"Sex Robot" on Discovery

The other night I was hanging out having a couple beers with some friends & watching TV. As I was flipping through the TV guide a show called "Sex Robots" caught the eye of one of my friends.

"Red Hot Robots"

Out of amused curiosity I turned it on, & it was like a horrible train wreck that I had to keep watching. I could NOT believe what I was seeing. Basically these people, who I began calling "Robo-pervs," (*see below for update) actually prefer the companionship of robots that look like women to the real thing.

As any biologically-inclined human could probably guess, it was pretty unsettling.

The documentary was about people who are dreaming of the day when fully interactive & lifelike robots are made for the sole purpose of simulated intercourse. It's amazing that the instinctual sex drive in humans is so controlling that it can override our biological imperative to make some people pursue a path like this.

Proving there is a niche for everyone in this crazy world, the program showed people trying build a sex robot, and also followed guys who wanted to own these Fembots. They gave feedback to the builders on how to improve the appearance and performance of the robots. To me, all the robots looked creepy and almost frightening, and their jerky movements & lifeless interactions only enhanced the creepiness factor.

Here is one of the robots & its creator, w/ an appropriately ridiculous headline:

"Roxxxy Sex Robot
Also a Great Conversationalist"

At one point in the documentary two humanoid robots were shown "humping" each other, & they were basically just banging their plastic heads together. I started laughing hysterically at the sheer absurdity of it.

There was another guy who was on the computer looking at pictures of female robots with their face & chest removed, exposing circuitry underneath. This was the guy's idea of porn & it makes absolutely no sense at all. The closest I can find to the photos that he was oogling over was this:


Another robot fetishist actually had a girlfriend (who was also kind of dorky, but not hideously ugly or anything). She agreed to go along with being hypnotized into becoming a robot to make her boyfriend happy. He was asking her to repeat "Prime Directives" & she responded about "being obedient & pleasing" her boyfriend, who was visibly encouraged by this. It was definitely creepy to me.

Some of these souls seem to have serious issues with control, which makes them desire a life-like being that obeys their whims.

I was watching this show almost the entire time with my jaw dropped open or wincing at the awkwardness of some of the situations. My brain simply could not process the madness I was seeing. However, to each his own... right?

*Update 9/27:
Someone commented on this post appropriately mocking me for being an insensitive jerk in my tone. They have a point in the sense that I wasn't practicing kind speech. I really don't wish ill on anyone & think people should be able to do whatever the hell they want, without fear of persecution. As long as you're not hurting anyone, go nuts!

Truth be told- I think 'alternative' lifestyle choices like robots, virtual experiences, & other things we aren't able to imagine yet will only become more commonplace as technology becomes more sophisticated. However, to me personally it's still a mind-boggling phenomenon, as are other things - like people being willing to swim with Great White sharks. Neither seems like sensible behavior to me, but I'm not going to tell people they can't do it.

So sorry if it seems harsh, but as a human being I'm trying to avoid the Robot Sexpocalypse™ that could wipe out our species forever if this behavior continues.

I am only human, after all.

Tiny Robot Buddhist Monk

Buddhism, at its essence, is more of a philosophy of mind than a religion, as most Western cultures understand the term. Although certain sects worship deities & believe in a Pure Land, the historical Buddha simply taught people how to awaken their consciousness and cultivate awareness.

Because of this philosophical trend, as opposed to religious dogmatism the Abrahamic religions, Buddhism has been uniquely open to scientific inquiry. The Dalai Lama has fostered extensive conversations about the mind, quantum physics, and other scientific disciplines.

Scientific American:

Neuroscientists and the Dalai Lama 

Swap Insights on Meditation

This embrace of science & technology has manifested in the playful, yet functional, development of a little robotic monk, named "Xian’er", by the Longquan temple in China.

I saw this linked on fUSION Anomalog and thought it was interesting development in the approach to studying spiritual matters.

