Robots and Humans

Photo Credit: www.newscientist.com

The article discusses a new robot that is being tested to see if it can maintain the attention span of the students like a real human teacher could. The results indicate that if the robot mimics what a real teacher does to keep the class’s attention, it actually proves to keep the students attention longer. This article reminded me of the discussion we had in class about computers taking over the role of humans. The article would seem to suggest that they are, but there are several drawbacks to having a computer teacher, like the cost for the school, but also the lack of human instincts that most computers are unable to pick up on.

Found at:  http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428665.500-mindreading-robot-teachers-keep-students-focused.html

Cool "Geeks"

Photo Courtesy of geeksugar.com.

Article Found at: http://www.geeksugar.com/World-Warcraft-Helps-Find-Dates-22328000

First I would like to comment on the website: I found it very comical to see how people are attempting to make "geeky-ness" hip. The website advertises celebrities and then adds word "geeky" in the title to make it relate to geeks. However it's important to note that there is a consumer base for this kind of media and news.

The article itself also touches on an important phenomenon developing in today's tech world. This idea of less face-to-face interactions. And that people can now have relationships with computers, reveals a new dependance on computers. However I think that this isn't something to be too concerned about, because I think most people realize that a computer cannot replace everything a human can provide. I would not be too concerned about this development. 

GizModo-How to Destroy the Internet

Where I found: http://gizmodo.com/5912383/how-to-destroy-the-internet

I immediately noticed the article because we just had a lecture on the internet and it seemed interesting that someone would think they could destroy it. The article goes on the describe how one might destroy the entire internet by focusing on the software and that it works in more of an old fashion way than one thinks. I find it interesting that in the end it comes down to the physical structures. The post seems very unrealistic, and reading the comments below, many people seem to think he oversimplified a lot. But I think the key takeaway is that people are thinking about it, and our internet system is indeed very complex!