NationStates Jolt Archive

For those who don't believe in it, what motivates people to do this?

http://i.gizmodo.com/5208357/nyu-student-conducts-most-adorable-robot-experiment-ever

What possible benefit is there to anyone, and the robot made it every time.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....

Benefit (utility) needn't be financial. Satisfying one's curiosity provides a benefit, for example. Helping the robot may have elevated someone's mood momentarily.

For those who don't believe in it, what motivates people to do this?

http://i.gizmodo.com/5208357/nyu-student-conducts-most-adorable-robot-experiment-ever

What possible benefit is there to anyone, and the robot made it every time.
I wonder if this would work with a person. That is, if I were to walk in only a straight line, with a t-shirt that said "Grand Central Terminal," would people re-direct me to the correct way?

I wonder if this would work with a person. That is, if I were to walk in only a straight line, with a t-shirt that said "Grand Central Terminal," would people re-direct me to the correct way?

It's not a bad question, I suspect part of helping is specific to a situation where the person/object is seen to not be able to help itself, so where people would naturally help a blind person, would they help someone who seems fully equipped but is just walking in straight lines for some reason.

It's not a bad question, I suspect part of helping is specific to a situation where the person/object is seen to not be able to help itself, so where people would naturally help a blind person, would they help someone who seems fully equipped but is just walking in straight lines for some reason.
That's true. An otherwise healthy looking man may just annoy people for acting in such a ridiculous way.

Because it's not a human being? Robots haven't developed a tendency to be pretentious.... yet. Also: damsel in distress? It is cute...

How people interact with cute robots tells us nothing about how people interact with each other. Or, to put it somewhat differently,
Benefit (utility) needn't be financial. Satisfying one's curiosity provides a benefit, for example. Helping the robot may have elevated someone's mood momentarily.
People were probably amused to see a silly toy, because it was something interesting and out of the ordinary, so helping it along had nothing to do with altruism (can you even be altruistic to an object that isn't even pretending to think? Isn't this like saying someone is nice to their couch?).

Honestly, I'm downright surprised that no one thought it was a bomb and called the bomb squad...

EDIT: Example. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare)

Of course, the student probably informed the police or got a permit... did he?

Honestly, I'm downright surprised that no one thought it was a bomb and called the bomb squad...

Hmm...
Eyes unsuccessful "Suicide-Bomber Barbie" and RC car with interest

How people interact with cute robots tells us nothing about how people interact with each other. Or, to put it somewhat differently,

People were probably amused to see a silly toy, because it was something interesting and out of the ordinary, so helping it along had nothing to do with altruism (can you even be altruistic to an object that isn't even pretending to think? Isn't this like saying someone is nice to their couch?).

No one stole it, no one kicked it, no one jumped on it, it made the journey each and every time, I'd say it says something about people's natural inclination to help even where there's no real benefit to them.

Honestly, I'm downright surprised that no one thought it was a bomb and called the bomb squad...

Fair point.

It's too cuuuuuute.

No one stole it, no one kicked it, no one jumped on it, it made the journey each and every time, I'd say it says something about people's natural inclination to help even where there's no real benefit to them.

You can say it, but hopefully not on the basis of the student's experiment. You'd have to first ignore the number who didn't stop to help, and base your conclusion on the assumption that there was no "real benefit" to the person when there easily might have been. Again, a lack of reciprocity isn't a lack of benefit.

I think this experiment also needs to be viewed in light of the fact that helping this (absolutely adorable) robot, while having no benefit for the people helping it, also requires very little effort to help. People will largely be altruistic when it costs them little, but their altruism is usually inversely proportional to personal input (whether it's effort, time, money or whatever).

No one stole it, no one kicked it, no one jumped on it, it made the journey each and every time, I'd say it says something about people's natural inclination to help even where there's no real benefit to them.
That's not altruism, though. There was no beneficiary, just a simple trinket that could have rolled out into the middle of the street and been run over by a car without caring. It is like saying someone is nice to their furniture, is on friendly terms with a paperweight, or is dating their laptop.

That's not altruism, though. There was no beneficiary, just a simple trinket that could have rolled out into the middle of the street and been run over by a car without caring. It is like saying someone is nice to their furniture, is on friendly terms with a paperweight, or is dating their laptop.

<.<

>.>

We're just friends.

<.<

>.>

We're just friends.
I've been talking to your printer, and it requests that you buy you it a cover before the next time you and your "friend" decide to spend some quality time.

