WEBVTT - Are robots alive? 0:00:01.560 --> 0:00:04.760 Welcome to Stuff from the Science Lab from how stuff 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:16.400 works dot com. Hey guys, this is Alice not Am 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:18.400 with the science editor at how stuff works dot com. 0:00:18.560 --> 0:00:21.079 This is Robert Lamb's science writer at how stuff works 0:00:21.079 --> 0:00:26.480 dot com. And uh, this podcast, we're talking about robots 0:00:26.720 --> 0:00:29.560 and then they're not there alive? Yeah, big question? Are 0:00:29.800 --> 0:00:32.239 robots alive? So you just got into this question when 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:36.160 you wrote the similarly named article for Discovery News, right, Yes, yeah, 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:39.000 we've been doing a bunch of these big questions for 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:42.040 Discovery News. Um, and we've been doing some big questions 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:44.520 for How stuff Works as well. Just you know, our 0:00:44.640 --> 0:00:49.120 robots alive? Um. You know what are some other ones 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:52.199 Strickland wrote about it too. Yeah, Strickland wrote one about 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:56.680 robot consciousness and all, and it's a very related issue. 0:00:56.680 --> 0:00:58.720 We're not going to get in as much into consciousness, 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:03.040 but deal more of with definitions of life and how 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:07.160 robots may or may not meet that criteria. Yes, I 0:01:07.200 --> 0:01:09.080 believe it or not, there are quite a few definitions 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:11.520 of life out there, So let's get onto one of 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:14.959 the more scientific definitions of life, and that is one 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:19.280 in which proteins and nucleic acids interacting ways that allow 0:01:19.360 --> 0:01:22.240 a structure to grow and reproduce. Yeah, I think pretty 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:28.559 obvious robots is not going to meet that particular criteria, right, So, yeah, 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.240 that's a that's a that this is definitely um describing life, 0:01:32.440 --> 0:01:36.000 defining life as organic um in a very particular manner 0:01:36.040 --> 0:01:39.000 that applies to us, definitely, So so no go on 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:42.880 robots for that one. However, there's another definition that life 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:46.640 is a system that's capable of Darwinian evolution, all right. 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:48.760 To meet this criteria, robot would have to be able 0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:51.880 to reproduce and make more of itself, and it would 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:55.680 also need a source of variation, so right, so that 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:58.360 all of the new generation wouldn't be identical to the 0:01:58.400 --> 0:02:00.760 previous and that all the sub links would be varied 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:05.080 as well. So then natural selection could take place because 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:09.560 when obviously when humans reproduce or or or any animal, uh, 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:13.280 they're not creating exact um you know, replicants of themselves 0:02:13.280 --> 0:02:17.080 and that creating clones. They're creating variations. And the whole ideas, 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:20.680 you know, the whole idea is that that we're going 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:23.840 to create a lot of different variations on this successful model, 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:26.520 and we'll see if an even more successful model will 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:28.600 come out of it, or if there's a variation that 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:31.080 will be more adapt for the you know, for the 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:36.720 current situation, right mutation as the spice of life exactly. So, um, yeah, 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:39.040 I can robots do that. A couple of people have 0:02:39.040 --> 0:02:42.359 taken a shot at this, right Yeah. Yeah, the more 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:43.800 more than a couple. But there are a couple of 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:46.239 that are that are rather interesting to look at. There's 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:49.679 a Cornell team that built they built this robot, and 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:52.240 these are robots. This particular robot especially is one that 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:56.840 was designed only to replicate itself in a very simple manner, 0:02:56.880 --> 0:02:59.240 so it's not it's not like it's doing other things 0:02:59.280 --> 0:03:03.600 and then on the side it's making more of itself. Um. Basically, 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:06.280 this one is made up of a series of modular cubes, 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:09.160 and each cube has all the like you know. Basically, 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:12.400 it's kind of like a block robot. Imagine little little 0:03:12.440 --> 0:03:14.920 cubes and all in the cubes contain the robotics, if 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:17.440 you will. This is no crepf right, and it sort 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:19.240 of builds itself out of these blocks, and then it 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:22.640 can build another of itself out of other blocks. But 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:24.560 the blocks are already built. But it's it's so it's 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:28.000 very rudimentory. Right, So there's that one and there's the 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.840 English guys right out of the University of Bath. Yeah. 