection

When we watched "A.I." in class, I thought about several things.


First off, I loved the dismal, dystopian feel of the movie, and I thought it was extremely thought provoking. It really contrasted the optimism of the human spirit and its use of technology with true human nature and how it tries to control everything. Not only that, but the juxtaposition of the main character who is a child and his teddy bear while trying to understand the dark, brutal, and authoritarian world around them makes for a very, very interesting take on the future presented within the movie.

This raises the question though: why WOULD people want to have robotic children instead of normal children? Isn't the whole point of a child to raise it and watch it grow into an adult..? Isn't that what the main rewards of it are??

I CAN understand, however, the appeal of robotic toys, robot servants, or sex robots... they replace many aspects of our society that humans would rather have quick, and easy rewards for. I feel like if singularity is going to be achieved, it is going to be through robots that provide services, such as being a servant, being a toy/playmate, or being a romantic/sexual companion.

Overall very interesting movie. I quite enjoyed it.

A.I. Reflections

     I enjoyed this movie. Throughout the movie, I was not thinking, "This can't happen; robots, can't be so real" etc. I suspended my disbelief when watching the movie to try to get the whole effect of what I was watching. I grew up with stories about robots, therefore I always enjoy seeing them. A part of me would love to have robots around, while another part of me would hate it. If robots could so totally mimic humans, how would we be able to easily tell the difference between the two? I would not like being unable to distinguish between humans and robots. However, the distinction between "mecha" and "orga" would be almost indistinguishable. If robots can truly have emotions, can we really not consider them to be people? In the film, the question of responsibility to such machines is raised. I believe that it would be necessary to treat them as we would any other. Otherwise, we would be doing the same as neglecting another human being. Throughout the film, I did not think of David as a robot. Rather, I saw him as a little boy that was unfamiliar with the world. This may because I grew up with cartoons featuring robots, but there is a point where I think that robots and humans are both considered people. Being surrounded by robot characters that were just as real as the humans may have given me skewed views on this matter, but I can't help but think that we would be destroying a part of ourselves if we did not treat robots with feelings as we did other humans.

A.I. Reflection

I think A.I. was an interesting movie that raised several good questions about what the future of technology could look like if we created robots that acted and looked just like human beings. If this were possible, it would indeed create a divide between people who mesh with the mecca and those who do not, fighting for the image of organic humanity. I think this movie is similar to the “My Robot Baby” section of “Robot Stories”. Both mothers have extreme difficulty bonding with the child, and are somewhat frightened by the notion of a robot child. Both mothers end up abandoning the child in order to relieve themselves of a burden. It is interesting that a piece of technology that is supposed to supplement human life ultimately becomes more like a burden.

A.I. not looks at the value of relationships between mother and child, as well as between lovers. In the movie, there are robots created only to be lovers, which takes prostitution to another level. The introduction of this sort of robot detracts from the value of true human relationships, and reduces them down to the sexual output of the robotic partner. I feel like this would change the way humans would interact with each other, just as texting and Facebook have taken the value away from socializing face to face or on the phone.

I think that even if it were possible to create robots that look and act just like humans, it would not create a positive change for society. It would challenge relationships and divide people instead of bringing them closer together or creating deeper relationships.

In this Ethics and Technology class I believe that it was a great decision to show this movie during class. I strongly feel that it shows a true value of how a robot would be if this movie were to be played out in life as we know it. The whole encounter with a real boy and a robot boy was just one of many examples of why robots such as David have different emotions than humans and could never be treated equally. The real brother begins to make fun of David and say things that would portray that David wasn't real. He was not only treated "Fake" by his brother, but he was treated different by his parents too. I liked the movie, but I felt as if this will never happen in my lifetime. The robot in the movie can actually love and feel every emotion just like a human and I just don't believe that that is a possibility in the near future. Also, if you go back to the movie and think about David you realize that even though he has emotions and feelings, he doesn't have the same thinking process that humans did, becauase he only knew what he learned from memories. I don't think that it will ever be possible to replace a person with a robot, but I did enjoy this science fiction movie.

A.I Reflection

I really liked the movie but i feel that anything along that line is a far way off. I don't think that in my life time or even my children's life time will we see a robot that can feel and love. I think that is a far way off when the world has so many other issues and projects that have to develop before the world of robotics takes over. i think that A.I is a great movie and credit to cinema but it is all just a story with very creative futuristic fiction.

A.I. Reflection

One thing about A.I. that stuck with me was the way the children treated David. Turkle discusses in her book how children act more violently towards toys and robots. Children are already confused by robots and the line between real and simulations of real. I think that if robots like David were real it would confuse children even more. If children were willing to be cruel to a simulation would that cruelty transfer to a real person? I know the mother in A.I was feeling some confusion about how to view David and feel about him. If adults are confused children are even more vulnerable.

