From Comediva comes a delightful (if not creepy) video about how to get the perfect man: Let Google make you one!
Also, I'm pretty sure this falls into the "killer robots" category.
Showing posts with label killer robots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label killer robots. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
This Is How The World Ends
So, there's this thing? It's called a chatbot. It's a robot that will talk to you if you're lonely. Great, right?
Well, some scientists hooked up a chatbot to another chatbot to see what they would say to each other. A discussion about unicorns and God ensues (remind anyone of BSG?) and then when one suggests attaining a body (presumably to murder her human masters) the conversation closes in a hurry (so that they could email their nefarious plans to murder their human masters to each other in private). Watch the whole creepy exchange here:
"I am not a robot, I am a unicorn." "Sure dude, whatever. Want to go waste some humans?"
Well, some scientists hooked up a chatbot to another chatbot to see what they would say to each other. A discussion about unicorns and God ensues (remind anyone of BSG?) and then when one suggests attaining a body (presumably to murder her human masters) the conversation closes in a hurry (so that they could email their nefarious plans to murder their human masters to each other in private). Watch the whole creepy exchange here:
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Lady Gaga's Newest Video: Sweet, Or Just Weird?
Lady Gaga's song "You and I" is kinda sweet, but I can't help feeling a little threatened when she dresses up like a goth cyborg and insists she's not leaving without me. Please, don't kidnap me, killer pop robot!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. XVIII
New Mobile Game Designed By X-Men Artist
A new in-depth RPG game is being developed for mobile phones and is being hailed by Wired as "absolutely stunning." It should look good, as its creator is no stranger to art: Steve Uy, a celebrated artist for the X-Men franchise, is the one making the game.
"Though he has enlisted a programmer and musician, Uy is writing, illustrating and designing the game on his own.
"'This may be a single-man indie game, but it won’t feel like one,' Uy said in an e-mail to Wired.com. World Without End, Uy says, will take upwards of 15 hours to finish and let players explore several branching storylines.
"Uy is asking for donations on Kickstarter to help him finish the project. He’s hoping to reach $15,000 by late August."
I have to say, its lack of grid-style movement in-game and fresh graphics make this a very appealing game that I'm looking forward to seeing release successfully.
Restrictions On Stem Cell Research Lift
One of the great tragedies in medical research of our age has been the lack of ability for NIH and other institutes to research stem cell treatments that could cure a wide range of ailments ranging from HIV to cancer. The Obama administration has been attempting to lift restrictions left in place from previous inhabitants of the White House with little success, as a group of researchers working in the field of adult stem cells filed an injunction saying further research would threaten their funding.
The judge in the case, happily, tossed out their objections and stem cells are now fair game for the NIH to study.
"The legal wrangling of the case hinged on two issues: the definition of 'research,' and whether scientists suffer harm based on funding policy decisions. The plaintiffs in the case were researchers who focused on adult stem cells and had seen their NIH grant proposals undergo competitive evaluations, pitted against those from scientists working on embryonic stem cells. With the restrictions on embryonic stem cells lifted, that competition would increase. Thus, they claimed to have suffered harm from the policy change, which gave them grounds to sue. That decision, which may make any funding policy change the subject of future lawsuits, has remained intact in this final ruling.
"Which leaves us with research. The law governing stem cell research prohibits funding 'research in which a human embryo' is subject to harm. The judge in this case, Royce C. Lamberth, read 'research' very broadly, in a manner that would encompass all the preparatory work, including the isolation of stem cells. In contrast, the NIH read the term narrowly, as applying only to the work it was providing funding to."
See that?! It walks on water. That's right. When they're coming to get you you can't escape by boat anymore. Ugh. We're fucked.
A new in-depth RPG game is being developed for mobile phones and is being hailed by Wired as "absolutely stunning." It should look good, as its creator is no stranger to art: Steve Uy, a celebrated artist for the X-Men franchise, is the one making the game.
"Though he has enlisted a programmer and musician, Uy is writing, illustrating and designing the game on his own.
