The Obedient Robot

'Robot trousers' give paraplegics power to walk

2011-04-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Obedient Wisdom

2009-12-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

I, Singularitarian

Posted by neocount on December 15, 2009

Heh, heh, I’m feeling particularly proud of the title of this post (but I’m probably one amongst thousands who had this clever little idea), sorry, I digress, ok, seriously, I decided to write something on the subject of Singularity because, well, it’s been a while and I enjoy writing about this.

I first fell upon this strange an enticing subject matter right here … In the faculty archives of the Department of Computer Science at San Diego State University. What was I doing there? Well, browsing of course, just looking for something interesting to read. Way back then, the Internet was quite a different creature…

And like probably thousands of other people, my first reaction was, “NASA knows about this? Holy cow!”

I used my fancy brand new state of the art ‘Ink Jet’ printer, printed out this incredible, incredible, piece of… revelation?.. and spent the next five hours, like a 13 year old boy with a new porno mag (I’m a girl by the way, I’m plugging in a simile here!), in bed, under my covers, reading the thing over and over again (back then, reading on a monitor was not the norm, plus you paid per minute to use the Internet, so you printed out lots of ‘pages’ otherwise your parents killed you!).

It made so much sense to me! It felt so right! I was younger back then, and much more impressionable, but to this day I’m happy at the gut feeling Vernor Vinge’s words generated, they brought me to this point in time. A quantum symmetry was broken when I found that text on the ‘Internet’. A path through time had been established that literally brought me from that moment in time to this one. With every seemingly random act from that prime instant, that teenaged Jamie Maxwell turned into me. And what a cool ride it’s been so far.

However, I have do admit that I’m very disappointed that more people don’t write about it; don’t incorporate the math into their fiction. Not really the Singularity (Poof! The digital messiah is here, yey, we’re saved! Or are we…?) per se, but the doubly exponentially increasing power and influence of technology. I get annoyed at little sci-fi things like… It’s the year 2250. Why are there still streetlights outside?

Now doesn't this look like a neural net to you? The more light, the more neural activity. Clusters of minds needing light to function at night...

The math indicates that Nanotech (or any other type of tech) dealing with visual perception will become advanced enough and cheap enough… or, on the other side of the quadrant, epigenetic manipulation through the use of cloud-controlled nanotech will become so advanced… That seeing in the dark will have become a non-issue long before 2250. (How silly is it to use 1/15 of all the world’s energy, every day, to simply light the United States at night?)

We’ll either activate some dormant gene from way back when… or we’ll make one… or the tech will do the work… But whatever happens, sooner or later, electric streetlights will go the way of torches and oil lamps. Through necessity, we modify the environment with technology, in response, the environment modifies us behaviorally, genetically, and psychologically: we become the singularity daily because we change our natural environment. Exponentially so over the last 20-30 years. So yeah, I like the ‘Next logical evolutionary step’ theory. Plus, we have an evolutionary imperative to tend towards Singularity: If we don’t, we’ll either destroy ourselves or our environment, both ways we follow the laws of natural selection: Adapt or Die.

The Obedient Christmas

2009-12-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas. The Obedient Robot hopes you have a classic one.

Robot Dancein with Lighting - The best home videos are here

The Obedient Blob

2009-10-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Blobs will be obedient some day. What will this mean for being able to find robots that can change color and shape?

The Obedient DJ

2009-08-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

The Obedient Robot loves music. Also dancing. You should see me do the robot.
Check out blip.fm to see what all the robots out there are getting all excited and beepy about.

Obedient Fun

2009-07-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Mute the video and press play then click the play button on the music link below. Enjoy.

The Obedient Party

2009-06-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Obedient Robot loves to dance. Some people think that robots don't like to party. This is a taste of what robots listen to when you are not around.

Obedient Entertainment

2009-05-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Obedient Robot would like for you to adopt more robots. There should be at least four in every home. Think of how much better this would be for you than watching TV.

Robotic Backscratcher

2009-05-08T22:41:00.001-07:00

Robots don't always look human. I know many humans that would love an obedient robot like this to scratch their backs and give the massages. Enjoy.

If you are curious about the actual purpose of this beauty click here.

