NationStates Jolt Archive

I. Love. Science.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,1709944,00.html

"Ever worried that the terrifying cyborgs that fill sci-fi stories might one day become a reality? Perhaps the latest research by Klaus-Peter Zauner of Southampton University will cause a stir: the engineer has invented a robot that is controlled by living cells.

The cells in question are a specially grown type of "slime mould" that naturally shies away from light.

Dr Zauner grew a star-shaped sample of the slime mould and attached it to a six-legged robot (with each point of the star attached to a leg) to control its movements."

Nice. They certainly couldn't do worse than the current slime mold that controls politics.

They'll be unstoppable. Like the Terminator and the Blob rolled into one.

So, it's small, hates light, has six legs, and does nothing apparently useful for me? Who, exactly, thought it was a good idea to reinvent the cockroach?
Come back to me when you figure out how to attach a Megadeathcannon to it.

Come back to me when you figure out how to attach a Megadeathcannon to it.
Note to self: Fiddlebottoms knows too much. Silence him before we proceed to Phase Omega.

research by Klaus-Peter Zauner of Southampton University
yay! my home town! *is so proud* :D


but this is awesome... like a mini-darlek

Note to self: Fiddlebottoms knows too much. Silence him before we proceed to Phase Omega.
All you've got is a cybernetic cockroach. You haven't even made it as far as pahse Alpha V 0.1.0 yet

All you've got is a cybernetic cockroach. You haven't even made it as far as pahse Alpha V 0.1.0 yet
Hey, we've also got an alarm clock that will run away and hide to avoid being "snooze-buttoned," and tinfoil hats that amplify government radio frequencies!

http://www.media.mit.edu/press/clocky/
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/

So, it's small, hates light, has six legs, and does nothing apparently useful for me? Who, exactly, thought it was a good idea to reinvent the cockroach?
Come back to me when you figure out how to attach a Megadeathcannon to it.


I hate it when people do that! "Oh, it doesn't particularly suit any of my needs, so I don't give two shits about it and I will not help it in any way until they make something with it that does something cool!"

It's just... gah... makes me want to kill.

Not you specifically, just... that logic... so bad... it helps no one... it promotes ignorance!

I hate it when people do that! "Oh, it doesn't particularly suit any of my needs, so I don't give two shits about it and I will not help it in any way until they make something with it that does something cool!"

It's just... gah... makes me want to kill.

Not you specifically, just... that logic... so bad... it helps no one... it promotes ignorance!
This post suits none of my needs, therefore I will not help it in any way, nor do I give two shits about it.

When your post can do something cool, let me know.

I hate it when people do that! "Oh, it doesn't particularly suit any of my needs, so I don't give two shits about it and I will not help it in any way until they make something with it that does something cool!"
Well, as a non-scientific, non-researcher with no disposable income or political power, I couldn't do one goddamned thing to help even if I decided to start a cult devoted to the damn things.
And normally, I support weird science, however, this guy made a cyborg 'roach, and that I don't support. If he wanted six legged things that were annoyed by light, he could have asked and I'd have loaned him a half dozen or so from beneath my fridge.
Not you specifically, just... that logic... so bad... it helps no one... it promotes ignorance!
No, that is not ignorance. I have already defined ignorance here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10436798&postcount=43), and it has nothing to do with cyborg 'roaches.

Hey, we've also got an alarm clock that will run away and hide to avoid being "snooze-buttoned," and tinfoil hats that amplify government radio frequencies!

http://www.media.mit.edu/press/clocky/
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/
I seriously want a clock like that :p

And while reinventing the cockroach isn't overly impressive, I'm sure those megadeathcannons will be mounted on them eventually - and while we wait, I wouldn't mind having our politicians replaced with six-legged mechanoid slime.

yay! my home town! *is so proud* :D


but this is awesome... like a mini-darlek

See, that's the difference between you and me. I couldn't be more ashamed of my home town.

http://www.media.mit.edu/press/clocky/
Ahahaha that looks exactly like a Domo-kun!
As for the frequency-amplifiying helmet, that's already become well known.

yay! my home town! *is so proud* :D


but this is awesome... like a mini-darlek

A mini-Who?