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:33.519 What's it called rep wrap, which I like a lot, 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:37.760 and that's short for replicating rapid prototyper. So with this 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:40.640 particular bot is concerned with, is it prints out these 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:44.680 thin layers of molten biodegradable plastic and those layers can 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:46.480 then be used to create its own three D parts. 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.320 It can also make sandals, no way. Yeah, yeah, they 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:52.440 had like it's it's basically yeah, it's like, you know, 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:54.200 it's like almost like a router, you know, it's just 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:59.040 making little shape fils for for humans. Yeah, are you serious? Yeah, 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:01.440 it's like basically it's like I said, these are very 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:03.720 simple robots. It's kind of you know, it's just making 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:07.840 remarkable thing that it can make it well anyway, like 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.240 these are just the baby steps towards you know, the 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:12.480 sort of the very sci fi ideas that you might 0:04:12.520 --> 0:04:16.320 see and say Stanislaw Limbs The Invisible or Philip K. 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:19.640 Dick's Second Variety, you know, or um, I guess Terminators 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:23.000 were Terminator um movie nine, you know who? You have 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:26.520 robots that are making more of themselves. You know, this 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:28.760 is this is how it begins, except hopefully it doesn't 0:04:28.920 --> 0:04:32.479 end quite as dismally. Yeah. So, one interesting question that 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:34.760 came up when you're researching this was the question of 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:38.200 whether computer viruses are alive. Yeah. A lot of people 0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:41.880 make the argument that they are UM, including Stephen Hawking. 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:46.400 But remember, yeah, and I'm one of those documentaries that 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:48.960 are getting so much media coverage right now on Discovery 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:55.800 Channel Into the Universe. Yeah, for the web presence for it. Um. 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:59.000 So yeah, our computer viruses alive. Well. One thing to 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.119 keep in mind is that y ular viruses are tricky 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:04.640 enough to define um depending on who you ask. That 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:08.119 kind of occupy a gray area the viruses and again 0:05:08.160 --> 0:05:10.960 with these organic viruses, like most of the internal structure 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:15.600 and machinery that characterize many definitions of life, including the 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:19.839 biosynthetic machinery that is necessary for reproduction. In order for 0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:22.720 a virus to replicate, it has to infect a host cell. 0:05:23.760 --> 0:05:26.159 But computer viruses, on the other end, have this sort 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:30.039 of partially automated ability to reproduce. But the virus itself, 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:32.760 this is an important distinction, is not the agent of reproduction. 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.360 The computer is. Yeah, I ran across a great analogy 0:05:35.400 --> 0:05:39.080 for this, uh in Eugene HS. Stafford's Computer Viruses as 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:41.599 Artificial Life, which is a great read. You can find 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:44.400 it online and pdf form. Yeah, he points out that 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:47.680 the virus is not the agent of reproduction, the computer is. 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:51.479 He said, so if he argues in this that or 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:55.719 he makes the analogy. So so yeah, he uh, he 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:58.760 makes the analogy that if if that is life, then 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:03.480 printed out prints of a for a Xerox machine or life, right, 0:06:03.520 --> 0:06:05.080 like a big stack of papers that have all the 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.400 plans for the zero Well, okay, so I I give 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:11.320 that these plans to you, right, and then you could 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:14.599 technically use those plans to make a Xerox machine correct, 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.680 And then you could take those plans put them through 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:21.040 the Xerox machine, and then you have a new copy 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:24.240 and a replica of the Then you have two stacks 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:28.120 of Xerox plans, Stack A and Stack B, and then 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:30.520 you could take Stack B and I could read them, 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:34.320 build a Xerox machine and then run Stack B through 0:06:34.360 --> 0:06:37.360 the zero new Xerox machine and create Stack C. That's 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:40.520 really interesting. Yeah, but you know so, But obviously the 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:43.160 stack of papers just to stack of paper with information 0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:48.240 on them, so, so I found that particularly interesting. Of course, 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:51.600 the other question would be can a computer virus evolve? Um? 0:06:51.640 --> 0:06:55.880 That's another problem. According to Stafford, While a complex computer 0:06:56.000 --> 0:06:59.280 virus might be able to adapt and evolve, um, you know, 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:01.720 he argues that this kind of virus would be larger 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:05.080 than most host programs and possibly larger than the host 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:08.880 system as well. Um, virus is out there and on 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:11.880 the Internet. They do evolve, but generally, but in the 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:14.560 sense that there's an author out there who is who 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.800 tweaks them and uh, and it makes them adapt m 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:22.200 so that they can, you know, better, screw with your browser. Right. 