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Brains, booze and the biped
Our thread about sexual relationships with robots has moved onto trying to work out what’s human and what’s not. We’ve sort of established that people with artificial hips are still more or less human already, so this is truly pioneering work.
“Isaac Asimov declared that the definition of human was that no matter how much metal there was in you, having a human brain made you human,” explains Kevin Rowe. “But on that score, half the cabinet would be excluded.” And, indeed, some of our readers.
Kevin suggests the ability to get drunk – surely humanity’s finest accomplishment – might be a more distinctively human trait.
Getting drunk is a trait definitely not reserved just for humans. Many animals eat fermented fruit and end up tipsy. Take for example the Squirrel in the following YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ikH9ZRcF2Q
Posted by :Andrew Carpenter | November 6, 2007 12:44 PM
Absolute nonsense from Kevin Rowe there, firstly he should check his Asimov facts.
In the story Bicentennial Man the robot eventually IS declared human and allowed to marry. His brain is artificial but still makes it into the human race after 200 years. HENCE THE NAME OF THE BLOODY STORY! Asimov mused at great lengths about the meaning of humanity, and on the odd occasion also stated that no matter how similar a robot would never be a human being, reversing himself in dramatic fashion in the aforementioned story, one of his most famous as there is a movie of it.
Next he should check his intoxication facts.
Of course, monkeys have been eating fermented fruit for long before we refined the process.
Posted by :Karl Lattimer | November 9, 2007 11:51 AM