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Post by torainfor on Jun 1, 2009 14:24:55 GMT -5
I'm afraid it's probably the opposite. I think we use our objects to find security instead of in God, and companionship instead of with people. People are messy and hard. Robots, cars, guns, houses, are easier. They only give or take the emotional energy that you allow. Which means you can trick yourself into thinking they provide a significant amount of the emotional energy (think security, peace, approval, even love) that you need.
When I was a kid, I had this big teddy bear (OK, I still have it...). I was convinced that I could read the expression on his face. When I'd been paying attention to him, his eyes looked brighter. When I'd been ignoring him, his face looked downcast, and his eyes looked sad.
I don't mean to make a judgment call on the act of risking your life to save a robot. (What if you were dying, anyway, and that robot was essential to keeping your kids alive? How many fighter pilots held on just a little bit more than they should have to save a multi-billion dollar airframe? How many times did Indy risk life and limb to save his hat?) More motivation. For the non-Christian (whose worldview doesn't include resurrection and eternal life) do you really think that your life is so fragile that you'd rather die than live without your robot? That your existence is irredeemable without it?
And yet...one of my greatest fears used to be that our house would catch on fire and my dog would die. (That was the old dog. The new one's still growing on me.)
But wars have been won or lost for less. Gain that hill; capture that secret message. And, yes, it was my husband who risked his career by calling in an evac chopper to save the SP's dog who'd been bitten by a rattlesnake. The SPs loved him after that. His own boss, notsomuch. (But it was the SPs with the guns...)
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Post by Spokane Flyboy on Jun 1, 2009 22:40:02 GMT -5
Robots, cars, guns, houses, are easier. They only give or take the emotional energy that you allow. Apparently you haven't met some of my friends' vehicles, or mine for that matter. Mine seems to hate me lately. Handles broke off, blower motor quit. Went to fix the blower motor to day and have cuts and scraps all over my hands, nearly hit my head on the hood when the horn went off my itself (I wasn't even near the horn assembly), the blower motor was missing three screws that I can't even locate a replacement for (dealership discontinued them years ago) but the holes for them are apparently stripped clean out anyway, so I'm still frying my butt of in 90 weather with no A/C. I have it in with the two screws, but the vibration makes me leery of using it. Now that it's in, my brakes are making squealing noises. I think my car is no easier than a child. Hehe. ;D |
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Post by Wolfie on Aug 5, 2009 4:05:51 GMT -5
It is an interesting idea, but I see it more as the robot costing $2 million (a made up number) and if the soldier didn't take rescue the robot and take it to the repair area, the military would be out $2 million. I wouldn't think that a soldier would look after a robot that he knows could replace him one day.
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Post by Christian Soldier on Aug 5, 2009 16:16:09 GMT -5
... if they had a robot that would replace me some day, I would care for that machine better than I care for my own family.
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Post by Wolfie on Aug 5, 2009 16:30:27 GMT -5
I'd also say it depends on what kind of robot you're talking about. It depends if it is a combat bot like SWORDS (Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Direct-action System), a remote controlled machine gun and camera mounted on a set of treads which looks like  or a humanoid robotic support soldier who may look and possibly behave like or even become a human soldier's friend. I have seen it in a few episodes of The Outer Limits and anime and other sci-fi TV shows and movies. Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica masterfully showed the acceptance and friendship of humans and humanoid Cylons towards the end of the series. To the question: Would you risk your life to save a robot? It depends on how much of a bond a human has with a humanoid robot and how the two can relate if it is in a sci-fi story or the consequences of not saving the robot or if the human drive to protect those in need comes into play when the human person sees a robot in trouble. The problem is where you draw the line of treating machines like treating humans or treating robots as expendable machines that are only made for us to use rather than treating them the way we treat humans and animals. They aren't human. They don't have a soul or a brain or human qualities. Why should we care? |
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Post by Wolfie on Aug 5, 2009 16:34:12 GMT -5
... if they had a robot that would replace me some day, I would care for that machine better than I care for my own family. That's if we could really put human intuition in a robot brain. If not then they may wipe humans out because we are flawed and not "perfect" like they are. |
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Post by Christian Soldier on Aug 6, 2009 12:42:33 GMT -5
I think that would depend on our treatment of them and their programming. After all, if we treat them well enough and ensure that their programming is fool proof and untouchable(No updates!), they would provide a useful alternate to certain fields where a robot would be less at risk than a human or fields where a human simply wouldn't do as well.