Must Destroy Meatspace

Well, as a non-scientific, non-researcher with no disposable income or political power, I couldn't do one goddamned thing to help even if I decided to start a cult devoted to the damn things.
And normally, I support weird science, however, this guy made a cyborg 'roach, and that I don't support. If he wanted six legged things that were annoyed by light, he could have asked and I'd have loaned him a half dozen or so from beneath my fridge.

Good lord, man. You wouldn't have the technology with which to communicate that tripe if it weren't for people messing around with useless, commercially unfeasible crap. This is, apparently, an entirely new line of technological research. It may go somewhere, or it may not. But arguably every major facet of modern technology had its start in what would certainly appear to us as ludicrous novelties.

uh... That really does sound quite useless. If you do something in an orderly fashion, then it will do something in an orderly fashio. It's a bit like saying 'If I get a paraplegic and move one leg in front of the other in an orderly fashion then he can walk'.

a little slime thingie with six mechanic legs is scary.
if one came wandering around my house, my cat would kill it. and eat all the slime and then hide the legs. eww

a little slime thingie with six mechanic legs is scary.
if one came wandering around my house, my cat would kill it. and eat all the slime and then hide the legs. eww

You forget the part about your kitty throwing the slime up into your slippers.

actually it's not useless

I bet if you use your imagination, you can think of ways in which this could be of great importance.

prosthetic limbs maybe
other cybornetic thingies
mold transportation
:p

it is a good point that the mold can regenerate which could be useful somehow

the imagination at work :D

Damn the practical uses...I just think they'd make cool pets.

A mini-Who?
http://difference.weblog.glam.ac.uk/images/dalek.jpg

(yeah ok i spelt it wrong)

http://difference.weblog.glam.ac.uk/images/dalek.jpg

(yeah ok i spelt it wrong)
What the fuck is that? Something lame I presume.

What the fuck is that? Something lame I presume.
It's a British thing, like cricket and monarchies, you don't want to understand.

What the fuck is that? Something lame I presume.
the very best in british sci-fi... *sobs*

What the fuck is that? Something lame I presume.
It's an S&M plungerbot. A type of robot equipped to provide sexual torture as well as unclogging toilets.

http://difference.weblog.glam.ac.uk/images/dalek.jpg

(yeah ok i spelt it wrong)

I know what a dalek is....

Thought you'd have got the whole Who thing.

Okay, this six-legged slime thing...theoritically, I wonder, would it be possible to attach a small metal tray to the top of it, thereby removing the need for human waiters in restaurants?

So many possibilities. You people should not to be so closed minded.

What the fuck is that? Something lame I presume.
THE DALEKS ARE NOT LAME. EX-TER-MIN-ATE! EX-TER-MIN-ATE! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!

the very best in british sci-fi... *sobs*
We got that over in Canada on CBC. I agree, it was pretty awesome. :)

actually it's not useless

I bet if you use your imagination, you can think of ways in which this could be of great importance.

prosthetic limbs maybe
other cybornetic thingies
mold transportation
:p

it is a good point that the mold can regenerate which could be useful somehow

the imagination at work :D
Dude, I totally would sign up to become the first human slime cyborg. Especially if they could give me a slime-controlled chainsaw arm.

Heh, go slime!

Also, do not insult the daleks

THE DALEK RACE MUST SURVIVE! (they didnt)

Good lord, man. You wouldn't have the technology with which to communicate that tripe if it weren't for people messing around with useless, commercially unfeasible crap. This is, apparently, an entirely new line of technological research. It may go somewhere, or it may not. But arguably every major facet of modern technology had its start in what would certainly appear to us as ludicrous novelties.

Before responding to a post, note who said it.
H N Fiddlebottoms VIII rarely has anything constructive to say, and usually isn't worth responding to.
Most people will inherently understand the importance of baby steps in technology such as this. :) It's very exciting!

Can't wait until they hook an actual insect brain to the thing.

Or maybe a cat brain.

Or maybe the brain of that mouse that has human brain cells...

Just go with a human brain. The Borg will come soon.

Just go with a human brain. The Borg will come soon.
Pfft, a human brain? Why waste good slime on one of those?