Latest in medical technology!!!

So this is an ethics of technology class and even though I'm not a huge fan of alot of the technological advances that have been made available today, I am however a huge fan and advocate of alot of the new advances made in medical technology. Yet again I was reading this really interesting and inspirational article about a new microchip that they can implant in the brain that will allow people who have lost use in one or both arms control robotic arms just by using their brains!

Jan scheuermann has no use of her arms and is unable to feed herself, but she has gotten better at picking up a chocolate bar with her robotic arm :) She's become the first to demonstrate that people with a long history of quadriplegia can successfully manipulate a mind-controlled robot arm with seven axes of movement. Earlier experiments had shown that robot arms work with brain implants. This was a huge accomplishment for Jan because this was the first time in 9 years that she had been able to pick up any objects. The research developement that links Jan to her prosthetic arm is known as Brain Computer Interface or BCI for short. It took Jan less than a year to be able to pick up a chocolate bar with the arm, after which she declared, "One small nibble for a woman, one giant bite for BCI."




This is a spectacular leap toward greater function and independence for people who are unable to move their own arms," senior investigator Andrew Schwartz of the University of Pittsburgh's Pitt School of Medicine said in a release. "This technology, which interprets brain signals to guide a robot arm, has enormous potential that we are continuing to explore. Our study has shown us that it is technically feasible to restore ability; the participants have told us that BCI gives them hope for the future."
Jan's brain was implanted with two quarter-inch square electrode grids. They have 96 tiny contact points for brain areas that control right arm and hand movement.
The electrodes pick up neurons firing to activate arm movement. Within a week of surgery, she could reach in and out, left and right, and up and down with her robot arm.




"This is the ride of my life," Jan was quoted as saying. "This is the roller coaster. This is skydiving. It's just fabulous, and I'm enjoying every second of it."



If you would like to see a video of jan using her robotic arm to get a better grasp on what this new technology really offers to disabled peoples like her, i've pasted the url below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVhJuwfNTC4&feature=player_embedded

A.I. Reflection

Something that has really stuck with me from the film is when David slept for 2,000 years.  David slept through the water's freezing and thawing processes, and he awoke to wanting the same thing as if the 2,000 years between was just a simple nap.  Once these objects are created, for example a robot that is equally smart to a human, or possibly smarter; these objects are mechanical, and can possibly create danger unknowingly, moreover when he cut his mother's hair and felt no remorse.  Robots have their own place in this world, and their space is expanding while the human race is shrinking.

This movie was very interesting, but it seemed to portray a negative image to me. The robot thought it was a human, and robots should know they are robots in my opinion. I like to believe that I will be able to tell the difference between humans and robots when robots enter human society, and this movie showed me that robots will be able to blend in with humans in the future.

A.I. Reflection

I had never seen this movie before so I found this to be an interesting movie. One thing that jumped out at me is that David, the robot, didn't have the emotion or thinking process that people did. He was processed and so caught up on being a real person that he could not realize the effect he was having on the people around him. When Martin told David to cut their mom's hair so that she would love him more and David did it because he could not understand what he was doing was wrong, almost like an immature kid. There was no sense of reasoning to his methods.  However, I do admire David's passion for becoming real and becoming loved by his family. I thought this was interesting in that he was searching for compassion which a lot of real people do in society today.

After seeing this movie and seeing how real David looked and how he interacted, I would not be surprised if our culture moves toward these actions in the future. I personally would not be in favor of such, but I can definitely see our society making these moves.

AI reflection

I had never seen this before so this was definitely an interesting movie. The are many aspects that i can relate to Turkle's book and this jumped out at me right away. The first one is that the robot (David) didn't have the emotion or thinking process that people did. In one instance he tried to kill there real son (Martin) because he was jealous of him that their mom paid more attention to Martin than David. Also, Martin told David to cut their moms hair for some made up reason and David did it without question. Yes, they are kids and kids actually do cut hair, the thinking process was totally different.

I don't think replacing a person with a robot is possible. You become a parent and your job as the parent is too develop a child into an adult guiding them and teaching them as they grow older. A robot can never grow up and its maturity level will probably never change.

