[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4aU9j5tMMY]
Humans are looking to colonize mars, not with organic matter fired into space via giant penis rockets, but with colonies of tiny robot ants developed in a EU Funded Project called I-SWARM. They will arrive on the red planet and build the infrastructure the humans need. The humans will follow them and then . . .
This is part of the recent trend towards developing swarm intelligence in robots. It makes sense. Without a swarm there can be no intelligence. There is no mind other than the hive mind. Even when alone, humans think by imagining communication. When together they speak.
Right now, you read my thoughts and they’re in your head. The very nature of consciousness is that it is shared. When not shared, we model a reality where we pretend to share it. We talk to ourselves.
Intelligence was not developed by the efforts of a solitary human nor was it the seed of the divine planted by some strange God in a labcoat. It was an outcome of living in groups.
There is a case to be made that it came about to help us keep track of who groomed who; a behavior that still informs most of our societal, economic and moral/justice arrangements.
Why should robots be any different?
pic nicked from here
2 comments
Patrick
October 25, 2008 at 2:56 am (UTC -5)
I can’t decide whether I love this, or fear it. Tonight’s sleep shall be either fitful and sparse, or deep and blissful.
Ryan Oakley
October 25, 2008 at 3:26 am (UTC -5)
Love is fear.