Weeklydig on Rod and robot (non)domination

[Mike Oltmans <moltmans@>]

This week we return to some of GSB's most time honored themes: making
fun of Rod, the popular press, and robots taking over the world.
Fortunately, for me, I don't have to try very hard to weave these
threads together because M. Arner has already done the honors in the
WeeklyDig:
<http://www.weeklydig.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/article.view/issueID/36f747b1-8328-42ee-bd4a-9f2e28d83203/articleID/e1a96fb1-9694-478d-b7e8-5e109073651a/nodeID/4b1339d1-be3a-44a2-be8b-1484963a003a>

The article begins with a marvelous line about "Disney’s 1956 Forbidden
Planet, in which advanced technology joins forces with the darker parts
of the human psyche to unleash whole reservoirs of animated whoop-ass on
unsuspecting styrofoam sets."  A description equally befitting of the
Charles Isbell classic from the AI Olympics ~1998 to the tune of
"Mr. Roboto."

Moving on to another GSB classic theme we find M. Arner's brilliant 
description of our home: "imagine Blade Runner crossed with Romper Room, 
then purchased and sanitized by Starbucks," who, by the way, provides us 
our morning coffee and overpriced muffins, in the guise of the "Forbes 
Family Cafe."

The article continues with a nice history of AI including a description 
of how "a long AI winter set in, with no thaw in sight—at least not 
until the easy-money optimism of the mid-’90s resuscitated all manner of 
ambitious Frankenstein scenarios."  Of course the mid-'90s are long gone 
and free pizza is not as readily found as it once was, especially with 
our head bread roll winner off playing celebrity at movie showings. 
Frankenstein has been disassembled and his brain has been stuck back in 
a jar and balanced precariously on a high up ledge in TK land.

And my personal favorite from the article is this gem of a description 
of Rod:
"He removes his glasses when a photographer gets a little too close, 
embarrassed, as he has written, to not yet have “the latest in 
corrective laser surgery.” It’s an interesting form of vanity for a man 
who believes the robotic revolution will, in time, converge with the 
revolution in biotech."
It's also an odd form of vanity for this man: 
<http://projects.csail.mit.edu/gsb/message-sites/gsb_zen.jpg>
Right.  Definitely much better without the glasses.

And in parting from the article, and you my fair readers, we are left 
with this quote on what you can take away from this weeks special 
edition of GSB:

“Ideas,” Brooks says. “Hopefully, lots of damn liberal ideas.”

           +-                                                  -+
             girl scout benefit -+-  5:30 pm  -+- 32-G9 lounge
           +-                                                  -+

              For those coming from elsewhere: Building 32 is
               <http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=32>
          Once you are in 32, just take the G-elevator to the 9th
      floor and we will be in the lounge that you will be looking at
                    <http://projects.csail.mit.edu/gsb>


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