A.I. Reflection

Personally, I find it very hard to imagine humans having a sexual, robot companion. Yes, I'm sure we will be able to create robots that can mirror human appearance, reactions, expressions, etc; so I assume it will be possible to become physically and mentally attracted to a robot. But, I feel as if we would not be fully committed to one. I don't believe that all of us could overlook the fact that the robot is not a human. It is a machine. It is hard to imagine having sex with a machine. It would not be the same as having a real human "with" you. So, as of right now, that part of A.I. is too far fetched for me.
The child robot is actually very conceivable, though. It would, clearly, not be the same; but it is possible for a human to become attached to a robot. It would be hard for our minds to separate (the A.I.) robots from humans in a physical or mental way because they are so human-like. Again, I believe that we would not be as attached to a robot as we would be to a human. A world of humans intertwined with robots is just hard to imagine at this point. Maybe my mind will change if robots ever become common, household items.

Alive or not...

My little sister owns a Furbie, so I fully understand how small children could look at these objects and think "alive or real". They don't see these toys or objects as non living, they learn to believe that these objects have feeling and need to be taken care of or they may "die". Children quicky become attached to their toys and just from seeing my little sister react to her Furbie she says things like I need to feed her or else she will get evil and mad at me. If you read the sentence I just typed you will quickly see all the problems with what children are saying... They address gender, feelings, personality and or characteristics of these toys. Technology is beginning to develop objects and Turkle is right when she says that these toys are becoming more when children can actually feel an emotional attachment.

A.I. reflection

A.I. is an interesting movie to say the least. One of my biggest questions is will humanity really take that course of life. in the future will we truly use robots for employees, sex partners, and even children. I definitely see it possible for us to create such beings in the not to far long future. Think it was just 30 years ago that the cell phone was created. Now compare that "state of the art technology" to the technology we have today. We already have a glimpse of everyday robot help today. Think of Siri; this robot technology can answer millions of questions in an instance. So 30 years from now where will technology be? Will the sudden incline in technological advancements plateau or will we reach even high heights. To be honest we haven't really been very good at predicting what the future will be like for example flying cars in the new millennium. 50 years ago we had no clue where we will be today. So how can we possibly guess whether or not we will reach the level of technology demonstrated in A.I in fifty years. Maybe we will get there sooner than fifty years maybe later. It truly is impossible to tell. I believe that we will reach that level of technology. i question the purposes however.
I think that the use of robots as sexual companions is a very realistic thing. Think about the limits of human sexuality in the fifties and compare them to what sexual behavior is acceptable today. Who's to know whether or not that type of behavior will be acceptable in the not to distant future. I do however reject the idea of having a robot child. Love is an emotion that is strictly shared between not only two people, but their souls as well. Now unless someone creates a robot with a soul, I find it highly unlikely for someone to truly love a machine like one would another human being. But if that feat were somehow accomplished, that person would be comparable to God. Since God is thew only one who can create a soul so it is a complete impossibility.

Robots

In our last class, we spent some time discussing robots; robot dogs, robot people and some other weird creatures that acted as dogs or horses and other animals. It was amazing how these "animals and humans" could do so many human like motions and actions. These robots looked as if they walked, moved, ran and talked just as a human would. I remember watching one video of a man sitting on a couch in a public area, if you would look at him he looked completely real. His skin looked so real and the small details on his body, the way he sat and looked like he was just relaxing like a human. The other video was the one of the dog and how it's a companion with a man, but it's a robot... how could it be a companion. It walked just like a dog would and even picked a bone and played with it just like my real dog at home does! It's kinda crazy, but in the end I still have mixed feelings about robots in general. I don't think that they should be considered companions in anyway, I believe that they are neat and a way to show science off but I do not believe that people should get an emotional attachment to these "human like" objects. I do have to say though they are a neat and possibly revolutionary technological invention.

Robots

In class on Tuesday we spent most of our time viewing different types of robots via YouTube. The one that intrigued me most was the one constructed for military forces. The capabilities and the way it was able to adapt was really impressive. Some of the other videos we watched did not seem very realistic, but I guess could still be used for some sort of benefit. Although I am not a huge fan, the advances in technology are mind boggling and could be used to help our society.

Robot dog

In class, we spent some time looking up different robot dogs on the computer. I found these kind of weird. I think when people treat a robot dog like a real dog, it can be confusing to the psyche, especially for children. People seem to treat these dogs like real ones in the sense that they walk them, feed them, cuddle them, teach them, etc. Dogs are special creatures and I do not think that they could ever be replaced by the robot dog.

I see robot dogs as a toy and nothing more, but on the other hand I have never owned one. I did however own a dog that I guess could be considered a robot. It barked and did flips but it was nothing like the one we were looking up.

We also looked at a military dog. It could carry a bunch of weight and walk on many different terrains. This could be of very good use, although slightly creepy. I see this being more prominent in the future, more so then the pet robot dog.

Companionship with robotics

In Class on the 29th we discussed the role of robots and weather or not they can be seen as companions. Turkle also addressed this subject in her book when in comes to AIBO, This robotic dog is seen by some people as very real and as a close companion which is the issue Turkle wants to address, when is it ok and not ok to grow so close to robotics that we see it as a "friend" or something like that?? i think this is is extremely fascinating and i hope to learn more about it this semester because i don't have an opinion on this yet at least not a well developed one. i just like this issue i think it is thought provoking.

Robots

Last class we spent some time looking up robots on youtube.  I was intrigued by the "dog" and all of the actions it could do.  We then looked up some other robots that were of the futuristic type, meaning they did not look like humans.  These were easy for me to be impressed by, but no real reaction came from them.  Then we looked up robots that were more human-like.  The last one we looked at moved so fluently that it was almost as if a person was inside.  This one made me stop and think that if all robots are eventually like this, I can see how humans will be able to relate with them. 
I had no idea that robotics were this sophisticated.  Honestly, I had never really talked about it until this class.  I still have mixed feelings about robots and what they will do to human interactions, but they are a remarkable technological invention.

Robots

In both Robot Stories and Alone Together the idea of robots replacing humans is present. In the first vignette a robot stands in for a baby for a couple; in Alone Together Turkle begins to talk about care robots for children and the elderly. One thing that really struck me in the book was children's responses to the idea of a robotic babysitter. Their concerns were practical and many of them concluded that if a robot was more efficient than a human babysitter it would be a better babysitter. I also noticed when the subject came up in class that Dr. Langguth's primary objection (not to put you on the spot) was that it would respond with in-ordinary or inappropriate responses like the chat bots we talked to during the Turing test. I also noticed that some people's objection to the robot baby in Robot Stories was that it did not look like a real baby. While these are valid concerns regarding robots, I think they exemplify Turkle's concern expressed in the preface that we no longer care if there is something real, alive, or human behind the illusion as long as it is a good one.

Robot Stories

It appears to me there is one common theme among people and robots. It is the fact that people seem to personify them and give them human qualities. In the film we watched about robots, the baby is a prime example. They have to use the robot as a test baby for them. The problem I have with this experiment is that robots are programmed to act to a certain way. They do not feed off of human emotions the way a human baby would. Also, it was like the baby was almost programmed to cause trouble.

When it comes to the other stories and all of the youtube videos we watched it seemed like there were a couple of common problems with the robots. The first one obviously being the fact that they have no human emotion. They cannot look at other people and understand how they are feeling and i don't think they ever will be able to. There is a lot of talk that robots will replace people in certain occupations and jobs but I think that would be a huge mistake. Emotion are an important part of everyday life including in the workplace. For example, if they replaced a pilot with a computer, or robot for that matter, it would not be able to weigh different options based on emotions. It would only be able to calculate based purely on numbers and data and that can not be the only factor in a decision.

Basically what it comes down to is that robots are great to do small things. I don't think it would be a good idea one bit to rely on a computer because if the program is even slightly off it could cause a whole bunch of problems that no one needs to deal with.

Robot Dog

During class, we watched some YouTube videos about robot dogs. One of them was for entertainment, advertised as a companion that matches up to the companionship of a real dog. It can be fed, it can walk, it can do tricks, etc. It is programmed to respond to outside stimuli, which makes it seem more life-like, or rather, more dog-like. However, I do not think this pet robot would ever be able to match the reality of a real dog, just as robots designed to interact with people may seem real, but don't quite match the dynamic relationship possible between real people or people and animals.

Another robot dog we watched has more of a military purpose. It seems this robot could be helpful in the future, but it still seems extremely awkward and gangly. I feel that robots, as a result of technology, are more useful as tools rather than companions.

Robot Stories

I thought that the videos were very interesting as well a a bit disturbing. The first video we watched about the woman who was trying to get a baby was very odd to me. The husband seemed to not have a problem with having an emotional attachment to the machine but the wife obviously saw the machine for exactly what it is: a robot. Personally i would have a problem with creating an emotional relationship with a piece of metal even if it meant possibly gaining a real life child as a result.
Humans have a natural emotion towards children. When we see a small child we have an inherent trait for nurture. Testing a humans maternity with a robot is not exactly fair since we don't have an inherent desire to nurture that "child". Especially since the practice bot was so inhuman in appearance.
I see the point the movie made about testing your maternity levels in the future before having a child. I do not however agree with the creepy example the used to practice. IT is impossible for a human to have a real emotion to such a creepy little robot.