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:24.160 So then if you if you look at it that way, 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.600 you wouldn't necessarily call it computer virus alive, right, because 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:31.080 the agent of change here is, you know, some guy 0:07:31.080 --> 0:07:35.600 in Korea on a PC putting Korean there. Well, I 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:37.720 thought there seems like there was a big story where 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:40.280 they were certain they were like, I mean, they're everywhere 0:07:41.200 --> 0:07:44.400 saying that all computer virus authors are in Korea by 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:48.720 any means. So let's let's talk about the difference between 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:53.160 automatons and actual robots. Um. Yeah, this is something important 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:56.480 to keep in mind and something that came out of 0:07:56.480 --> 0:08:02.280 a conversation I had with Idaho National Laboratory roboticist Derek Wadsworth. Um. 0:08:02.400 --> 0:08:05.160 He said that you, on one hand, you have an 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.160 automaton and this is like a mechanical manipulator on the 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:10.720 vehicle assembly line. Right. Have you seen some of the 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:13.960 pictures of the robots on vehicle assembly lines are pretty amazing. Yeah. 0:08:14.000 --> 0:08:17.920 I've not only seen pictures, I've seen moving pictures of them. Excellent. Yeah, 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:19.880 I seetimes. They used to show them on Sesame Street, 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:23.120 didn't they. I've never seen that. You've never seen Sesame Street. No, 0:08:23.240 --> 0:08:26.040 I've never seen a particular part of the robot version 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:30.560 of Sesame Street. It's just auto assembly line machines. Um. 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:33.400 So okay. So they have the ability, these robot arms 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:35.080 that are putting together cars, they have the ability to 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:38.079 sense and act um like a vehicle frame advances on 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.920 a conveyor belt, the manipulator since is its presence and 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:45.120 then installs a windshield. A true robot applies an extra 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:48.400 step in this process, and that's reason. It analyzes the 0:08:48.440 --> 0:08:51.679 sense data and then acts based on its computations. And 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:54.520 the cool thing is that is humans we have those capabilities, 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:58.120 so and everything we do. We're constantly processing our environment 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:03.280 where you know, smelling what's cooking, analyzing um, what that 0:09:03.320 --> 0:09:05.439 smell means to us, and then we're producing an action. 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:08.280 You know, we're going to the kitchen to you know, 0:09:08.320 --> 0:09:10.200 sniff out an extra donut that somebody left in the 0:09:10.200 --> 0:09:13.199 break room. Yeah, but that's one of the things that 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:16.000 there's so many little bits of since data that we 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:18.280 absorbed and we don't even realize we're absorbing them and 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:21.200 just you know, it's it's happening subconsciously. And then where 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:25.920 we're computing that with like past life experiences, you know, 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.040 some of which may you know a lot of data 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:31.400 from the past, et cetera. Gets it gets so complicated 0:09:31.440 --> 0:09:33.480 that we're not even aware of most of what's going on. 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:36.600 So to apply this to robots according to Watts, where 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:39.280 if they're alive in the sense that, yes, some robots 0:09:39.280 --> 0:09:43.120 do in fact have the abilities to sense, reason and act. 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:47.560 So I'd say I'd score one point for robots being alive. Yeah, yeah, 0:09:47.600 --> 0:09:51.199 that sounds pretty good. In fact, one of the robots 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:53.600 that you can make a case for being alive actually 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:55.599 lives in my house and probably a lot of a 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:57.520 lot of listeners have I'm so jealous of this. I 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:00.000 totally want to remove although I just got a really, really, 0:10:00.120 --> 0:10:02.520 really great vacuum, which I'm very excited about. Yeah, but 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:05.560 who's the who's the agent of vacuuming in in that scenario, 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:08.400 that's true, I am the Asian vacuuming those kids. Give 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:10.520 those those kids to work vacuuming, and we are not 0:10:10.559 --> 0:10:12.800 let them touch money vacuum. We'll see that. That's the 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:14.520 great thing about the room. But it's the room. But 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:18.200 is vacuuming obviously, And it's not just it's easy. If 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:21.880 you if you've never played with one of these before, UM, 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:23.440 you know it's it's it's great because it's not just 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:26.760 bouncing off the walls and just randomly vacuating the whole house. 