Smithsonian:

A Robot Monk Is Spreading Buddhist Teachings in China

Xian'er can answer simple questions about Buddhist ideas, chant mantras, & move around via voice commands.

The merging of spirituality and technology is one of those things that seem paradoxical- but only if your perspective is still immersed in the duality that Buddhism & meditative practice seeks to dissolve.

Meet Xian’er: Robot monk spreads Buddhist wisdom in China

See also:

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

Robot Buddha

Let the Machine Wars Begin...

It's fascinating how in this day & age, finding more technologically efficient ways to destroy human life is somehow considered progress. I wonder sometimes, "Haven't these assholes ever seen Terminators 1-3?" All the ingredients are stewing - even liquid metal 'ferrofluid' technology for a T-1000 Liquid Terminator.

"U.S. Military Expands Robot Patrols in Combat Zones"

We are literally one step away from a Robocalypse. I have compiled the visual evidence and it should be enough to make all of us humans squirm like the bacterial sacs of protoplasm that we are.
I don't think anyone ever anticipated just how easily Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics" could squashed by a Pentagon-sponsored tank tread.


1st Step: Army Ground-based Robot
Result: Terminator Hunter-Killer

1st Step: DARPA's prototype robotic hand
Result: An army of T-800 cyborgs




1st Step: Ferrofluid dynamic sculpture
Result: Mimetic poly-alloy liquid metal T-1000




Meanwhile, the Japanese are teaching their robots how to dance instead. I'd definitely rather have souless machines tearing up the dancefloor than tearing up people.

"Japanese Teach Robot to Dance"

Robot Buddha

I saw this interesting clip from the movie "Doomsday Book". The story is referred to in the film as 'Heavenly Creature'. In the movie, an A.I. is depicted that is recognized as an enlightened being- a 'robot buddha'.

It raises ponderous questions about the nature of mind. How we would be able to know if an artificial intelligence or even a non-human intelligence were able to experience consciousness? Would an A.I. be able to attain "enlightenment" and provide spiritual insight to people?

Robot Buddha

NASA's RoboSimian

It's a new year, and I thought I'd post about the future- specifically futuristic monkey-like robots.

I've had this article filed away, that talks about a robot designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

 Gizmodo:

Robosimian: NASA’s New Monkey Robot 

Designed for Search & Rescue

The RoboSimian can shift between a wheeled configuration and a mode using four appendages that resemble a cross between monkey limbs and a tentacled creature like an octopus.

Here is a video of it in action. It is a pretty ingenious and interesting design:

Although many of the DARPA robots were humanoid & bipidal. However, there's no reason robots need to look like humans, or any other known creature.

The Election Multiverse

The idea of a multiverse - multiple, or even infinite, parallel universes existing simultaneously - has been pondered & discussed alot in physics, philosophy, and science-fiction.

Just the problem of free-will vs. destiny could fill volumes by itself. However, for all practical purposes, we can say almost anything the mind can imagine is possible. I started thinking about all the possibilities that could exist for even a single situation, like the outcome of the US Presidential election. Most people think "Oh, well it's easy, you fool, either a Democrat or a Republican will win!"

I'd say there are way crazier things that could happen that are neither choice A nor B. Sure, they might not seem possible, but alot of things don't seem possible... until they happen.

I'm channeling the multiverse and listing some of the myriad possibilities that currently exist for January 20th 2009. It has the potential to be one of the most significant days in history, regardless of the situation.

In order of the situation that I'd personally most like to see first:

1. The true progressive, Dennis Kucinich unbelievably wins through write-in votes, shocking the nation and the entire human race. However, he leads America into a Golden Age of reason, compassion, innovation, and prosperity. His smart & lovely wife, Elizabeth, is his Vice-President.
2. Barack Obama wins the election, & turns the established bureaucracy upside down like a modern-day Akhenaten. His VP is Dennis Kucinich. America is saved from oblivion.
   
