I saw a technology show about these robots that can reassemble into various shapes. The future is to create tiny robots that reassemble into various programmed forms. For example, your vehicle body is made from millions of robots linked together, and if you want to drive a truck to work you have them reassemble to resemble a truck. If you prefer to drive a sporty car then they will reassemble into a sporty car. Pretty neat stuff. Here is a video demonstrating the basic concept.
[www.youtube.com]

If you have a better video please share!

That's interesting, Rocket. Do you understand how it works?

Sometimes I worry that I won't be able to keep up with the computer technology enough to keep going online in my old age. Does anyone else have that fear?

We actually have a robot that works for us --

It was my little girl's 'big present' for Christmas last year --

[www.youtube.com]

Nanotechnology it's called. Fascinating & frightening stuff.

communitybuilder Wrote:
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> Nanotechnology it's called. Fascinating &
> frightening stuff.

This video explains it better: [www.youtube.com]

Lois Wrote:
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> > That's interesting, Rocket. Do you understand
> how it works?
>

Oh yes, of course!

I understand the concept and a bit about the technology. It sounds do-able to me. LOL

The cubes look like they are holding together with electro magnets, and moving with little servo motors that are powered through the steal contact plates I would assume. Prety low tech compared with our computers these days, I think the idea must be that it is ment just to demonstrate the concepts of nano-tech rather than provide an actual example of the technology.

Lightform Wrote:
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> Prety low tech

I think that is the beauty of it! It really is low tech on a mechanical scale - individual pieces connecting together either through electromagnetism or mechanical connections. The high tech part comes into play when you have millions of tiny robots connecting together to shape-shift into various forms. One minute they can be formed together like a picture frame, then the next they can reform into a basket. THAT is the cool part. (Of course there are much more interesting uses for this sort of technology than my examples...)

Yeah Rocket
That is a very cool concept

The T-1000 comes to mind.

and the PURPOSE of this?

to eventually take over all the meaningless tedious things we do on a daily basis to free ourselves to pursue happiness and hanging out all day in fruit trees

Jgunn Wrote:
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> to eventually take over all the meaningless
> tedious things we do on a daily basis to free
> ourselves to pursue happiness and hanging out all
> day in fruit trees


LOL

I would basicly agree with Jgunn. Everything we do extends to technology be it the interconnectivity of the internet, or a simple garden spade. Complexity comes from refinement, hence the ability to build a bridge over a river. Anti technologists usually try to associate the destructive tendencies of our past human behaviour with technology itself, when in fact it is only the way in which it is being applied which is a negative.

well put Lightform

<<Anti technologists usually try to associate the destructive tendencies of our past human behaviour with technology itself, when in fact it is only the way in which it is being applied which is a negative.>>

whether or not the way in which it is applied is negative or positive, all forms of technology usually

1) take up landfills
examples: cell phones, IPODS, computers, cars, discarded kitchen sinks, stoves, microwave ovens, etc. etc.

2) are non biodegradable

thus, that is something to consider

Nicely put V.

Another point to consider is that technology is transforming the human & ecological landscape so fast it cannot possible be monitored well enough. James Watt and Henry Ford may well be responsible for the death of billions should the worst of climate change come to pass.

Unintended consequences are inevitable. Look at all the infertility & hormone problems, autism & similar diseases increasing by 10,000%, etc.

It's a double-edged sword. As in evolution, very few mutations are beneficial, many are neutral & the rest are harmful. By screwing with the way we live, work, eat, communicate & transport ourselves it's inevitable we're going to screw up more than we "fix" (was it broke in the first place?).

We can agree a fresh ear of heirloom corn is superior to spoonful of high frutose corn syrup & yet if we deem cell phones as even morally neutral (let alone harmful) we're a Luddite. F*** that. Any emerging technology (whether it be a laptop battery that doubles as a teething ring, a drug to make your kid sit still & shut up or a food additive that colors your nails for you from the inside out) should be considered guilty until proven innocent. The FDA, EPA, USDA, jokes the lot of 'em.

Maybe I wasn't making myself clear.. when I say "the way it is applied" I am also refering to the motive for its creation. If we are motivated by peace, our resulting technologies will reflect this. A brown paper bag is technology... if your hands aren't broke, then why fix them with a bag ?

