For those who have been following the work of Andy Clark – Natural-Born Cyborgs – and his latest – Supersizing the Mind – not mention Ray Kurzweil (and The Matrix) – should enjoy this article from Scientific American (November 2008, pp. 56-61). Not included here are two subsections that outline progress and propspects for neurotechnology (“How…
A very basic overview of embodied cognition in Science News. Why do so many researchers insist on cutifying or the Spielbergerization of robots?
Good news. Andy Clark’s eagerly awaited book Supersizing the Mind is now available. I notice that Clark and Chalmers’ “The Extended Mind” is reprinted here as well. Groovy Dali-esque cover! (Now that I actually have the book in my hands, I see that it is a Dali painting). Something to look forward to will be…
Here is a slideshow giving an overview of the concept of stigmergy and its applications.
Another journal plug – this time for a special issue of Swarm Intelligence on Swarm Robotics. Check out the announcement on Simon Garnier’s blog.
According to Edge Dennett has had some second thoughts. Knowing what I do of Hayek’s philosophical psychology and his proto-connectionism, he may well approve of Dennett’s characterization. My mistake was that I had stopped the finite regress of homunculi at least one step too early! The general run of the cells that compose our bodies…
Two of my passions – ballet and brain – caught my eye in the unlikely guise of a review and preview of Wayne McGregor’s Entity at Sadler’s Wells. Rather than McGregor’s ideas being filtered through a faintly comprehending dance journalist: Technology fiend McGregor is engaged on a continuing investigation into brain and body. The ultimate goal is to…
With the film Iron Man about to be released, the Hollywood publicity machine has hit full stride. Despite the symbiotic relationship of Hollywood to glossy magazine culture, there are occasionally some interesting articles to be found. One such article is the May edition of Popular Science. What’s being discussed is Exoskeleton technology – something that has…
The Volume 18, Number 1 issue of Scientific American Reports is a special edition on robotics. The following articles feature: 1. Bill Gates’s “A Robot in Every Home” concentrates on such commonplace items as the vacuum cleaner and not the…
manwithoutqualities 