Take a long look at the above series of photos. Go ahead. We'll wait. They essay a monkey controlling a robot arm with his thoughts. Let that sink in for a second: Scientists (presumably mad) are using technology to create monkeys that telepathically bond with robots. Hey, monkeys: We're really sorry about all the vivisection.
The monkeys' brains adopt the mechanical appendage as their own, refining its movement as it interacts with real objects in real time. So monkey hungry: Use robot arm to get food! Monkey angry, smash labratory! Burn City!
The technology will eventually be used to help people with spinal injuries navigate the world, provided of course, our telepathic robotic monkey overlords allow it.
Having brought you this news, we believe TheFeed's mission has been completed. All Hail Koko, our many-armed supreme ro-monkey commander!
Herald Triubune: Monkeys control a robot arm with thoughts
We're having ourselves a Mars landing on Sunday. The newest mission to Mars (this one without Tim Robbins, thankfully) will attempt to put the Mars Phoenix Lander in the far northern plains close to the polar ice cap. She'll be scooping the soil and analyzing the permafrost for evidence of organic material, either alive or fossilized in some way.
We draw ever closer to the day our robot liberators will make our imperfect world their own each and every day. Today, we celebrate ASIMO, the Honda-built robot, who had the unique opportunity to conduct the Detroit Symphony in a version of "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha.
Wi-fi devices implanted in a human body could be used to warn doctors in the event of a health emergency, but the concept raises questions.
Oh, NASCAR, what have you wrought? Now that people are actively considering car racing sports, can robots be far behind? The answer is no, as ESPN2 and ESPNU have inexplicably picked up BattleBots for air on their stations. We're not sure how this relates to "sports," but we would much rather watch competitive bass fishing or the United Federation of Wallpaper* playoffs than BattleBots.
If you could have a robot do just one thing, what would it be?
University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey poses the idea that automated robots might be a genuine threat to humanity, depending on whose hands they fall into. Although robots currently require troublesome human intervention to make them work, there is a glorious horizon in the distance in which the robots will become automated, and will begin being able to accomplish tasks themselves.
Oh, by the way, NASA is setting up a moon colony. They are also setting up a satellite phone network so that the new moon people can talk to each other.