3. Obama wins with John Edwards as his running mate & they lead the way in cleaning up The War Monkey's enormous mess.
4. Obama wins, with any other Democrat as his VP- including Hillary. America is returned to a course of sanity & fiscal responsibility.
5. Hillary is nominated and wins the election. She chooses any of the qualified Dems for VP & takes the country in a positive direction.
6. By the end of the summer, the technology exists to jack everyone into a virtual hive mind. As a result, there is no need for a governing body of any sort - all decisions are made through the Borg-like collective consciousness.
   
7. Either Obama or Hillary wins & chooses a Republican running mate. It might be strategically smart to pick someone competent from the other side of the aisle, like Chuck Hagel or another conservative who isn't a ideologue or a pandering hypocrite. I would personally not be thrilled about this possibility, though.
8. Ron Paul leads his 'Ron Paul Revolution' into the GOP convention & takes it over! He wins the election, and his first act in office is to immediately abolish the Federal Reserve.
9. Ralph Wiggum wins as a write-in candidate after a media campaign by Fox.
10. Kids who are too young to remember the 2000 election see the "new guy" Ralph Nader enter the race & forget all about Obama. John McCain wins, thanks to another Nader run. America continues it's descent into oblivion.
11. Obama is the nominee, but large numbers of white Americans would rather see their way of life crumble under a regressive Republican plutocracy than vote for an intelligent Harvard Law graduate with a multicultural background. John McCain wins. America continues it's descent into oblivion.
12. A dimensional portal opens and predatory alien entities flood our world, rendering governments useless. The election never takes place & mankind is scattered about the globe like cockroaches.
13. There is a violent shift of Earth's magnetic poles due to uncontrollable cosmic forces. Civilization is wiped out from the catastrophic effects & only a small number of people survive. Al Gore is one of them, and finally becomes President of New Earth.
14. "Skynet" comes online & the nations and military forces of humans are subjugated by autonomous Robot Armies. "Asimo" is declared the first robot President.
15. Bush & Cheney simply can't leave office without risking exposure to massive war crimes & fraud on the American people. So, they refuse to leave office, citing "Executive Privilege". The Democrats complain a little bit, while the citizens grumble & shake their fists before going back to their deteriorating lives. The United States is changed into The United Empire of America.
16. The Bush Inc. War Profiteering industry finds any loss of business unacceptable. A "terrorist attack" by "Iranian agents" causes George W. Bush to immediately declare nuclear war on Iran, wiping out bases and innocent civilians in cities. Before the election, a state of martial law is put in effect & Bush declares himself President-for-Life. Democrats, anti-war, and other liberal vermin are labeled "terrorist sympathizers" and placed into contracted Halliburton work camps. Dick Cheney's sick fantasy has come true & the rest of the world's nightmare begins.
17. I wake up to (what I think is) Inauguration Day. I'm filthy, tired, & feel absolutely miserable... To my horror, it was all a dream. The year is really 1840 & I realize I'm actually a child who works in coal mines. I don't know or care whose President at the time because my life sucks so bad.
18. Because of the massive amount of debt we can't pay, China announces that the US is now part of the People's Republic. World War III commences & our elections are suspended due to the crisis.
    
19. Anne Coulter becomes the first "female" President by some strange electoral anomaly that turns out to be the direct influence of Satan. He appears, in a horrifying physical form, to act as her Vice-President.
20. Bill Gates completely buys out the Electoral College, Congress, & Supreme Court with a billion dollars. He crowns himself "Supreme Technocrat" and mandates Windows Vista operating system on every single computer in the nation. Apple Computers are outlawed & I kill myself out of sheer desperation.

Wow, that was oddly cathartic.

Of course, I've only listed 20 of the infinite possibilites for this particular situation. I'm sure the universe will serve up a scenario that is probably different than all of these somehow. Since I am not really in the mood to challenge the entire universe right now, I'll stick with this list for now & see what "Reality" has to offer.