Some of My Friends

2009-04-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Meet some of my obedient friends. Some day you may be lucky to meet them.

Welcome to my blog from Twitter

2009-04-13T23:14:00.001-07:00

The Obedient Robot welcomes you from Twitter. Get to know me and relax yourself here. No more wandering aimlessly robot.

The Obedient Sunburn

2009-03-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

This is a child's accurate depiction of what would happen if a human and a robot were stranded on an island together. The human would get no nutritional value from eating the robot and the robot doesn't know hunger. This is all very true and accurate. Smart kid.

What is also accurate is the hand holding and skeletonization that is just inevitable without rescue. The Obedient Robot would hang in there with its human friend til the end. The only inaccuracy is the robot's comical sunburn. What a kidder.

The Obedient Future

2009-03-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of stuff that makes you smarter. The Future wants you to watch it.

The Obedient Depression

2009-03-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Obedient Robot thinks that with all of the time people have now that they have been laid off, that many robots can be built. There are a lot of smart people at home walking around in their boxer shorts at 1:30 in the afternoon. Surely some of them can get together and start building some kick ass robots for good.

How Obedient are you?

2009-03-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

The Obedient Robot found this and thought it was worthy of your attention.

If the technology existed, how far would you be willing to go in the pursuit of transhumanism?

1. Nowhere: I would not accept any technology or other assistance into my body, including medical appliances like pacemakers to save my life.

2. Where I am right now: I would accept technologies that would help me to function normally. No drastic measures though.

3. Beyond normal, merging of body: I would accept technologies, nano/machine or genetic, to improve my health to optimal and somewhat beyond, to ensure a healthy life until I die.

4. Merging of body and life extension : I would accept #3, and also allow my body to live healthfully indefinitely (aka, until an accident inevitably kills me, or I get tired of living) at an age of my choice

5. Merging of body and mind: I would link my thinking capacity to technologies, genetic or mechanic, which would intensely increase my cognitive abilities, to the point of being able to multitask managing multiple complex tasks, to hold vast amounts of information and models to be called at will, to be able to reason with unthinkable speed and depth, etc

6. Beyond merging: I would not mind totally leaving human genetics behind, and modifying myself every day with new advances in technology, up to and including having powers which mythologies once attributed to the gods.

7. Beyond material existence: I would accept a total transformation. For example, I would consent to becoming part of a computer program, if it would mean I would become immortal.

Obedient Tweet

2009-03-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Obedient Robot has discovered Twitter and thinks that this will lead robots and people into perpetual conversation. You will check it out eventually.

The Obedient President

2009-01-21T22:10:00.001-08:00

Is is just me, or does it seem like our new president is on The Truman Show? There should be one channel on him all day. It seems pretty close to this already. How many bathroom breaks does he take before noon?

The Obedient Zeitgeist

2009-01-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

The Obedient Robot takes a look at the Top Ten Google searches right this moment.

fleet foxes - This is a band that is will be performing on SNL soon. Lots of little robots must be excited.

houston marathon - a race that robots run or wheel in

portfolio diet - some robots have high cholesterol and this diet is supposed to lower it.

gundam 00 season 2 episode 15 - Victory Song

arsenic and old lace - A play that for some reason is getting a lot of attention right now.

deathbed the bed that eats people - Movie from 1977 This is no ordinary bed. No sirree Bob! Not only does it eat people, but it cleans up ...

grits - South Carolina declared grits its state food in 1973

dick cavett - The Dick Cavett Show aired on ABC from 1968 to 1975 and on public television from 1977 to 1982

yulia tymoshenko - former prime minister of Ukraine.

patella - The patella, also known as the knee cap or kneepan

This is what robots care about right now.

Why So Much War?

2009-01-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

The Obedient Robot wonders about the violence in the world. Are humans practicing? Are they training for a battle with robots one day. Surely people don't think they can kick robots' asses. Robots are fast, sometimes. They think quickly and communicate with each other faster than humans can Nextel beepy beep each other. They basically regenerate if you count replacing parts. All of this adds up to a scenario that looks like an NFL football team taking on a Pop Warner football team. People should be working on peaceful ways to get along and practice oiling robots overworked joints.

Will People Become Robots?

