# Rise of the Machines: Robots With Human Brains **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 11, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305 "2005-05-11T00:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/1 "2005-05-11T00:16:41Z")
[Or at least are designed to think like them.](http://www.aber.ac.uk/aberonline/uwa5905.shtml) > [@](#): > > A team of computer scientists at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth have secured a major grant to build a robot that uses the same ‘thought processes’ used by the human brain. > > Led by Professor Mark Lee, the Aberystwyth team is joined by academics from six other leading universities who, together, have secured £1.9m of financial backing from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for the project. The Aberystwyth share is £470k. > > According to Professor Lee, the purpose of this project is to try to ‘unravel’ the way in which the brain works and then build a robot that can ‘think’ for itself. > “Humans and animals adapt their actions according to what surrounds them, and are able to do several things at the same time and learn from their mistakes. With this project we hope to solve this problem of multi-tasking by using our knowledge of how the brain works.” > > The team will work on three areas of development. The robot will be built to recognise objects and retrieve them using a robot ‘arm’ and cameras for ‘eyes’. It will also be able to detect features and events in its local environment. Finally it will have the ability to assess the significance of current events, direct attention to the most important and perform appropriate actions. Yeah, this strikes me as a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/2 "2005-05-11T00:21:34Z")
Resistance, I’m guessing, will eventually be futile. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/3 "2005-05-11T00:27:35Z")
Meh. Just make sure it cannot use contractions and everything will be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/4 "2005-05-11T00:33:26Z")
**Tuckerfan** , I’m not sure I understand where you’re coming from. How is this bad? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/5 "2005-05-11T00:37:55Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > **Tuckerfan** , I’m not sure I understand where you’re coming from. How is this bad? What’sa matter? Ain’t you ever seen the _Terminator_ movies? This is how it _starts!_ They start thinking like us, pretty soon, they think they can get along without us, and we all wind up D-E-A-D! ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/6 "2005-05-11T00:37:56Z")
I just came back from Fort Lauderdale Airport, and all the doors say strange things to you. “ding DING ding … You’re going to have a great day!” “ding DING ding … You’re beautiful!” I think it’s just the beginning. I was somewhat frightened. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/7 "2005-05-11T00:44:49Z")
> [@Driver8](#): > > I just came back from Fort Lauderdale Airport, and all the doors say strange things to you. > > “ding DING ding … You’re going to have a great day!” > > “ding DING ding … You’re beautiful!” > > I think it’s just the beginning. I was somewhat frightened. Did they have a smug, self-satisfied tone of voice? I’m betting that mindless jerks at the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation are behind them. ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/8 "2005-05-11T00:57:22Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Did they have a smug, self-satisfied tone of voice? I’m betting that mindless jerks at the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation are behind them. Oh, go stick your head in a pig. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/9 "2005-05-11T00:59:43Z")
> [@LeeshaJoy](#): > > Oh, go stick your head in a pig. Oh, go bang your heads together four eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/10 "2005-05-11T01:06:16Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > What’sa matter? Ain’t you ever seen the _Terminator_ movies? This is how it _starts!_ They start thinking like us, pretty soon, they think they can get along without us, and we all wind up D-E-A-D! Yeah, but how many people actually try to take over the world constantly? The robots will just end up watching robot soap operas and surfing for robot porn all day… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/11 "2005-05-11T01:15:02Z")
> [@Monstre](#): > > Yeah, but how many people actually try to take over the world constantly? > > The robots will just end up watching robot soap operas and surfing for robot porn all day… Until the robot Jeebus appears, and they all get religion. . . ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/12 "2005-05-11T01:23:54Z")
Robots with human brains? Sweet! When can I transfer mine? I wanna be an Adrienne Barbeaubot! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/13 "2005-05-11T02:06:07Z")
Sleek, elegantly designed robot strides purposefully to the work-bench. Pauses. “Now, _why_ did I come to the workbench, again? What was I doing? Damn, I hate when that happens.” ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/14 "2005-05-11T03:10:16Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > **Rise of the Machines: Robots With Human Brains** Hey, maybe next they can design a few more _Humans_ with Human brains. We seem to be running out of those, especially around rush hour. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/15 "2005-05-11T09:53:36Z")
Humans are overrated anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/16 "2005-05-11T13:23:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Humans are overrated anyway. and puny. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/17 "2005-05-11T13:42:17Z")
I can see it now. The robots will need years of therapy and will still be unable to fit effectively into society. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/18 "2005-05-11T13:46:38Z")
Given how many times I’ve seen very similar proposals and ideas, none of which have come to fruition, I’m not sure this is worth worrying about yet. Frankly, we still don’t understand how humans think, so trying to make a robot which does the same isn’t really practical yet. Aside from that, what we’d get is likely an artificial intelligence, but not an artificial consciousness. Specifically, the former just isn’t alive in any sense we’d care to call it. It thinks, but has no desires, feelings, or ideas. It just does what you tell it to: nothing more than an electronic bulldozer with a very good control system. When you tell it do nothing, it will simply shut down. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/19 "2005-05-11T14:01:58Z")
The robots would be much more effective if they used[rat brains](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/07/rat_brain_flies_jet/) ---
**Author:** ![Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58956e/32.png) [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305/20 "2005-05-11T14:03:23Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > It thinks, but has no desires, feelings, or ideas. It just does what you tell it to: nothing more than an electronic bulldozer with a very good control system. When you tell it do nothing, it will simply shut down. That’s what it wants you to think. Can you demonstrate the impossibility of programming in emotions and drives? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rise-of-the-machines-robots-with-human-brains/303305.md?page=2)