Hopefully, it's something that resembles one of my top choices,

...but I'm not holding my breath.

click to enlarge

(If you look close,
I'm in the green universe.)

aka "The Monkeybuddhasphere™"

Spider-Man vs. Amazon Box Robot Dance-Off!

In addition to being a graphic designer, I also own a side business called Fantasy Photos - that specializes in custom photo portraits, & The Fantasy Photo Booth for events.

www.FantasyPhotos.net

This past weekend, Fantasy Photos was at the Pitman NJ Autumn Fest, in the Total Turf Experience, for a 2-day weekend event.

During the costume contest, one of the actors in a Spider-Man outfit got into a dance-off competition with a kid in a creative robot costume, made of Amazon boxes!

 
I thought it was hysterical and had to record some video of it!

Here's another video of the event, including the Fantasy Photos booth and my lovely wife & partner Loretta:

The Fantasy Photos booth:

 Me (Paul) & my wife Loretta at the event:

Obama vs. the Robots

Besides all his other priorities, it's good to see President Obama is aware of the potential danger of a robot revolution.

"As president, I believe
that robotics can inspire young people
to pursue science and engineering.
And I also want to keep an eye on those robots
in case they try anything."
--Barack Obama,
speaking to Washington D.C. schoolkids
on Monday as part of his science education initiative.

It's too late, Mr. President!!!....

Obama Robot at Disney

Roko the Robo-Monkey

I can't resist posting about any story that combines technology & primates.

Recently I saw this article about Roko, a concept for a biomimetic robot that would simulate the movement of a chimpanzee swinging through the trees. The concept was designed by Kaan Yaylali, and is a unique take on the form & function of robots.

Daily Mail:

Meet Roko, 

the ROBOMONKEY That Could Save Your Life

Roko is meant to be a sort of rescue or delivery robot, that can reach areas that would be difficult to access in other ways. It could travel through thick jungle or other remote areas to reach people who need rescue or supplies.

Although it looks like a Monkey Terminator, autonomous machines like Roko could perform many useful tasks that could be of great help to humanity.

Fighting the Robot Revolution

ED-209
The Future of Law Enforcement
?

Humans at their worst are characterized by violence, greed, and a complete lack of empathy. It should be expected, then, that autonomous creations by humans such as robots and corporations can exhibit similar negative characteristics - if not designed to behave otherwise.

Just like humans have rules to follow, banks and corporate institutions should have regulatory oversight. We are currently witnessing the undeniable results of rotten leadership with no accountability allowing unchecked institutions to ransack the American economy.

Just like the world hasn't fully experienced the repercussions of this grand economic fraud, we haven't been able to truly foresee the consequences of creating military robotic systems. Ever-advancing technology is being used under the guise of military support or law enforcement.

The ideal control system to prevent extreme scenarios like in the Terminator or the Matrix would be Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. Of course, I've written before about the rapid advancement of military robots & obviously these laws have been completely ignored by mankind.

Thankfully, some courageous visionaries are trying to head off the possible robocalypse. Millionaire Ben Way has created WAR (Weapons Against Robots) as an avenue to research counter-robot measures of all kinds.

"About Time: Company Aims To Fight Robots"

Although such efforts could one day prevent the elimination of humans by overwhelming forces of silicon-based destruction, I'm sure his work is seen as almost terrorist in nature by certain authorities. Who is the true terrorist, though? The one who seeks to prevent the destruction of human life by killing machines? or the ones who enable the destruction of human life by those same machines?

Perhaps, the robots won't even have to battle us to gain control... Once everyone has an iThink implanted in their head, the machines will simply override our nervous systems and make us zombie-like automatons, in an ironic reversal of roles.

Perhaps... it has already happened.


Needless to say, robots aren't ALL bad-

Choose Your Overlord

I saw this blog on Design You Trust that deals exclusively with two of my favorite subjects: Robots & Monkeys!

Specifically, the focus is on which of these types of beings will end up being in control of the human race. Will our future resemble "Planet of the Apes" or "Terminator"?