The World of Alan Turing

From the website of Piero Scaruffi:

Alan Turing and the Programmable Universe (lite version) from piero scaruffi

The Magic Pill

Read another article about some technological advancements that they're making in the medical field. There's now a new way for doctors to check for Barrett's esophagus, which is a precancerous condition usually caused by constant exposure to stomach acid (gastroesophageal reflux disease).  Researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed an imaging system enclosed in a capsule about the size of a multivitamin pill that creates detailed, microscopic images of the esophageal wall. The system has several advantages over traditional endoscopy. The tiny pill gives doctors the opportunity to image the walls of a patients esophagus with out the use of sedation or need for a specific setting and equipment. They don't even require a specialized doctor in endoscopy to perform the procedure! The 3D imaging it produces gives better resolution results than traditional endoscopy in a less amount of time. The way the pill works is fascinating as well, the pill itself contains optical frequency domain imaging technology, a rapidly rotating laser tip emitting a beam of near-infrared light and sensors that record light reflected back from the esophageal lining. The capsule is attached to a string-like tether that connects to the imaging console and allows a physician or other health professional to control the system. After the capsule is swallowed by a patient, it is carried down the esophagus by normal contraction of the surrounding muscles. When the capsule reaches the entrance to the stomach, it can be pulled back up by the tether. Below is a picture of what one of these capsules look like.



It's only about an inch long, about the size of a regular multi-vitamin. Doctors are raving over this new device because it's a unexpensive, low risk way to screen a larger group of patients more quickly and efficiently. The hope is that by using this device they can better detect early signs of esophogeal cancer and treat it while it's in its early stage in order to help more patients recover faster.

Dynamic Relationships, Turkle, and Robot Stories

In our reading, Turkle explores the effects of relational technologies that range from Furbies, to Nexi, and on to robots as romantic partners. One would think that the reaction to these robots would be negative, especially in terms of a romantic partner. However, it seems that humans are eager to find a partner to relate to, perhaps beginning with the innocent toy for a child. She explores how the Furby appears to be like a doll, except that instead of attaching through the psychology of projection, there is a “give-and-take” relationship. It is in this way that we as relational creatures form “relationships” with our machines. This is similar to the story in Robot Stories where a couple must learn to take care of a robot child before they are allowed to have a real one. The purpose of this is to practice parenting in order to prevent dysfunctional families. However, it is not the same as a real child. In contrast to Turkle, the message in “My Robot Baby” says that a mother would not be able to care for a robot child the way she would for a real one. Not only is there a biological bond missing, but it is not made of real flesh and blood. The robot's favoritism towards the father is quite an exaggeration; usually an infant would more readily attach to its mother, and therefore, a mother to her child. It is impossible for a woman to attach to a robot in the same way that she would attach to her own baby. Even though people may seem very eager to attach to their machines, I do not think that it is the same dynamic relationship which is possible between two human beings.

Robot Stories and Alone Together

After watching all of the Robot Stories and reading some of Turkle's Alone Together it is amazing to me that people could develop such a real relationship with a robot. Maybe this is the problem in our world today. With so much pressure to be accepted into todays society people who feel they have lost connection with real human beings, have now decided to become companions with robots and technology.

I thought that the clip in Robot Stories about the very busy couple who had to bring home a robot baby before they could bring home their real adopted baby was absolutely ridiculous. Personally, I think it is impossible and seems pointless to try to determine how good of parents a couple would be based on their treatment of a robot baby for a set period of time. To me, it is impossible to have the necessary emotional attachment that is needed to be a parent, or just to have any type of relationship. Turkle talks about the problems with cutting out human interaction and replacing it with some sort of technology.

The problem with this obsession with fulfilling emotional discrepancies or emptiness with technology is that once a time comes along where actually interacting with real people is necessary we don't have any idea what to do. I think there are way more people today than in the past who are either socially awkward or people who become anxious when in a social setting. The reason for the drastic increase I'd say is due our society and its surge of technology and artificial intelligence allowing it.

Cody Makin

Robots and Alone together

The movies we watched in class  were very similar to some of the concepts covered in Turkle's book "Alone Together" in several ways.