"'This may be a single-man indie game, but it won’t feel like one,' Uy said in an e-mail to Wired.com. World Without End, Uy says, will take upwards of 15 hours to finish and let players explore several branching storylines.
"Uy is asking for donations on Kickstarter to help him finish the project. He’s hoping to reach $15,000 by late August."
I have to say, its lack of grid-style movement in-game and fresh graphics make this a very appealing game that I'm looking forward to seeing release successfully.
Restrictions On Stem Cell Research Lift
One of the great tragedies in medical research of our age has been the lack of ability for NIH and other institutes to research stem cell treatments that could cure a wide range of ailments ranging from HIV to cancer. The Obama administration has been attempting to lift restrictions left in place from previous inhabitants of the White House with little success, as a group of researchers working in the field of adult stem cells filed an injunction saying further research would threaten their funding.
The judge in the case, happily, tossed out their objections and stem cells are now fair game for the NIH to study.
"The legal wrangling of the case hinged on two issues: the definition of 'research,' and whether scientists suffer harm based on funding policy decisions. The plaintiffs in the case were researchers who focused on adult stem cells and had seen their NIH grant proposals undergo competitive evaluations, pitted against those from scientists working on embryonic stem cells. With the restrictions on embryonic stem cells lifted, that competition would increase. Thus, they claimed to have suffered harm from the policy change, which gave them grounds to sue. That decision, which may make any funding policy change the subject of future lawsuits, has remained intact in this final ruling.
"Which leaves us with research. The law governing stem cell research prohibits funding 'research in which a human embryo' is subject to harm. The judge in this case, Royce C. Lamberth, read 'research' very broadly, in a manner that would encompass all the preparatory work, including the isolation of stem cells. In contrast, the NIH read the term narrowly, as applying only to the work it was providing funding to."
This is a great thing for science, and I'm looking forward to the results of that research over the next couple decades.
Weird Robot Walks On Water
I'm a firm believer that robots scare the shit outta me, and this thing confirms it:
See that?! It walks on water. That's right. When they're coming to get you you can't escape by boat anymore. Ugh. We're fucked.
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Robopocalypse is Upon Us
This is the most terrifying thing ever! Because nothing could ever go wrong by teaching a robot how to punch people in the face, right?!
[Neatorama]
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Geek Shit Wednesday Vol. IV
Ta-Da!
Rep. Boehner Vows To Defund Net Neutrality
In a move that has some scratching their heads, Speaker Boehner of Clan Wingnut today blasted the FCC's net neutrality rules, threatening to defund them all in the name of protecting internet freedoms.
"'There is no compromise or middle ground when it comes to protecting our most basic freedoms,' Rep. Boehner said, adding that the Republican majority in the House was committed to fighting the new regulations.
"'We’re also going to do what we can to see that no taxpayer dollars are used to fund these net neutrality rules,' he said."
Whose freedoms is he protecting, exactly? Fox News' freedom to have their content prioritized over YouTube's? This just grosses me out-- he's totally trying to make a dime for himself and his friend by playing on the fears of the uneducated about Freedom of Speech. I myself had to ask a friend exactly what was going on in this complicated issue-- can you imagine what Joe Blow thinks when Boehner runs around telling people the government is going to run the Internet?
[TheRawStory]
Miscanthus: This Isn't The "Grass" Your Mom Used To Use As "Biofuel"
Biofuels are all the rage, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, where friends of mine routinely flip off Hummers just to show that FOSSIL FUELS SUCK!!!11!!
The recent biofuel alternatives, however, have been less than stellar-- corn, for instance, drives up the already growing price of food, while having an awful environmental impact during its production. Well, stand back, guys, cuz it's SCIENCE to the rescue!
In a recently published study, a grass called miscanthus has been vetted as an alternative fuel source-- with some startling results.