Choose Your Overlord

As described in the Intro:
"Now, I realize that this is age old argument: monkeys or robots; robots or monkeys. Who will eventually dominate us? I really don’t have the answer, but with this question in mind, I have created this site to keep a running tally of the successes and failures on both sides."

Unfortunately, unlike The Matrix there is no real choice... because the actual horrible reality we may face will be cybernetic Robot-Monkey Hybrids!

Man is already using his unholy powers of reality-manipulation to create the precursor of unstoppable robo-chimps...

NY Times:
"Monkeys Control a Robot Arm With Their Thoughts"

Believe me,
he's plotting his revenge against our entire species.

The Growing Robot Army

A few months ago I posted about the coming Machine Wars that threaten the very future of humanity. I was horrified, but not surprised, to find that the size and scope of the Cyber Army is expanding to the point of no return. God help us all. No, really... HELP!!!

As an exercise in complete futility,
I am going to link again to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.

washingtonpost.com
"Dragonfly or Insect Spy?
Scientists at Work on Robobugs."

wired.com
"Navy Plots Unmanned,
Heavily Armed Fleet"

Breaking Robot Army News: "Skynet" is Delayed...

Rarely does a story cause feelings of both hope and dread, but this is one of them. I've been one of the people taking notice of the growing threat of a unstoppable cyber-army of our own creation. So, I was relieved to see on neatorama.com that the UK delayed the launch of a military communications satellite named Skynet. It was, of course, either named by British scientists with a sick, apocalyptic sense of humor or with their heads up their asses.

What I find dreadful is that this is only a singular omen of the possible "Technocalypse" that awaits us if we don't somehow start practicing better "Cybernethics". (The fact that both of those words in quotes are already used online is almost as scary, though.)

"Skynet Military Launch is Delayed"

"It's Only a Delay...

We're Coming."

The Robot Apocalypse has Begun

The increasing complexity of technology in fields such as robotics has really become astounding. Despite the wondrous creations that people make for productive purposes, there is always going to be the flip side of the coin, where knowledge is used for destructive purposes.

One thing that is particularly worrying is the use of military machines that kill by remote. Although it's no more impersonal than wiping out a city by dropping a bomb from a plane, there's something crazy scary about the idea of autonomous killing machines.

ABC.com
"Do Military Robots Need Rules?"

The world has refused to enact Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. In fact, research in military robotics is a top priority. As a result of humanity's negligence, we have crossed the ethical boundary into mechanized mayhem. I saw this historic story on disinfo.com:

Gizmondo.com

"Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever"

Here is an actual photo from the mission:

Chimp Knocks Down A Drone

 
This is a video of something that never stops amusing me - apes & monkeys doing crazy things.

It's from a Dutch zoo, where a surveillance drone was filming while flying over the chimpanzee enclosure.

As the remote-controlled drone glides over taking video footage, one of the chimps up in a tree smacks it with a branch. It's enough to knock the drone out of the sky. Some chimps then proceed to pick up the flying robot & look into the camera of this strange object.

It almost seems as if there's a deep, metaphorical meaning to this seemingly simple action...

Perhaps it can be seen as a symbolic of the struggle in modern culture- between primitivism & advanced technology.

Maybe it's a reminder at how ineffective our technology can be, in the face of the overwhelming power of nature.

Perhaps it's a "cosmic giggle," related to Terence McKenna's theories about the evolutionary transition from apes to technology-using humans. It's also relevant to his idea of the archaic revival, or the reversion to ancient tribal values & more 'primitive' modes of existence...

Mostly, I think it's just chimps being funny.

Chimpanzees Down a Drone and Film Each Other

A.I. Literature

 Being a creative professional, I feel (& hope) that my graphic design skills aren't replaceable by computer algorithm in the near future. 

The Monkey Buddha Archives:
A.I. Logo Design

However, I see the various ways that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to for creative applications and know that it is only a matter of time before there is serious competition from computer-driven solutions to literary and artistic endeavors.

