For the first time ever, a robot has made its own scientific discovery. Apparently, given information about yeast, it devised and tested its own experiment to learn something new about the genetic makeup of the fungus.
It's amazing, I think, and though its yet another disconcerting step to our being replaced by robots (especially considering the ominous symbolism in its name), I think robot scientists could make things like medical breakthroughs much more frequent and fruitful.
What do you all think?
4 comments:
Reminds me of a quote:
"Humans, in other words, thanks to symbol using and technology, have become the godhead because, as a result of their genius - their desire to know and understand and control everything - they have arrived at the knowledge which gives them the powers once attributed to God."
- Kenneth Burke
Now I think we will start seeing one of the final frontiers in the human story: the species to take over for us. I know this sounds wacky to some but I really do think human beings will wind up going extinct because of their own undoing. Our technology will succeed us.
Wow, I am amazed. I think if Riley's theory is correct, it is even more bizarre that the "first man" of the new species mimics the biblical "first man's" name "Adam."
I have often thought of our developing role as sort of Godlike creators, creating things that will soon be able to (or already can) evolve without us and create their own progeny.
The convergence of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and robotics seems certainly on its way...oh, and don't forget cloning. Some of the things in store in the coming century will seem beyond our wildest dreams, I'm pretty sure. Exciting and scary.
Post a Comment