0:10:26.880 --> 0:10:30.880 You know, it's um you know, it's actually measuring, you 0:10:30.880 --> 0:10:33.719 know where it is. It's it's reacting to the environment 0:10:34.160 --> 0:10:37.040 and and like creating this map of where things are, 0:10:37.520 --> 0:10:40.320 UM so that the next time it comes into your 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:44.599 kitchen and remembers that, oh gosh, the trash can is 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:46.280 situated in the corner. And I'm not going to go 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:48.600 in this direction. Well, I'm not sure about the more 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:50.880 advanced models. Another one we have it. It's like it 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:52.760 seems like each time you turn it on, it's like 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:56.120 it's it's a new learning experience. But during that run, 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:58.920 it'll you know, it'll get smarter as it goes. Um, 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:01.760 how does your cat feel about They don't get along 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:03.520 all that? Well, they don't hate each other, but they 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:06.640 don't like to hang out. Um, and uh, you know, 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:08.960 and then the room, bob, you know, it's you still 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:11.040 have to actually clean it and things like that. It's 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:12.599 not that's the thing the problem. Some people get the 0:11:12.640 --> 0:11:14.880 room and they're light. You're like, hooray, I never have 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:17.559 to mess with a vacuum cleaner again. And that's wrong 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:20.559 and actually need to clean it out. Um. Can I 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:22.720 ask you a personal question? Go for it? How often 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:26.800 do you vacuum? Um? Or you or your partner? Um, 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:29.600 we turn on the room, but I don't know, maybe once. 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:31.880 So it depends on the room. And the cat actually 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:34.400 plays a big role in this because there's like one 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:37.840 carpet that the cat likes to to roll around on 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.439 and so she sheds a lot on that carpet. So 0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:43.000 then the room but has to go in and suck 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:44.600 up all the hair. So actually the cat in the room. 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:49.160 But I really have a very close relationship in that sense. Um, 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:51.120 the big thing to keep in mind with with any 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:53.680 room but though is don't let it taste human blood, 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.040 because then it's then it's all over. They become man 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.800 killers and they have to be put down. But then, anyway, 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:04.040 to the point is that you can make a very 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.800 good argument that the room but is alive. It's uh, 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:09.920 it's it gets to what it's expecting a wall, it's 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:12.640 expecting some some sort of obstacle in the way, and 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:14.520 it forms the map of the room so it doesn't 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:18.800 need to run into those objects anymore. So again, in 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:23.000 the automanton robot division, it's it's all about defining what 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.480 is a robot. And you know earlier we're talking about 0:12:25.520 --> 0:12:29.400 what is life. There are other there are other robotists 0:12:29.440 --> 0:12:31.680 who go as far as to say, hey, um, you know, 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:35.400 technically are cars or robots? You know, they have all 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:38.600 these different integrated computer systems I think upwards like a 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:41.080 dozen in some of the price here automobiles. Yeah, I 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.880 don't know what you're driving, but my car does not 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:47.360 qualify for that category. Really, Yeah, my CD player doesn't 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:49.240 even work. It's busted. But but here's the thing. Do 0:12:49.280 --> 0:12:53.360 you think your car is alive? I don't really think 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:55.840 of it as such, although I did give it a name. Yeah, 0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:59.760 would you name your car M Francis for see you 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:01.680 see your car? Then in a since your car is 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.199 more alive in my car, which has no name, mine's 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:06.439 just the car. I can't I generally can't even remember 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:08.959 what make a model it is much. I know what 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.640 makes a model it is? Yeah, yeah, mine cool? Because 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.000 we used to park at that same mortestation. Oh did we? 