Androids

A quick note to let all interested parties know that Repliee Q1expo, the latest thing in android science, is on display at this week's WIRED NEXTFEST in Manhattan. If anyone out there has time for a fieldtrip, Neurontic would love to hear your impressions. Preliminary reports suggest that she's uncanny when sitting still, but bears a discomfitting resemblence to a wind up toy once set in motion.
I'm sure someone has come up with an elaborate theory to explain why Blade Runner had such a profound impact on GenXers, but I've yet to read it. All I know is that ever since I watched Daryl Hannah doing somersaults in that black leotard, I've been obsessed with the idea of androids. The slow progress of robotics engineering has long been a source of frustration to me. Sure, Sony's Aibo robot dogs are cute, but they're hardly lifelike. I mean, come on--even Teddy Ruxpin had fur. Consequently, I was dubious about reports that Hiroshi Ishiguro, Director of Osaka University's Intelligent…