Thursday, December 11, 2008

It's Uncanny

Have you ever heard of the uncanny valley? It's a theory proposed by several different psychologists and researchers claiming that the more a robot looks and life-like, people will increasingly respond in a positive way until it becomes so life-like that we respond with a sudden revulsion. In other words, the more human the robot, the more we hate it. This theory can also be applied to prosthetics, but zombies would be at the bottom of the valley. Think of it as a bell curve that elevates with the robot's increasing human likeness, only to fall sharply as it approaches near "human-ness". Zombies are at the low point of the curve. The theory is based on the idea that we have empathy for robots when the differences between them and humans are stark, but as the gap narrows, it creeps us the hell out.

I would have to agree with this theory. I can't even watch Shawn of the Dead and it's a stinkin spoof. Robots do creep me out. I hated the movie AI. Not just because it had Haley Joel Osmond in it either. The whole mutant higher order robots at the end just gives me the heebie-jeebies. On the other hand, the kids' movie Robots was just goofy. I also love C-3PO from Star Wars.

What got me on this rant today is this story. This guy built himself a wifey-type robot. To do his, ahem, chores. That's not all I think she does for him. And this creeps me out even more.

Have you ever seen Lars and the Real Girl? Fabulous movie, by the way. I never thought a love story between a guy and sex doll could make me cry, but it did. But the doll, if you can call it that, was just too real looking.

I love technology. I love that we humans have created machines to help us make our lives more efficient. I wouldn't want to live without my washing machine, microwave, furnace, or computer. But I don't want any of my appliances to talk to me. Or cop an attitude. If that's the case, I'd rather just have a dinosaur under the counter for a garbage disposal, a la the Flinstones.

What do you think?

5 comments:

Charlotte said...

I wish that I could get a robot that looks just like me. Then I could hide in my bedroom and be lazy while it did all the housework. Or I could use it as a decoy so I could use the bathroom without a million interruptions.

I guess I Robot wasn't a favorite either?

Becky said...

"Lars and the Real Girl" was awesome! I loved it! Funny and made me cry, too.
You know, that movie with Will Smith "I, Robot" didn't totally freak me out, but most are really wacky!

Anonymous said...

zombies and robots dont really do much to freak me out, but I also love b rated horror flicks. I do think I would have a problem if my appliances and machines copped an attitude though, talking to me is fine... but dont cop an attitude.... or like in that stephen king movie when all the machines were trying to kill people... dont think i would like that either

Olivia Meikle said...

What? Of all the people that I would think I could count on to like Shawn of the Dead with me . . .

ucmama said...

Super L, meet Eve. Eve meet Super L. Y'all both love Shawn of the Dead. Go forth and be friendly.