Terminator Sparrows? 138
AstroPhilosopher writes "In a move not far removed from the model T-101, U.S. researchers have succeeded in re-animating a dead sparrow. Duke scientists were studying male behavior aggression among sparrows. They cleverly decided to insert miniaturized robotics into an empty sparrow carcass and operate it like a puppet (abstract). It worked; they noticed wing movements were a primary sign of aggression. Fortunately the living won out this time. The experiment stopped after the real sparrows tore off the robosparrow's head. But there's always a newer model on the assembly-line. Good luck sparrows."
Bad Horse has not yet made a decision on the researchers' application.
Your seeds (Score:5, Funny)
Now
This is good news (Score:5, Funny)
Even sparrows hate the undead. Those zombies are going down.
O.O (Score:3, Funny)
I am appalled at what science has done...
That said, I really want to see the YouTube video of this...
But, was it... (Score:5, Funny)
an African or European swallow?
Finall we know the answer (Score:3, Funny)
How is this ethical? (Score:3, Funny)
I'm no bird, but if they animated a human corpse by what appears to be magic and had it make threatening gestures at me until I freaked out and ripped its head off, I'd probably be very traumatized.
Oh, OK... (Score:4, Funny)
"Eventually the head fell off" (Score:5, Funny)
The researchers, as quoted in the original article, describe the problem I've always had with re-animation:
Ex-Parrot (Score:5, Funny)
Hey AstroPhilosopher (Score:5, Funny)
This "news" would be as amusing as a 5 year-old "re-animating" his sockpuppet with Lego.
Re:Oh, OK... (Score:4, Funny)
they just stuck some wires and gizmos up the ass of a dead sparrow
All is fair in the name of science
"Hey, check this out!" (Score:5, Funny)
"... We wrapped a robot in a dead sparrow and decided to see if we could fool the other sparrows into interacting with our creepy, ghoulish automaton! It's *science*!"
And of course, it was COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED that the grisly abomination stapled to a tree branch triggered aggressive reactions from the other sparrows. Because every living thing JUST LOVES to be confronted with a soulless golem wrapped in the dead flesh of another of its kind. And that never causes pants-shitting terror or anything.
I can see it now:
Sparrow 1: "OH MY GOD! IS THAT... *THING* ... WEARING FRANK'S FACE? IS IT?! FRANK??!?!" ...NOT! ...HIM! IT'S A MACHINE! Help me destroy it! Be his egg-layer one last time!"
Sparrow 2: "It's not him anymore. IT'S!
Sparrow 1: "*snf* OK... OK... oh God, Frank... God help me..."
Yup. Science.
Is there, like, a review board or anything? Maybe that could screen some horror flicks before writing checks for this kind of bullshit? "New rule: If your study is substantially similar to the plot of any one of this library of 100 horror movies, or if it has a plausible chance of producing similar outcomes, we're not going to fund it."