Mainly, idea of robots being used as companions was covered in some of the movies. One, where peoples' consciences is uploaded to a mega databases after their death, and another, where a couple applying for adoption had to train with a robotic baby. The other movie that really struck me was the one where robot "people" were made to do work in office  buildings and it touched on the idea of artificial intelligence.
Yes, it seems like a good idea to train people who want kids on a robotic child first, however, what if people eventually decide they don't want kids, and only have robots as "pets" or even full fledged family members? It would be very convenient. You don't have to pay for them to go to school or college, and they can do work around the house, such as cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. You won't even have to deal with emotional maturation, as they can simply be programmed to be whatever you want. Something about that just doesn't  sit right with me.
The idea of a synthetic afterlife MAY seem like a good idea at first, as you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and lead whatever sort of life you wish you could have in the first place. HOWEVER. If everyone's conscience is uploaded to this mega database, then there wont be any need for more humans, as the collective knowledge will keep growing as the next couple generations will eventually be uploaded onto it anyway. Why create more people when all the jobs that need doing can be done by people in a synthetic afterlife? The only living people needed alive would simply be people to maintain the machines themselves.
The idea of robots gaining artificial intelligence and emotions seems kind've wild, but its not too far off. Robots will eventually "learn" in some sense to adapt to their environment based on their experiences, maybe learning vocabulary, or through facial recognition. Eventually, they may even start to mimic other human activity. Again, although it sounds crazy, its a very interesting and equally scary thought.

Robots and Alone Together

I find myself slightly disturbed while watching the movies. I really hope that the world does not turn into what is being portrayed, but I feel like we are definitely headed in that direction. I definitely see similarities in what Turkle said and with the movies that we watched. The movies, i think, portrayed an extreme version of what might possibly be right around the corner. 

Each of the four movies were extreme in their own way, but the robot baby one and the robot love one struck me as most odd. The robot baby one I think has potential in real life situations. The way it was portrayed was crazy, but I could see this as a real life thing. I could see them being given to teens possibly t keep them from wanting to have children. The other one, Robot Love, was very extreme and I do not see this happening in the near future. The idea of robots falling in love is so far fetched to me, it makes it hard t imagine this. 

The mom who thought that if she finished her son's robot collection would bring him back was kind of weird, but I could easily see a mom do this. They might think that it would strengthen her child to see his collection completed. Or the mom might use it as a coping mechanism. This one did not strike me as to far fetched for these days. 

Robot Stories and Alone Together

The video seemed to portray what Turkle's message is in her book. Some of the short clips were over dramatic such as the mom trying to get every action figure thinking that would bring her son back. However, that did portray the disconnect between the parent and child with technology being a crucial reason why.
The video also had robots that fixed computers but then wanted love with each other. This goes along with Turkle saying some humans will rely on technology for their sexual life as well.
All in all the video showed up where we could be headed as a society, I mean robots as babies to see if adults are truly ready for parenthood would be a scary sight.

In conclusion, I feel like the characters in the four stories failed to connect in a world of robot babies and robot office workers. Maybe this is foreshadowing to us as a society in the future.

Ryan Hamm

Robots

While reading chapters one and two of Turkle I found myself agreeing with many things that she was implying throughout the reading.  How was a child able to be so attached to a robot, such as a furbie that is not even alive? When you are reading, you begin thinking that these ideas and creations are ridiculous and that the way children and grown adults are getting so emotionally and physically attached to these “things” is just unbelievable. Then, by the end of the videos, I actually began to feel sympathy for the robots that were falling in love, with everyone around watching as they had their first encounter with “love”.

In the world we are living in today, children do not get the attention that they need from their parents and turn to robots for attention or even toys.  People in general turn to objects for emotion and love. For example, the little girl in the first video was sitting in the closet and her mother said to her “don’t ever get married and don’t ever have kids” to her own daughter. When that little girl grew up, she did not even know how to show the robot baby real attention and the fact that it was a robot gave her a false idea of what a real baby is. The children turned to the furbies for attention and affection, but the children get a false idea of real feelings and real emotion. I believe that it is not okay to give these people and children that false hope, it just pushes them away from showing their true feeling to real people and not objects. People are beginning to turn to robots or objects and hide their true feeling, which is very unhealthy. For example, the man in the video had a hologram of his wife who passed because let go of his past and face his feelings.

In conclusion, I would have to agree with Turkle. I believe that our society is becoming technological and that it’s causing a false sense of people feelings and who people really are. In the end it’s something else for people to hide behind.

Robots

While I was watching the movie and reading Turkle, I was shocked and disturbed the entire time. I kept saying to myself, “People can’t really feel this way towards roots!” But then towards the end of the film, I found myself saying, “Aw, the robots love each other,” knowing that they don’t have true emotions. This just proves that in only a short amount of time we can become attached.

In our society today we are so scared to accept our true feelings and share them with anyone due to rejection or humiliation. So instead we latch on to inanimate objects that will never judge us or let us down. In the reading, the children relied on the Furbies to understand their feelings because they might not get enough attention from their parents. In the film, the woman who adopted the baby robot did so because she was afraid to fail and disappoint her husband. The elderly man relied on a hologram because he could not let go of his past. All of these feelings are unhealthy, in my opinion. Life is not always going to be perfect. Things happen that we cannot change, but that is not a reason to not face our emotions. Relying on a robot to help us heal will never really help us get over the hard times. People have real emotions and life experiences that robots can never have.

