Technology What could go wrong?

[surge]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...es-that-can-evolve-on-their-own-10453196.html

Scientists have created a ‘mother’ robot that can build babies out of mechanised blocks, and then create new ones that evolve from the previous generation.


The findings show that robots could be able to evolve on their own, in the same way that animals and humans have. Like biological evolution, the robots mother could look out for the best traits in her children, and then use those to improve the following generations of robots.

In five different experiments, robot set the mother — which looks like a big robotic arm — to work building generations of ten different children. They were built out of small plastic cubes with motors inside.

The experiments found that those baby robots passed down all of their best traits. The last generation of children could perform tasks twice as quickly as the first, according to the results posted in the journal PLOS One.

Each of the robots carries a “genome”, made up of different genes, like humans do. As the generations were built, they passed them down and they mutated and cross over, deleting and merging genes to choose the most effective.
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[Seahunter]

- oh, and !!

 

[Debi]

Just the first step in taking over the world, IMO. People seem to think this is just GREAT! Think again.....think it through carefully!

 

[The Doctor]

In other words, a pretty straightforward genetic algorithm, constrained by the problem space of the modules available to it (and the mechanisms therein). Nifty - about time this left the simulation phase.

 

[Debi]

In other words, a pretty straightforward genetic algorithm, constrained by the problem space of the modules available to it (and the mechanisms therein). Nifty - about time this left the simulation phase.

***sigh*** You science guys still make me nervous.....

 

[The Doctor]

***sigh*** You science guys still make me nervous.....

To think that we are not cognizant of the potential side effects of our work is not entirely accurate; too many of us are, but we work in our problem spaces because we can exercise control over our work. Additionally, our work gives us an unparalleled understanding of the failure modes and vulnerabilities of our work.

The question is, when taking into account having a job in a financial climate in which mass layoffs are an accepted way of increasing end-of-quarter profit (and multiple years of unemployment afterward are normal), who will stand up and who will not?

 

[Debi]

Reading behind those words, I take it that you do your jobs because you can and you enjoy going forward with the science; however, you have to tow the line and let the leaders do what they will with what you do or loose your job. In the ballpark with my assumption, Doc?

 

[The Doctor]

Reading behind those words, I take it that you do your jobs because you can and you enjoy going forward with the science; however, you have to toe the line and let the leaders do what they will with what you do or loose your job. In the ballpark with my assumption, Doc?

Sometimes "let," sometimes "find out after the fact what is being done," assuming that there is ever any feedback from where funding comes from (which is not always the case). Sometimes there is no ethical quandry (non-military, non-governmental). Do not discount my final point, either.

 

[Debi]

Do not discount my final point, either.

I do not discount it and do understand.