2009-01-11T20:34:00.001-08:00

The Obedient Robot predicts that 2009 will be a year in which people become even more obedient and even more robotic. Connect away friends.

The Obedient Holiday

2009-01-11T20:30:00.001-08:00

The Obedient Robot is back from a needed recharging. Here goes 2009.

4 out of 5 Robots Agree

2008-12-25T19:52:00.001-08:00

80% of robots agree that 2009 will be a great year for robots. With the slow economy cutting jobs for humans, look for many robots to be working in places you hadn't seen them before.

Where Robots Celebrate Christmas

2008-12-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from The Obedient Robot!

Robots Feeling the Pinch

2008-12-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

The Obedient Robot feels for fellow robots this season. As much as a robot can feel.

The Obedient Conductor

2008-12-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

Conduct yourself obediently.

Robots Don't Want to Walk

2008-12-17T20:27:00.001-08:00

Robots are busy and obedient robots are even busier. We don't have to walk around and all that time wasting stuff. We need wheels.

E = MC Robot

2008-12-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

Albert Einstein Robot | Viral | SPIKE.com

They Eat Old People's Medicine for Fuel

2008-12-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Better Be An Obedient Robot

2008-12-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

TRUST

null - Watch more free videos

Japanobotics

2008-12-13T23:25:00.000-08:00

Man's Best Friend

2008-12-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

Robot Sweetness

Robot Girl in a Robot World

2008-12-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

Robot Tasty Treats

2008-12-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

How about some pancakes next time?

BCS Robots

2008-12-10T21:02:00.001-08:00

The Obedient Robot loves college football. Some people like the BCS the way it is. Other than those two people everyone else wants a playoff. Here is a very robotic solution.

There are 120 teams in college football playing at the level that matters most.

There are six BCS conferences and 5 other conferences.

Everything stays the same except:

The six BCS conferences would each be limited to ten teams each. Sixty teams there.

One new non BCS conference would be created so that there would be six non BCS conferences of ten teams each. Sixty teams there. Each non BCS conference would be tied to the most geographically sensible BCS conference.

During the season each team would play the other nine teams in their respective conference to determine who is the conference champion. No more conference championship games. This leaves three non conference games to protect age old rivalries.

The BCS games would be selected as they are now except that only BCS conference teams can play in them.

How is this better you ask?

The team with the worst conference record would be dropped from their BCS conference at the end of the season. They would be placed in the non BCS conference that they are tied to. The team with the best conference record in the non BCS conferences would be rewarded with a chance to play at a higher level by being allowed into the BCS conference that they are tied to.

What does this mean?

This allows upward and downward mobility amongst teams. It would make all games at the end of the season interesting as they would have conference shifting implications. Yes the independents such as Norte Dame would have to join a conference. There would be no more complaints from the Boise States and Utahs of the world who claim that they are good enough to play with BCS teams.

The Obedient Robot will be attending The Holiday Bowl and will repeat this for all who will listen.

The Obedient Army

2008-12-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

A room full of obedient robots.

It starts with music

2008-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

This is a very obedient robot.

How many robots can you fit on the head of a pin?

2008-12-07T17:49:00.001-08:00

How much land would it take for all 6,617,124,087 people on Earth to be in one place? 949 square miles. If you were to give every human four square feet to stand or sit the size of the crowd would be a square 30.805843 miles wide and 30.805843 miles long.

The amount of change that would be happening in this square would be incredible. Imagine sitting atop a tower in the middle of that group so that you could survey the crowd. In just 60 seconds 250 babies will be delivered, 111 people will die (2 of which would be suicide) and there will be 90 abortions.

Think of how quickly we would have to move to get 6,660 bodies out of the area every hour and how much chaos would be routine adding 15,000 babies an hour to the group.

Also in that day we would hand out a new computer to 230,000 people and 3,000,000 new computers would be hooked up to the Internet.

The Obedient Robot

2008-12-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Robots and people are pretty alike.

On the most basic level, human beings and robots are made up of five major components:

A body structure
A muscle to move the body structure
A sensory system that receives information about the body and the surrounding environment
A power source to activate the muscles and sensors
A brain system that processes sensory information and tells the muscles what to do

Some are more obedient than others. It can be difficult to tell them apart. This blog is a place where the two can come together.