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POPSRobot builders seek a little help from sci-fi
"People that thought of it as a camera with legs were really pleased, but people that thought of it as a photographer were really disappointed," he says. Smart thinks those raised expectations were down to the impact of unrealistically human-like robots in movies and books. "People don't really know what they are. C-3PO in Star Wars is very humanlike, intelligent and capable, but real robots are not like that at all." Instead of just forcing people to alter their expectations, Smart thinks it makes sense to study how people's ideas about robots are influenced by fiction. That knowledge could be used to design robots that make the most of those expectations. "My real concern is to get people and robots to play together nicely," says Smart. Engineers might learn from fictional robots in other ways, says Sharkey. "It would be worthwhile to study the way computer animators make us connect with simple, non-human objects." Pixar's WALL-E, for example, is easy to connect with, he
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POPSI used to be I used to be a railroad conductor, but my boss found out I wasn't trained. I used to be a road digger, but I got re-trenched. I used to be a sanitation engineer, but the city dumped me. I used to sell computer parts, but then I lost my drive. I used to be a shoe salesman, till they gave me the boot. I used to work at Starbucks, but I got tired of the daily grind. I used to be a tailor, but found the work to be just so-so. I used to be a taxi driver, but found I couldn't hack it. I used to be a teacher, but found I didn't have enough class. I used to be a tennis instructor, but it just wasn't my racket. I used to be a train driver but I got sidetracked. I used to be a transplant surgeon, but my heart just wasn't in it. I used to be a Velcro salesman, but couldn't stick with it. I considered going into the ministry but I didn't have an altar ego. I tried working in a bakery, but was told I wasn't "bread" for it. I thought becoming a candle maker, but I wasn't sure wick end
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POPS15 funniest definitions of teenager A romantic who never falls in love more than once a week. A budding beauty who never smiles until her braces come off. A boy who can sleep until noon on any Saturday when he suspects the lawn needs mowing. An original thinker who is positive that her mother was never a teenager.
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POPSWrong E-mail Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read: To: My loving wife Subject: I've arrived Date: April 6, 2006 I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then. Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was. P.S. Sure is hot down here!!!!!
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POPS30+ “Funniest” Places on the Web Sometimes you need to forget about work and just lie back and relax. We actually recommend going outside, ... more fun at http://mashable.com/2007/10/06/funny-bone-toolbox/
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POPSWhat if operating systems were airlines? * Windows Airlines — The terminal is pretty and colorful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane crashes to ground with no warning whatsoever.
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POPSFunny Jokes Fun, laughter and entertainment. The latest funnies jokes and quotes. Including lawyer, blonde, women, men, doctor, senior citizen and military jokes and lots of humor.
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POPSCtrl,Alt,Del if you've heard this joke before Reminds me of a laugh track. Give computers a sense of humor ? A sense of humor is helped by knowing that something is funny, that there are others that agree, and the generally agree for the same reason. An expression of community. It can depend on the infectiousness of laughter. Some of the funniest jokes are about things that cannot be programmed. Like, when you had to be there. They don't need programmers who think they are comedians, they need comedians who think they can program. One big problem. Computers aren't funny hillarious, but sometimes they're funny peculiar, as in, funny how it crashed just before I did a backup.
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