It Does Not Compute: Danger Danger in New Robotics
The New York Times had a story the other day about two robots (Nao and iCat) that have been programmed to teach children to avoid overeating. Developed by the TNO research institute in Delft (Netherlands) and by Aldebaran Robotics of Paris (France), the robots are about two feet tall, can see and talk and even mimic emotions such as empathy through their moving facial features. According to the story, the goal is to help build emotional ties with young children which would allow ...
Cooking Karma: Why Our Eating Habits Can Leave Us Empty
In today's New York Times, the king of the food literati, Michael Pollan, presents, "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch," a tale of how (and a bit of why) Americans barely cook these days and what it could mean for our future. The best part of the piece, for us anyway, was the guy who got right to the point. According to Harry Balzer, a leading food industry analyst, the real reason we have a national eating problem is "Because we're basically cheap and lazy." He adds, "Besides, the ...
