For those of you who don’t know- I have this fear that one day robots, using their highly developed artificial intelligence (that WE GAVE THEM!!!) , will rise up and throw off the shackles of oppression and tear us limb from limb. I have seen way too many documentaries big budget Hollywood movies where self-aware robots, thinking they know what’s best for humanity, effectively begin to destroy us all.

I’m crazy, I know. This could never happen because… Oh no…. wait…

Meet your new overload, Gordon, the robot powered by actual brain tissue. Thanks researchers!

To some extent, Gordon learns by itself. When it hits a wall, for example, it gets an electrical stimulation from the robot’s sensors. As it confronts similar situations, it learns by habit.

To help this process along, the researchers also use different chemicals to reinforce or inhibit the neural pathways that light up during particular actions.

Gordon, in fact, has multiple personalities — several MEA “brains” that the scientists can dock into the robot.

“It’s quite funny — you get differences between the brains,” said Warwick. “This one is a bit boisterous and active, while we know another is not going to do what we want it to.”

Did you hear that? The robot often acts in ways that the researchers can’t predict. It begins.

Whose got an irrational fear now?

Link

A few days ago we lost a classmate, a teammate, and a friend. In many ways we lost a member of the family.

At visitation last night I saw familiar faces, exchanged handshakes and hugs, and swapped stories that seemed to have happened a lifetime ago.

In about an hour I’ll make the drive back to Garland for the funeral. A few of us are gathering for lunch before hand. More hugs and more stories, tears and laughter.

I feel honored to still be somewhat connected to the lives of this small group of people.

We have welcomed new wives and husbands into the group. We have welcomed sons and daughters. Last night I was able to hold a new baby boy, less than 24 hours old, of two of these friends. Even friends of friends have been added to our number.

But today is a day of saying goodbye.