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:19.720 And you were coming in like messing with my car? No, no, no, 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:22.560 I would never do that. Well not, and that's your 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:25.760 car at least. But but but I actually underlined something 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:28.920 important about the whole issue of like robots and whether 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:30.200 they're alive or not. I mean, a lot of it 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:32.920 comes down to our It comes on to our perception 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:34.520 a lot of the times. You know, it's like the 0:13:34.720 --> 0:13:38.200 more robots seems to be alive, the more you know 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:41.760 it is alive, at least to us. But then that's 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.040 that's kind of our failings as human. Like you draw 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:47.320 anything that kind of looks like a smiley face, and 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:53.400 we instantly begin to yeah, we anthro morpie. Everything that's true, 0:13:53.440 --> 0:13:58.240 we do. So what what what mean for for robots 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:02.360 if they reach the point where they are definitely alive? Sure? 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:04.480 Do they have rights? Yeah? Do they have rights? Can 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:08.240 they marry? Um? I read an interesting argument about whether 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:10.120 or not it's a good idea to send them off 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:14.480 into space, because self replicating intelligent robots would be great 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.280 for exploring the universe. You know, just send them out, 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:20.120 let them harvest new resources as they go. But is 0:14:20.160 --> 0:14:23.520 that ethical to send an army of robots to another 0:14:24.040 --> 0:14:26.200 you know, to just an exoplanet to eat it and 0:14:26.240 --> 0:14:29.440 make more of themselves. Right, we know already that robots 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:33.880 gets some of the less attractive jobs. Let's say, Yeah, 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:36.760 like at my house, like I get to do the 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:40.440 you know, the cool things like move things into the attic. Right, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:42.280 I assume you're not down on the floor. Second up 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:43.960 cat hair. Yeah, I mean that's the whole thing. It's like, 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:46.160 we have a robot, we don't have to vacuum anymore. 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:47.960 And you know, or even in the case of the 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:50.960 recent oil spill that's messing with the Gulf coast right now. 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:53.360 I mean, what's the first thing people say, Well, sending 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.280 the robots to see if they can set off or 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:57.960 turn off that massive week. I'm kidding. I think robots 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:00.280 should obviously do a lot of these crazy job ups 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.080 and we shouldn't put humans at risk, but they do 0:15:03.240 --> 0:15:05.760 get a lot of really bad jobs. Yeah, there's a 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:08.960 there's a great moment on a Futurama where Bender the 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.800 right here for watch Futurama. Yeah, Bender the robot. You know, 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.400 he gets all up in arms when somebody at a 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.960 ballgame like breaks a beer bottle and like a little 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:19.960 robot comes up and cleans it out, cleans it up, 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:22.520 and he's and he makes a big outcry about all 0:15:22.560 --> 0:15:24.240 I look at and they're not not the human child 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.680 who has to clean up the mess. It's true. We 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:29.560 put the robots to work, and if they end up 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:31.920 with rights someday, then you know, maybe they'll have to 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:34.480 uh have to have some robotic from an in action. 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:37.360 I don't know. So let us know what you think. 0:15:37.400 --> 0:15:39.080 Do you think robots are alive? Do you think they 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:42.800 will become alive? Do you think Robert is a robot? Cars? 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:46.600 Did Alison key my car? Yeah? If you have an 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:48.680 opinion on any of these things, send us an email 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.720 at Science Stuff at has Differ Dot com, so come 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:54.080 check out the blog. You can access it off the 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:58.000 home page. We also have a Facebook account which you 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:00.560 can just search for stuff from the side Fence Lab 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:02.240 and then I'll lead you right to it, and you 0:16:02.240 --> 0:16:04.640 can check us out on Twitter. We are lab stuff 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:08.680 and we're constantly updating that thing. So yeah, we're all 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:12.080 over the web. We're tweeting, breakining, mad science. That's what 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:22.400 we do. So thanks for listening, guys. For more on 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:24.960 this and thousands of other topics, is it how stuff 0:16:24.960 --> 0:16:28.520 works dot com. Want more how stuff works, check out 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:31.080 our blogs on the house stuff works dot com home page.