"Biofuel crops have the potential to offset the world's reliance on fossil fuels, increasing energy security and decreasing the risk of climate change. However, the choice of crops and target fuel can radically change their impact, as issues like fertilization and ease of processing come into play. But, as a paper released by PNAS points out, these aren't the only things that change when you shift the crop. The paper suggests that switching from corn to a perennial grass can alter the water cycle and sunlight absorption so dramatically that it will have a larger impact than the carbon emissions that biofuels avoid."
While the study makes some unrealistic assumptions-- for instance, replanting all arable land in the US with miscanthus-- it indicates that the benefits of switching our biofuel industry could be multiple, ranging from (of course) being an alternative to oil to actually increasing the albedo of our planet-- thus reducing the overall temperature.
Click the article on Ars Technica, it's pretty fascinating.
[Ars Technica]
Watch Out, Ebay: Used Electronics Can Now Be Hawked For Immediate Gratification
ecoATM, a new start-up based out of beautiful San Diego, has begun distributing futuristic kiosks that allow you to drop off your used electronics and receive cash-- instantly.
"It claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.
"The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes (see below) — but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to CMO and co-founder Mark Bowles. Bowles and team are mum on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices."
Yowza! Need beer money? Drop off your Razor here! Neat!
[Mashable]
Rep. Boehner Vows To Defund Net Neutrality
In a move that has some scratching their heads, Speaker Boehner of Clan Wingnut today blasted the FCC's net neutrality rules, threatening to defund them all in the name of protecting internet freedoms.
"'There is no compromise or middle ground when it comes to protecting our most basic freedoms,' Rep. Boehner said, adding that the Republican majority in the House was committed to fighting the new regulations.
"'We’re also going to do what we can to see that no taxpayer dollars are used to fund these net neutrality rules,' he said."
Whose freedoms is he protecting, exactly? Fox News' freedom to have their content prioritized over YouTube's? This just grosses me out-- he's totally trying to make a dime for himself and his friend by playing on the fears of the uneducated about Freedom of Speech. I myself had to ask a friend exactly what was going on in this complicated issue-- can you imagine what Joe Blow thinks when Boehner runs around telling people the government is going to run the Internet?
[TheRawStory]
Miscanthus: This Isn't The "Grass" Your Mom Used To Use As "Biofuel"
Biofuels are all the rage, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, where friends of mine routinely flip off Hummers just to show that FOSSIL FUELS SUCK!!!11!!
The recent biofuel alternatives, however, have been less than stellar-- corn, for instance, drives up the already growing price of food, while having an awful environmental impact during its production. Well, stand back, guys, cuz it's SCIENCE to the rescue!
In a recently published study, a grass called miscanthus has been vetted as an alternative fuel source-- with some startling results.
"Biofuel crops have the potential to offset the world's reliance on fossil fuels, increasing energy security and decreasing the risk of climate change. However, the choice of crops and target fuel can radically change their impact, as issues like fertilization and ease of processing come into play. But, as a paper released by PNAS points out, these aren't the only things that change when you shift the crop. The paper suggests that switching from corn to a perennial grass can alter the water cycle and sunlight absorption so dramatically that it will have a larger impact than the carbon emissions that biofuels avoid."
While the study makes some unrealistic assumptions-- for instance, replanting all arable land in the US with miscanthus-- it indicates that the benefits of switching our biofuel industry could be multiple, ranging from (of course) being an alternative to oil to actually increasing the albedo of our planet-- thus reducing the overall temperature.
Click the article on Ars Technica, it's pretty fascinating.
[Ars Technica]
Watch Out, Ebay: Used Electronics Can Now Be Hawked For Immediate Gratification
ecoATM, a new start-up based out of beautiful San Diego, has begun distributing futuristic kiosks that allow you to drop off your used electronics and receive cash-- instantly.
"It claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.
"The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes (see below) — but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to CMO and co-founder Mark Bowles. Bowles and team are mum on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices."
Yowza! Need beer money? Drop off your Razor here! Neat!
[Mashable]
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Introducing: Geek Shit Wednesday
Last week inspired me to do... GEEK SHIT WEDNESDAY!
