Does not compute- space still misunderstood, robot overlords march onwards.

Evening all grumble-goons. Recently, you may recall (if you've inflicted any past posts upon yourself) I've been pretty down in the dumps about the fact that I'll (we'll) probably never get to flit between planets and what not. The closest thing most of us will get is on a console, and the elite few who get closer will probably suffer the dichotomy of throwing up and then marvelling at the beads of vom as they spiral through weightlessness. That, and they'll have to thank Branson's wrinkled face for the trouble.



If, by some odd series of events such as realising you possess a life or being distract by a more attractive use of your time such as training yourself for said vom-marvelling you didn't read the overly-long moan, here it is.

Anywho, I'm harping on about it because yet again something has revealed itself buried far away in the cosmos that is baffling scientists. They've said so. It's confused them to the point that yeah, again they're 're-writing the rulebook'. Honestly, at this rate we're never going to leave Earth again, let alone get anywhere else. This time, there's a planet that's the size of Neptune and has an atmosphere, unbreathable but still there, but- and get this, science nerds- it doesn't have methane. At all (almost). Which apparently every good growing atmosphere should have.

Now, don't ask me how scientists are finding all this data if we're nowhere near it (how do you identify gases by looking at them through a telescope? Answers on a postcard, or, you know, in the comments) because I haven't the foggiest. But it's a massively confusing conundrum for the boffins. There's a (slightly) more in depth look at it over here.

So, there you are, the planets are still unknown to us and the space agencies are pulling funding, pulling projects and figure looking at them is the best option. I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but surely seeing about going there will give us a better idea? Once, you know, we've explored a bit and had a look at samples? Got to lose a bean to grow a plant, guys.

On a less dismally crushing note than the collapse of any hope of synchronised spacewalking displays ever being possible, sci-fi's other great trope, the metal man, the robotic being, the android, the modern golem, is closer to being realised with two developments this week.

Number one- there's technology available now that means a robot can 'feel'- that is, touch and sense pressure. Great! We can create intelligent beings that we can actually employ in intricate and difficult tasks etc, by applying metal electronic skin. It must be true, this thing says so. Scared?

Now, I'm all for getting helpers and whatnot. But couple that news with this-I've got a bad feeling about this- and maybe it's not so clever after all.



Seriously.


I'm sure I need not spell out for you why teaching a robot to decieve could go wrong. If you haven't read any of Asimov yet, get the Complete Robot. Have a looksie. And look at any 'intelligent design going oh-so-well' disaster film of the last fifty years. Heck, look at Data even if you want to be that much of a stickler about it. Or HAL. Or GERTY. Or OTTO (yeah, gotta love WALL-E).

Might I suggest a small reassignation of funding, if anyone's interested in what I have to say? Less money for the lying robots with the ability to feel the tendons of your neck writhing undetr their new hands as they throttle us meatbags, more money for new generation shuttles to help us get off this rock if a) we want to and b) we need to. Ta very much, governments of the world.