SCIENCE!

Science!: Boobs or Butt and Black Holes (Again)

You Humans Relax, We Robots Will Handle Mars

Since sending manned missions to scout Mars has proven to be a hassle and a half, researchers at Caltech have come up with a better (and much cooler) solution: fleets of intelligent robots.

At the moment, space operations concerning Mars are handled such: Instructions are sent to unmanned spacecraft drifting around and on the surface of Mars. Since Mars isn't quite located in NASA's backyard, it takes several minutes for the information to be sent to and processed by the machines. That's all fine and dandy for non time-sensitive procedures, but if an insectoid alien race hell-bent on the destruction of all other life forms comes about, you'd want to get that tell-tale hint a of nearby intelligent civilization out of the way, pronto.

So, Professor Fink (Not to be confused with the loveable quack, Professor Frink, of Simpsons fame) has come up with a solution; him and his team are developing software that will allow robotic explorers to act autonomously. He states: "In the future, multiple robots will be in the driver's seat. One day an entire fleet of robots will be autonomously commanded at once. This armada of robots will be our eyes, ears, arms and legs in space, in the air, and on the ground, capable of responding to their environment without us, to explore and embrace the unknown."

Key words: without us. As in, making decisions on their own. As in, directing other robots on their own. As in, maybe deciding that pesky human race that created them is a little too self-important for their own good and deserves a good dose of nuclear holocaust. Can't you just imagine it? A fleet of autonomous, rational space explorers commanding squadrons of rovers and satellites; without the need for constant supervision and commands from Base Control - sounds like the birth of a Cylon race to me. Remember: "All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again."

Source: Telegraph

Lauren Admire is a Cylon.