Robot Reports from the BBC

Some new video reports from BBC science, the first is an impressive jumping robot from Boston Dynamics and the second video is a round up of the latest developments in medical robots.

Mori – Buddhism – Social Construction

A Heartbeat That Has Lasted a Hundred Million Years:

“The great life of the cosmos is never-ceasing. Each breath we take, each beat of our hearts, is a part of this unending movement. Before all else, we must awaken ourselves to the cosmic life within us. Otherwise, we cannot begin to know the world we live in as it really exists.” (Masahiro Mori, 1981)

After reading Mori’s ‘The Buddha in the Robot’ I was looking for a definitive connection between Buddhism and Social Construction and this paper is a compelling example. Most authors who consider themselves to be writing within the Social Constructionist perspective seem to pass over its connections with the Buddhist tradition and teachings.

 “If you call this a stick, you affirm; if you call it not a stick, you negate. Beyond affirmation and negation what would you call it?”  (12th Century Koan of Tai-hui) – “a constructionist centrepiece” – Gergen  (2006)

 I’d still like to go to heaven or nirvana though please, even though I’m an existentialist (to boot)? – Sometimes I’m actually glad it’s only me that reads this rubbish!!!!

Elektro (Robot History)

Elektro, from the New York World’s Fair in 1939, it was built by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It could be said that we haven’t come as far as we think regarding Humanoid Robots, Elektro is 60 years old?

Maria – Robot Debut to the Silver Screen

Maria is the creation of Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis, probably the first Robot or Android on the ‘silver screen’.