The European Spallation Source
Geeks everywhere jizz constantly whenever Sir Patrick Stewart opens his mouth (since he's a Shakespearean actor, that's a lot of jizz), so it was no surprise that Sir Pat was tapped to try and explain to us dumbasses exactly why the newest research facility in the old country was causing such a buzz.
"ESS has been described as the Hubble telescope of neutron sources, probing deep into materials with unpresidented clarity. It will be one of the most important and prestigious scientific research facilities in the world, enabling developments as diverse and as significant as drug design....new magnetic materials for data storage...super strong, super light ceramics for engineering.... biocompatible materials for repairing our fragile bodies.......hydrogen fuel for clean transport ......innovative processes for capturing carbon.... the list is endless."
Anyway, here he is:
Introducing.....The European Spallation Source from Optic Verve on Vimeo.
Robot Baby Spells Doom for Mankind
Hasn't pop culture taught us anything? This robot baby was designed to elicit an emotional response from human caretakers with distressed faces and such. Well, it appears that it needs a little tweaking, because instead of "Awwwww," this disembodied, jerky baby head flopping around on a table and rolling its eyes madly inspires "AAAAAACK!" This insane baby head is clearly a killer robot bent on world domination. This can't end well.
(yes, I know there's no sound)
[Neatorama]
HP to push webOS for desktops
Everyone who knows me has seen my phone. Like many Americans, we're inseparable. Unfortunately, I get a lot of jokes because it's a PalmPixi (stuff the fairy jokes, asshole). However, I'm excited to hear that HP, as one of the largest hardware producers in the field, might be pushing for webOS (Palm's Linux-based operating system) as a viable alternative to Windows.
"Although HP hasn't provided any specific details yet, it's not hard to imagine various ways that the company could start working webOS into its hardware products. It seems like an ideal platform for HP's all-in-one TouchSmart PCs, which have touch-enabled displays. HP could also potentially use webOS in future iterations of its tablet-toting printer products like the Android-based eStation. On conventional desktop computers, webOS might be useful as an instant-on companion operating system alongside Windows—a function that HP has historically served by shipping the Linux-based Splashtop environment."
I love this. Maybe webOS will finally challenge Windows' domination of the PC market?
[Ars Technica]
The European Spallation Source
Geeks everywhere jizz constantly whenever Sir Patrick Stewart opens his mouth (since he's a Shakespearean actor, that's a lot of jizz), so it was no surprise that Sir Pat was tapped to try and explain to us dumbasses exactly why the newest research facility in the old country was causing such a buzz.
"ESS has been described as the Hubble telescope of neutron sources, probing deep into materials with unpresidented clarity. It will be one of the most important and prestigious scientific research facilities in the world, enabling developments as diverse and as significant as drug design....new magnetic materials for data storage...super strong, super light ceramics for engineering.... biocompatible materials for repairing our fragile bodies.......hydrogen fuel for clean transport ......innovative processes for capturing carbon.... the list is endless."
Anyway, here he is:
Introducing.....The European Spallation Source from Optic Verve on Vimeo.
Robot Baby Spells Doom for Mankind
Hasn't pop culture taught us anything? This robot baby was designed to elicit an emotional response from human caretakers with distressed faces and such. Well, it appears that it needs a little tweaking, because instead of "Awwwww," this disembodied, jerky baby head flopping around on a table and rolling its eyes madly inspires "AAAAAACK!" This insane baby head is clearly a killer robot bent on world domination. This can't end well.
(yes, I know there's no sound)
[Neatorama]
HP to push webOS for desktops
Everyone who knows me has seen my phone. Like many Americans, we're inseparable. Unfortunately, I get a lot of jokes because it's a PalmPixi (stuff the fairy jokes, asshole). However, I'm excited to hear that HP, as one of the largest hardware producers in the field, might be pushing for webOS (Palm's Linux-based operating system) as a viable alternative to Windows.
I love this. Maybe webOS will finally challenge Windows' domination of the PC market?
[Ars Technica]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)