I am certain that if appropriately motivated, all of our technologies could be in balance with the earth and her people. Using examples of our current problems does not question this proposition, it highlights the fact that our current motives and resulting technologies are not aligned in harmony, which we already know.

la_veronique Wrote:
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>
> 1) take up landfills
> examples: cell phones, IPODS, computers, cars,
> discarded kitchen sinks, stoves, microwave ovens,
> etc. etc.
>
> 2) are non biodegradable
>
> thus, that is something to consider


sure enough it is something to consider considering that pretty much 100% of what is made/manufactured IS recyclable .. its just our bad human nature at this point that we live in sucha a horrible throw away society .. these things DO NOT HAVE TO END UP IN LANDFILLS .. ALL plastics are recylable its just a matter of whos bottom line its affecting sadly

all metal is recylable .. all glass .. all plastic ..all wood ... all cloth ..all animal waste .. all organic waste .. it can ALL be recycled .. we just havent reached that point in our society to do it


id still love some robots around here doing my housework and chores and even my accounting so i could hang out upside down in my neighbors plum tree and talk philosophy =D



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2008 04:23AM by Jgunn.

Hmm... darn shame your not my neighbour Jg

ahh but we are Lighform !! we just need to close what i call the *stupid gap* (the masses of people that just dont get it) between you an me =D



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2008 04:46AM by Jgunn.

This is what freaks me out... this is where I ask WHY??

Rat Brain Robot

[news.bbc.co.uk]


More interesting video

[www.youtube.com]


And this video has a little footnote: "Because the brain cannot leave the lab, it communicates with the robot wirelessly." Even creepier!

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2008 08:23AM by RocketShip.

Lightform Wrote:
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> Maybe I wasn't making myself clear.. when I say
> "the way it is applied" I am also refering to the
> motive for its creation. If we are motivated by
> peace, our resulting technologies will reflect
> this.

Sorry, this just isn't true. It doesn't matter whether a scientist is thinking happy thoughts when he invents. If someone can use his invention to hurt others for personal gain, he will.


> I am certain that if appropriately motivated, all
> of our technologies could be in balance with the
> earth and her people. Using examples of our
> current problems does not question this
> proposition, it highlights the fact that our
> current motives and resulting technologies are not
> aligned in harmony, which we already know.

In the real world people are not aligned in perfect harmony.

Yeah, the bot with the rat brain is pretty freaky.

Jgunn

<<all metal is recylable .. all glass .. all plastic ..all wood ... all cloth ..all animal waste .. all organic waste .. it can ALL be recycled .. we just havent reached that point in our society to do it>>

yeah, but the amount of energy human labor, and IMMENSE technology and energy it takes to recycle all the computers, lab tops cell phones etc. is TREMENDOUS!!!!

its not the same as just throwing a banana peel back into the soil and having it decompose and recycled

recycling is far more than just putting your bottles, and plastic into the recycling bin

it is a HUGE PRODUCTION!!!!

yep i know its sucha a viscious cycle isnt it ?

i just keep trying to reduce my mess as much as possible .. i keep hoping others are too

hey jay gunn

i remember u posted stuff about having a garden

what was yer fave thing that you grew??

sorry, i forgot

i know you grew a bunch of yummy foods though

i wanna grow some figs and papaya

well my fave ever thing i ever grew was a 40 square of artichokes .. unfortunately these are not something you can eat raw ..at least ive never tried .. they're hard enough to eat cooked LOL

this year my zuchini's and spagetti squash went crazy .. and the only tomatoes i got were a huge whack of roma's none of the others lived thru all the rain but i loved the romas

and i had about 100 sq ft of just salad greens that i was snipping constantly every day .. they were hugely mixed like the mixed greens you see in stores and were fantastic ..just loved them and all the colors from lite green to deep burgandy .. beautiful !

la_veronique Wrote:
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> Jgunn
>
> <>
>
> yeah, but the amount of energy human labor, and
> IMMENSE technology and energy it takes to recycle
> all the computers, lab tops cell phones etc. is
> TREMENDOUS!!!!


Yep LaV this is true ..but considering we have this unnessecary stanglehold on energy keeping us this way .. especially when we have all this unlimted power available besides fossle fuels .. solar, air, geothermal, ocean waves ... ive read on so many sites that if we just harnessed these 4 there would not be any energy crises anywhere in the world there would be that much extra energy !

makes you think the argument that against recycling stuff BECAUSE of the energy use is justa a bad excuse not bother and continue the energy strangle hold they have on us


society really needs to step out of this fossle fuel energy thing and take up with the other big 4 ..after all .. oil aint gonna last forever and we cant keep damming up rivers

with unlimited energy comes no excuse not use it for good things like recycling

there are already robots they are using with sensors on them that sense what plastics are going down the assembly line in recycling plants and snagging them off the line and putting them into proper bing .. this to me is a good example of using technology .. unfortunately as you say .. the cost to run these kinda of systems is HUGE energy consumption .. which makes the recycling cost prohibitive and/or unprofitable (the key word to the motivation of anything in this world it seems) ...now if that same recycling plant was using energy at little cost from the wind/solar ..offsetting the cost amortized over the life of the equipmentof course .. it would be cleaner and less costly

but i digress ..our society is not there yet but its still a nice thought eh?

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist