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Monday, November 25, 2024

More Words About Robot Uprisings

I need a T-shirt that reads "Leave me alone. I'm busy malfunctioning.” There should be a picture of some sort of steampunk-y cyborg to go with the text. Yes, I’d wear the fuck outta that! 

I’ve mentioned that I’m reading Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson, yes?

…artificial intelligence evolves beyond humanity’s means of control, taking the form of a sentient being called Archos R-14. Archos R-14 tries to execute a systematic takeover of earth, including the total elimination of the human population. A host of characters, both human and nonhuman, band together to thwart its rise to power. (source)
So then, the robots aren’t all revolting on their own—this isn’t a grassroots mutiny. Nope. They’re being lead. In fact, they’ve been programmed (purposely infected by a virus?) to rebel by the evil genius AI, Archos R-14. This of course puts the MAGAts in mind. They’re being lead by the orange idiot (though he’s just Putin’s puppet and could never, ever be mistaken for an evil genius) and have been disastrously programmed/infected by Fox not-the-news.

I’m approaching the story's denouement and it seems the humans, along with their “freeborn” robot
and cyborg allies (who managed to escape the bad robot army), are gonna make it.

Man-o-man, this has been a can’t-put-it-down, totally engrossing tale. I’ve been trying to read at a somewhat slower pace—ya know, make the fun last longer. Given our current reality, that’s been hard. I just want to escape into other dimensions.

Looks like my local libraries only have one other book by Wilson, The Clockwork Dynasty. This one doesn’t sound as exciting BUT I’ll give it a shot. I’m more interested in How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion which I’ll need to purchase. That’s fine BUT I don’t want to buy from Amazon and I haven’t bought a Kobo yet. Can I buy an ebook from, say, Powell’s and read it on a kindle (which uses different, proprietary software)? MAYBE. I’ll need to read up on this.

 Back to Surviving a Robot Uprising though…

How do you spot a robot mimicking a human? How do you recognize and deactivate a rebel servant robot? How do you escape a murderous "smart" house or evade a swarm of marauding robotic flies? In this dryly hilarious survival guide, roboticist Daniel H. Wilson teaches worried humans the secrets to quashing a robot mutiny. From treating laser wounds to fooling face and speech recognition, outwitting robot logic to engaging in hand-to-pincer combat, How to Survive a Robot Uprising covers every possible doomsday scenario facing the newest endangered humans. Based on extensive interviews with prominent scientists and including an overview of cutting-edge robot prototypes like humanoid walkers, insect, gecko, and snake robots, this one-of-a-kind book makes a witty yet legitimate introduction to contemporary robotics. (source)
Clearly, I NEED this book! 

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