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Post by Wolfie on Aug 6, 2009 17:44:10 GMT -5
I think that would depend on our treatment of them and their programming. After all, if we treat them well enough and ensure that their programming is fool proof and untouchable(No updates!), they would provide a useful alternate to certain fields where a robot would be less at risk than a human or fields where a human simply wouldn't do as well. Right. I hope our sci-fi fears will not come true. |
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catofninetales
Junior Member
People are the only thing you can take with you to heaven.
Posts: 66
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Post by catofninetales on Aug 6, 2009 23:51:44 GMT -5
Apparently you haven't met some of my friends' vehicles, or mine for that matter. Mine seems to hate me lately. Handles broke off, blower motor quit. Went to fix the blower motor to day and have cuts and scraps all over my hands, nearly hit my head on the hood when the horn went off my itself (I wasn't even near the horn assembly), the blower motor was missing three screws that I can't even locate a replacement for (dealership discontinued them years ago) but the holes for them are apparently stripped clean out anyway Around my place, there's an axiom that if my husband doesn't give it a baptism of blood, it's not going to run. Now my teenage son has inherited the Curse of the Car. The other day he came in from working on something, held up his oozing hand and said, "This time...I bled on it." They have no inclination to die for their machines--the machines seem to be out to get them as it is. |
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Post by Wolfie on Aug 7, 2009 9:55:21 GMT -5
Apparently you haven't met some of my friends' vehicles, or mine for that matter. Mine seems to hate me lately. Handles broke off, blower motor quit. Went to fix the blower motor to day and have cuts and scraps all over my hands, nearly hit my head on the hood when the horn went off my itself (I wasn't even near the horn assembly), the blower motor was missing three screws that I can't even locate a replacement for (dealership discontinued them years ago) but the holes for them are apparently stripped clean out anyway Around my place, there's an axiom that if my husband doesn't give it a baptism of blood, it's not going to run. Now my teenage son has inherited the Curse of the Car. The other day he came in from working on something, held up his oozing hand and said, "This time...I bled on it." They have no inclination to die for their machines--the machines seem to be out to get them as it is. Maybe they are tired of being used and taken advantage of. Maybe it's their subtle way of getting back at us and laughing at us without us knowing. It's a thought  . |
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catofninetales
Junior Member
People are the only thing you can take with you to heaven.
Posts: 66
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Post by catofninetales on Aug 7, 2009 10:05:21 GMT -5
Maybe they are tired of being used and taken advantage of. Maybe it's their subtle way of getting back at us and laughing at us without us knowing. It's a thought . Except my cats have more brains....which is not saying a whole lot....and we take advantage of their furry helplessness all the time. There's nothing quite like a critter that will spend 10 minutes whipping in a circle to catch a piece of string due to a reflexive obsessiveness. *They* love us. But then they don't have a cold, greasy heart of steel. I think it's all entropy's fault. Entropy is out to get us, you know. |
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Aug 11, 2009 7:56:55 GMT -5
They have no inclination to die for their machines--the machines seem to be out to get them as it is. Just chiming in to say, "Awesome quote, catofninetails!" ;D Jeff |
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Post by tonylavoie on Aug 11, 2009 8:58:26 GMT -5
I wouldn't think that a soldier would look after a robot that he knows could replace him one day. I disagree, wolfie...most of the soldiers I know want to *stay alive*, and to help others stay alive. The robots and drone planes and what-not they're using today (and will be using more tomorrow, without doubt) keep themselves and civilians out of the paths of the bullets and bombs (most usually by removing those bullets and bombs from the playing field). One robot can do what several men and women would otherwise have to do. Would I attempt to save a multiple-life-saving machine? If I thought I could, yes, especially if there was a really good chance that machine would one day save the life of someone I cared about. The value of these machines isn't in what they cost, it's in what they save. That's my pair o' pennies, anyway. As for the human-and-machine relationship concept being used in stories, Dale Brown has been doing it for years.  |
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Post by torainfor on Aug 11, 2009 12:30:36 GMT -5
Yes and no. There are those who would much rather strap an F-22 (or a C-130) to their hind quarters than fly a drone. But they're not going to sabotage the mission, their careers, or the boots on the ground by intentionally messing up.
On the other hand...when my husband tracked satellites, he was more than willing to use the orbital mechanics computer programs, even though he was trained to calculate all that by hand!
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