the robot hates minidonuts

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ok im thinking, japan is pushing a bunch of money into cybernetics, and i was wondering why they were (see the japanese pm meeting his czech counterpoint with a robot beside him--though there is that Capek/RUR connection)

the robot thing bothers me because it seems a way to ignore our bellies in favour of our brains, what if it is shitting inside that makes us humans or our ability to enjoy, on a viscercal level, minidonuts or champagne or melon. Or what if it is about mystery and the sublime, art & culture ?

we can make robots fake diplomatic civility, do computations at enormous speed, amuse us as toys but can we ever make them shit?
does the japanese obsession with robots feed into their obsession with the super real, does our fascnation with them equal the obsession with angels ?

is it our fear of our bodies that makes us want to destroy them or replace them with hygenic plastic ?

― anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 22 August 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Man, what a great thread idea. And i think this should win the Best ILE Thread Title award.

I've been wondering about the subject myself... Thinking back to visions of Yesterday's Tomorrow, they were all somewhat correct symbolically, but completely wrong in the visual and interpretation.

Technology has indeed replaced a lot of human work force, for example.. however, none of them look like the harrowing 'bots displayed in artists' renderings in sci-fi-tech magazines of yesterday. None of them have bodies, but none of them are even continuous, nor even have a "look"... which is far more efficient than having to spend all that time curving metal to look like a thigh or elbow.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 22 August 2003 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Why did you program me to feel pain?", cries the robot in a voice resembling a modem.

― Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Friday, 22 August 2003 16:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I just want minions. I don't care if the minions take pleasure in shitting or eating sweets. And if robots are the most cost effective way of getting minions, then the Japanese can have my money.

This can be applied to robots as well. The human race doesn't want companions - we want minions.

― Dale the Titled (cprek), Friday, 22 August 2003 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i want more

― anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

minidonuts?

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

The donut hates minirobots too so it's all fair

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 22 August 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I think there *is* a robot whose purpose is only to "digest" food.

I may be conflating reality with the Simpsons again.

― Leee (Leee), Friday, 22 August 2003 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

In the end we are all just "carbon units".

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 22 August 2003 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.dreamers.com/menhir/strek/pelis/st11.jpg

"So why HAS the creator not responded?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 August 2003 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

but can we ever make them shit?

Isn't there a doll that wets its pants? And isn't a robot on some level a doll with some extra special features?

― j.lu (j.lu), Saturday, 23 August 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm thinking that if it were possible to create a shitting robot, Japan would have done it many times over by now (and utilized a happy-looking cartoon poo mascot to promote it)

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 23 August 2003 02:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Cloaca

Also, Daneel even has the ability to eat, presumably to make humans more comfortable with his presence: the useless food is later removed from a "food sac."

― Paul Eater (eater), Saturday, 23 August 2003 03:54 (twenty-two years ago)

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