I've been talking to your printer, and it requests that you buy you it a cover before the next time you and your "friend" decide to spend some quality time.

Everyone's a critic. :(

That's not altruism, though. There was no beneficiary, just a simple trinket that could have rolled out into the middle of the street and been run over by a car without caring. It is like saying someone is nice to their furniture, is on friendly terms with a paperweight, or is dating their laptop.

Altruism seems most apparent in helping to correct people's mistakes, experiments on children as young as 18 months show that where the mistake is perceived as deliberate, no help is given but where it's perceived as just helping to correct then altruism appears.

So we seem naturally inclined to, say, pick up and give back keys that have been dropped, or a wallet where, in fact, the benefit might be to keep it.

It's too quick a reaction to be a question of legality in keeping the wallet, it's a natural instinct to help.

real altruism is in everyone's SELF interest. its about the kind of world we all have to live in, whatever lies we may talk ourselves into to the contrary.

of course i'm saying this without the slightest idea what the reference was about. somebody said "awwwwwwe" cute, so i guess i'll have to go and have a look.

You can tell economic times are bad when people build robots out of cardboard.

Very cute. Of course, New Yorkers love to give directions. I could easily see a group of people standing around debating the best way to get it to the edge of the park.

If it exists, I believe love is the motivator.

Altruism seems most apparent in helping to correct people's mistakes, experiments on children as young as 18 months show that where the mistake is perceived as deliberate, no help is given but where it's perceived as just helping to correct then altruism appears.

So we seem naturally inclined to, say, pick up and give back keys that have been dropped, or a wallet where, in fact, the benefit might be to keep it.

It's too quick a reaction to be a question of legality in keeping the wallet, it's a natural instinct to help.
True, but in those cases there are human beneficiaries. I'm just arguing against the idea that someone "helping" a machine can be referred to as altruistic.
You can tell economic times are bad when people build robots out of cardboard.
Cardboard robots are safer. Should they develop sentience and attempt to enslave humanity, all we have to do is turn on the sprinklers. Robot uprising solved!

Cardboard robots are safer. Should they develop sentience and attempt to enslave humanity, all we have to do is turn on the sprinklers. Robot uprising solved!

Years of planning, reams of logistical Excel sheets, grand plans for the annihilation of mankind, that one... fatal... flaw.

I propose disection. FOR SCIENCE!

Dammit, why didn't anyone throw it into an oncoming truck?!

It is cute though.

I would've fucked with it though. Yea....

real altruism is in everyone's SELF interest. its about the kind of world we all have to live in, whatever lies we may talk ourselves into to the contrary.How do you distinguish between "real" altruism and "fake" altruism? I take it you don't. How do you distinguish between the "lies" people tell themselves about how they're acting and people who don't lie? I take it you don't. So what exactly is your statement here supposed to mean, if it does not serve to differentiate one type of action from another?

The only thing I can think of that even relates to it is an entirely and completely trivial grammatical fact that you can replace sentences like "He did this" with "He wanted to do this" in the appropriate situations. But that hardly serves to justify saying that no one can be selfless.

Perhaps the experiment was an attempt to generate electricity. They wrapped Ayn Rand's corpse in copper wire and set to large magnets on either side of it, then proved that Objectivisim is shit, and her stance on altruism more so. She spins in her grave and powers Manhattan.

...or is dating their laptop.

<.<

>.>

We're just friends.

LOL, I'm surprised my fiance isn't jealous of my laptop!

Dammit, why didn't anyone throw it into an oncoming truck?!

It is cute though.

I would've fucked with it though. Yea....
'Cos not everyone thinks the way you do.

'Cos not everyone thinks the way you do.

Which is probably a good thing. But still, I could think of a few things to do to that robot that would be funny.

'Cos not everyone thinks the way you do.

You'd think at least SOMEONE out there would.:p

What possible benefit is there to anyone, and the robot made it every time.

Why would benefit preclude altruism?

Which is probably a good thing. But still, I could think of a few things to do to that robot that would be funny.

I could think of a few things i would do to that Robot, :wink:

You'd think at least SOMEONE out there would.:p
I'll remind y'all -- the movie WAS edited. Who knows how many times it may have had to have been rescued?

You'd think at least SOMEONE out there would.:p

Really, I mean comon, who wouldn't want my mindset?

*watches as thousands of hands raise up*

Ah shaddup...

I could think of a few things i would do to that Robot, :wink:

You got Metal Fever Boy!