In conclusion, I am on Turkles side in the fact that our society is becoming consumed with inanimate objects and we need to turn away from them. I do believe that technology does have its benefits, but empathy and emotional simulation is not one of them. We need to leave that to human beings.

Robot Stories and Alone Together

    After reading the first chapter of Alone Together and then watching the videos in class, I can see some definite similarities. One is that the both of them, although they made their points clear, were very disturbing. Both the author of Alone Together and the people making the videos took a look around them, realized the changes in society due to technological advancements, and decided they need to try to open the eyes of the people around them. I feel like both approached this goal knowing that the only way to accomplish it was to use a scare tactic on their audience, using the strangest case scenarios possible. Another definite similarity between the two is the expressions of concern that technology is being used as an emotional crutch, being used to transform, control, and/or replace aspects of human relationships. This is shown very clearly in the videos, especially with the adoption of the robot child, as it is clearly mentioned multiple times throughout the introduction of Alone Together, providing the sense that this will not only be an important topic but will also be one of the central themes of the book.

    Although I do believe both the videos and Sherry Turkle go to extreme case scenarios, I do not deny that the issues exist, nor do I deny the fact that technology is having such a profound effect on society. I agree that technology has been weakening relationships and communities for quite a while now, and I fear that if people do not start to realize what is happening and take control it will only get worse from here on out.

Robot Stories

Out of all four of those videos i really liked the one about the young man who was in the hospital and his hard shelled mother who was in hot pursuit to repair and complete his childhood robot collection. I feel like this movie was not only relevant and true to today's medical technology but this video was two fold, the childhood toys had different meaning to the mother at the beginning of the video versus what it meant to her in the end. At the beginning the toys were primitive transformers that allowed the mother to go back to when her son was a child and still her baby boy versus in the end when the toys were just toys. they only had the painful memory of the death of her son and when she gave them away this symbolized her letting her son go after his death. The transformer toys symbolized the sons youth and innocence but the medical equipment were not the important robots in his life now as they sustained his life. I wrote about this story because it has a deeper meaning then what it may have just appeared to be as well as i feel it was not nearly as hokey as some of the other stories.

Robots and Emotions

http://now.msn.com/robot-restaurant-in-harbin-china-has-mechanical-servers-and-chefs <-- Here's the link to the all Robot cafe!

The Robot stories video maintained what I would consider to be a unique element--robots having emotions. The baby robot displayed rebellious behavior--typically enacted out of anger--and fear. The robots that appeared to be human and worked constantly developed feelings of isolation. Upon discovering that they were the only robots, their isolation turned into a desire for "like-minded" companionship. In "Clay", the simulation of the man's wife portrayed emotions, yet the question remains regarding her existence and ability to react to real life situations. The video presents the question of whether or not these robotic emotions are equatable to human emotions. Robots can be programmed to react in certain ways once presented with specific stimuli. Similarly, humans are conditioned to have specific responses to certain situations. It is not in question whether or not robots can have emotions. The question is whether or not these emotions can develop outside of a programmed algorithm--developing into something more like human emotions.

Where are we going

The Human race is at such a fast pace that we feel bored or like we haven't anything to do for the day.  We take take advantage of the technology we have, like the Robot Stories.  We see a machine, and see that it isn't real, but what declares something real? A heartbeat, coordination, intelligence? Before we give robots to the human race, like in Robot Stories, assure ourselves that this is for the best.  I couldn't imagine putting my conscious into an artificial object after my death.  I was born with a choice, and judging by these stories, I will die without that choice.

Robot Stories

     I could see many connections between the video and the readings. Human and robot interactions can be confusing for many people. I was particularly interested in the scene from "My Robot Baby" where Marcia's father was making a program to take care of the baby. It reminded me of part of the readings in which Turkle describes a Furby surgery. The children try to help Furby by preforming surgery, but they become uncomfortable with the remains of the Furby. It is somewhat similar to what Marcia's father says about not being able to do that with a real baby. It is only possible because it is a robot, a cross between a doll and a living creature. Likewise, the scenario with the children is only possible because Furby is a robot, neither a doll nor a living creature. If it was a doll, the children would most likely not feel as uncomfortable as they did with the two parts of the Furby. However, if it was a living being, they would have likely tried to have an adult help for fear of killing it. With Furby, they knew that it wouldn't "die" unless its batteries were removed. Therefore, they could try to fix Furby with the knowledge that they would not be killing it. 