Writing & literature is one area where A.I. is making noticeable progression. I came across this article that was composed using OpenAI language generator, in which a prompt is given & the computer creates text. In this case, the prompt was "Focus on why humans have nothing to fear from AI".

The Guardian:
A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human?

 

After seeing this article, I then saw this website called Shortly, in which you start a story or essay and the A.I. generates more content.

www.shortlyread.com

I started a story about my son Paul Giuseppe, & the website produced a coherent and interesting continuation of the text. 

It was pretty amazing, actually, and offers a glimpse at the creative power that machine learning will contribute to culture. (I was about to write "..contribute to human culture", but I don't think culture is solely a product of the human mind anymore...)

Robot & Skeleton

I saw this on FFFFOUND!.

Our current biological skeletal frame seems to be faced with our possible future self- where our consciousness will be housed in a cybernetic exoskeleton...

Watson- A.I. Jeopardy Champ?

Jeopardy! is one of my all-time favorite shows.

My Uncle Dave was on the show in the 80s & I would like to play one day, when I feel I've crammed sufficient knowledge into my skull. Right now, the main categories that make me cringe in ignorance are things like opera, Shakespeare, Broadway (basically, theater in general), and geography can be tough. Some categories pop up that are totally bizarre, too. Even in categories that aren't my strong suite, though, I can usually manage to get a question or two correct.

Unfortunately, human brain-based general knowledge abilities are on the verge of becoming obsolete. The Machines are now taking over trivia game shows, as they are doing with the rest of human civilization:

IBM.com: Watson

I was watching an episode of Nova last nite about the development of Watson. In trial rounds, the computer was crushing the humans. The episode, explaining how the computer & it's software worked, pretty much blew my mind.

PBS NOVA:
Smartest Machine on Earth

Tonight, I was watching Watson win the 2nd Jeopardy! game vs. a couple of human champs... by tens of thousands of points!

NYT:
Watson Dominates ‘Jeopardy’
but Stumbles Over Geography

I thought "This is ridiculous, this system is obviously far superior to humans." I didn't realize that in the 1st game last nite, human Brad Rutter tied the computer! So... it is possible to beat that infernal creation (maybe)!

Digital 'intelligence' of this caliber is simply amazing, and will create unimaginable new applications. However, there is something to be said for the element of personality to define a being. Despite this bewildering technology, intelligence & knowledge are only a part of the countless phenomena that make up consciousness. That is what makes George Lucas's droid duo in Star Wars so appealing- they each have a personality.

Being able to formulate Jeopardy! answers is a quantum leap, but it's still nothing more than a machine that synthesizes data. When computers or robots are able to engage in small talk or make me laugh out loud, like an episode of South Park or Stephen Colbert, then I'll be impressed. Such advancements are possible, but I think it's a much harder bridge to cross than Watson's function- strictly compiling & analyzing factual knowledge. So, there!

>:P

Here is a graphic I made tonite after watching humans stand in defeat next to a video screen that serves as the facade for a massive computer system. I felt the need to depict the coming Robocalypse™- led by the superior intellect of Watson itself.

click to enlarge

A stupid robot couldn't make something like cool like this.

Super-Legit Totally Not Bootleg Toys

I'm continuing the theme of ridiculous product packaging. As a graphic artist, seeing horrible design is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Here's a gallery of pathetic attempts to knock-off popular toys, from The Soup:

Super-Legit Totally Not Bootleg Toys

A couple of my favorites-

Galaxy Cop

 

Adventure Man

God • Jesus Robot

"ED-209 vs. Boba Fett" by Paul Micarelli

This is a very early 3D creation that I made in 2002.

Since it's Star Wars Day, I figured this would be a good one to add to my album:

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

3-D Art by Paul Micarelli

 After finding mesh models of these characters, I decided to make a scene of the ED-209 robot, from Robocop, battling the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett, from Star Wars.

"ED-209 vs. Boba Fett"

From 3D Art by Paul Micarelli