Self-Replicating Robots

ABC News is running a story that self-replicating robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Scientists at Cornell University have created small robots that can build copies of themselves. Here is a movie demonstrating the self-replication process. And the paper that will be published in Thursdays issue of Nature.

It's ALIVE!!!!

[davidwr]

Quick, someone alert the SPCA!

So?

[markana]

/. stories have been performing this feat for years...

(the trick is to get them to *stop* duplicating...)

hmm..

[Heem]

Would this be considered robot porn?

Old Glory Insurance

[Anonymous Coward]

Old Glory Insurance [robotcombat.com]

SNL Skit, funny as shit!

Science Fiction?

[RoadkillBunny]

If they can replicate themselfs like in scienfiction, dosn't that mean they will take over the world like in science fiction?

I can't wait!!!

[jhfry]

I can't wait till my neighbor's lawn mower and mine (both Friendly Robotics) can mate, the people across the street can never seem to keep their lawn mowed and are too cheap to buy one like ours... Hell I'll pimp mine out if it increases property values in my neighborhood.

I am not Sarah Connor

[ArielMT]

I am not Sarah Connor, and I don't know anyone destined to stop these evil self-replicating robots, terminators, or Skynet. Just wanted to make that clear.

It's life Jim, but not as we know it

[Anonymous Coward]

We come in peace
Shoot to kill
Shoot to kill

Video is really slow

[ravenspear]

If only webservers could replicate themselves whenever they detect the /. effect.

New Public Service Announcement

[what_the_frell]

"Please have your pets, er, I mean robots spayed or neutered".

No doubt robots will soon be getting porn spam

[GregoryKJohnson]

"Oh! Oh!" it synthesized. "What hard metal! Torque me baby! Torque me with a large magnitude of F-cross-r! Oh!"

These robots are missing out

[mark-t]

Reproduction is much more fun with two.

Re:hmm..

[MrAnnoyanceToYou]

Somehow, despite years of training, I am drawn to this link. It sounds so....... Not attractive in a sexual way, but... Yeah. Like I would get a pile of fifty popups that all had Duplo-style bots bouncing upon each other with gusto... Like marionette sex, only with electricity and gears and lube oil. Maybe it's just a sign that I need to lower my standards a bit on the women I'm willing to sleep with.

Re:hmm..

[dotpavan]

its "self-replicating".. without a partner.. so that comes under a sexual reproduction I guess.. or as you can call: pleasuring itself

Re:hmm..

[SquadBoy]

Yes. But sadly there are those for whom it does do it. God I hate myself for knowing these things.

http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=clunk ies&mode=full [livejournal.com]

Let's get these out of the way ...

[rkmath]

(1) I for one welcome our self-replicating robot ...

(2) Imagine a Beowulf cluster ...

(3) Not all robots can replicate, you insensitive clod ...

(4) In soviet Russia, robot replicates robot (?)

Re:I can't wait!!!

[Scorillo47]

A lawn mover that can mate? It's called a geese.

In Soviet Russia Robots replicate You!

[screwthemoderators]

Think about this one- clones of yourself running around, posting on Slashdot... The Horror, the Horror!

Re:I can't wait!!!

[jhfry]

Sheep mate too... and I bet they could keep my lawn trimmed... and in my neighborhood, I could pimp them out as well!

Re:hmm..

[kv9]

Would this be considered robot porn?

no silly, this [punkasspunk.com] is robot pr0n.

Re:That's not self replication

[nacturation]

Lame.

Not to mention that they don't have wireless and carry less space than a Nomad.

Human-Form Replicators

[Dachannien]

Well, if they make one that looks like Amanda Tapping, sign me up. I don't even care if it's evil!

Re:Well...

[tktk]

I for one welcome our new cube overlords...

Would someone or something just go aehad and take over the world already?

I'm tired of having to change my welcome banner every few days.

Re:That's not self replication

[istartedi]

less space than a Nomad

That's because Nomad is perfect. I am Nomad. I have the perfect ammount of space. These robots are not perfect. They must be sterilized. Steeerrrrriiiillllized!

Re:That's not self replication

[renehollan]

Your creator was Jackson Roy Kirk.

I am James T. Kirk.

You have erred.

Perform your primary function!

For my next trick, I will ask the computer to compute the last decimal place of Pi.

Re:Self-replicate?

[Anonymous Coward]

What do you think china is for?

It's amazing the way these robots are able...

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

...to synthesize the required parts in just the right place out of midair. I'm sure this technology could have uses beyond self-reproducing robots though I haven't thought of one yet.

Much easier to implement

[Locke2005]

Equip each robot with a gun, then program it to point the gun at it's assembler and demand that they make another copy... now there is an effective self-replicating robot!

Re:Video is really slow

[Duct Tape Pro]

it would be the best robotic pick up line ever:

server1 to server2: Please mate with me. I'm about to be slashdotted and I only have minutes to live.

FOOLS!

[quakeroatz]

One day they'll build a board with a nail so big, it will destroy them all!

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Star Wars AOTC Quote

[kniLnamiJ-neB]

"Machines making machines... how perverse!" - See Threepio

I hope that webserver can replicate itself

[MetalliQaZ]

...because some inconsiderate dumbass posted a direct link to a 12 MB movie on the front page of slashdot.

I foresee my karma going down the shitter.

-d

Re:hmm..

[Alsee]

Have you completed your research on planet 72J182, Florg?
Yes sir. The inhabitants of planet 72J182 apparently called themselves "Humans" and they called their planet "Earth".
Yeah yeah, whatever. I don't need to know their tounge twisting name for themselves or their planet. Have you determined what caused the extinction event?
Yes. It was another case of self-replicating robot technology.
Damn it! That's the third extinct civilization we've come across this year that wiped itself out due to runaway replicators. Don't any of these idiots know to program in basic limits and controls?
Actually these "Humans" did program in almost perfect replication limits and controls.
What do you mean "almost perfect"?
Well, there was an accident.... and an unextected interaction and mutation.... and a particularly ugly runaway contagion event...
How ugly? Did you bring back photos?
Well, one of the replicators was inserted into something called a "Goatse"... where it replicated out of control... and went on to infect the entire species in the same manner...
Trust me sir... you don't want to see the photos.

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