     Unless robots become a common thing in our daily lives, human and robot interactions will always be awkward. We cannot really decide what they are. They are not inanimate objects, rather, they can seem to be human at times. That being so, it is difficult to figure out how we should interact with them. They aren't human, but they seem close enough to being human that we have to second guess our actions at times.

New Artificial Human Heart

Usually I wouldn't necessarily all the new technological advances that are begginning to sprout in my generation due to the fact that it is aimed to make life eaiser by acting as an artificial substitute to many basic things we should be able to accomplish on our own in our day to day lives. Nevertheless I do whole heartedly support any technological advancements in medicine that help to save and prolong peoples lives. That's when I stumbled upon an artical about the first ever fully mechanical heart!



The man you see in the picture is named Chad washington and he is sporting the first ever mechanical heart and pumping device which he carries with him on his back. Chad, age 35, underwent the seven-hour transplant surgery at UCLA on Oct. 29, led by Dr. Murray Kwon, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery. The temporary pump will act as a "bridge" until Washington receives a new donor heart! It is said that in the past, patients that had a mechanical artificial heart were forced to be hospitalized because the machine used to power the pump was too large and too heavy for one person to carry around. But the latest advancements in technology have allowed for that same machinary to be condensed into a smaller form (like the size and weight of a backpack) so people who are waiting on a live donor heart can lead relatively normal lives in the meantime.

 

 

Above is an internal view of how the pump fits into the chest cavity and connects to the pump worn on the persons back. Washington is quoted saying "It ticks like a clock in my chest and I can hear it", but claims that the machine doesn't feel foreign to him. He's estatic that he lives in a time that such technology is avaible to people like him that truly benefit from it. Washington is an aspiring chef and is married and has a 4-year-old son, he has suffered from heart disease since he was born. From the time he was 10 days old through adulthood, he underwent a series of heart-repair surgeries and had pacemakers and a defibrillator implanted. Then his heart deteriorated. He received a heart transplant in February, and for the first time in his life, he knew what it was like to live with a healthy heart. It gave him energy, and he was amazed that he could run 25 minutes on a treadmill! The excitement was short lived for the heart transplant he recieved started to show some serious signs of rejection and they had no choice but to remove it. What was worse was that now Washington's body had formed anti-bodies to combat new heart transplants, meaning that if he were to recieve a new one yet again, his immune system would immediately attack it.

 

 

The artificial heart was his only hope for survival at this point. Not only did it keep him alive while he waited for a new heart to become available but it allowed his body to return to normal so the new transplant wouldn't be as likely to reject. It's also important becuase it allows the patient to live a fairly normal life and is able to spend time with family outside the hospital, which is essential when going through such a hard time.

 

Approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2004, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves. It works by providing a high volume of blood-flow through both ventricles, which helps to speed the recovery of vital organs and make the patient a better candidate for transplant surgery. Once the total artificial heart is implanted, it is connected by two small air tubes known as "drivelines" to a large external driver that powers the heart while the patient remains hospitalized. When the patient's condition stabilizes post-operatively, he or she can be switched over to the smaller 13.5-pound Freedom portable driver, which can be carried in a backpack, thus giving the patient the freedom to leave the hospital.

 

"My family and I are so thankful for all of the support we've been getting from the doctors and staff here at the hospital, as well as our family and friends," Washington said.

 

 

Reference link: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/man-s-heart-removed-and-replaced-241430.aspx

Video and Turkle Readings

It was very easy to compare the video that we watched in class to the Turkle readings. This video really made me think about Turkle said that she has been accused of being prejudice of robots, especially since people are beginning to use robots and technology to eliminate and engage in less human encounters. In certain instances, I think that this can be true. It is almost as if we have began to forget about technology, allowing technology to continue to inch its' way into our lives. 
While watching the video, especially during the video about the baby robot and the segment about the robots in the office, I began to wonder if we are really that far from living in a society with robots dispersed throughout our population. I am not sure that we are yet on the level of having robots appear to look like humans (at least to my knowledge), but we are close to the technological ability of creating this type of technology. I do agree that this would begin to hinder human relationships. There cannot be a substitute for REAL human interaction. 
I do not think that we will ever have to ability to create a type of technology that can have real emotions, such as humans, or even the ability to 'bond' with another human being, for that matter. There are a lot of advantages of having the technology that we have  readily available at our fingertips, today. However, there are some aspects of life that will always require human interaction. There is no substitute for family, friends, or significant others. These types of relationships can not be 'created.'