Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto. Now make me a sandwich.

I think that vacuum robots on their tiny rolls are not very well suited for human environments. Sure, they do work in a limited set of use cases, but they struggle with even moderate levels of household chaos. Therefore, I predict that household robots will not become a widespread thing unless they start moving on feet and have at least one arm, like Boston Dynamic’s spot, just more affordable.

They’ll be able to vacuum even difficult areas better than humans; they’ll handle pet vomit, litter boxes, toys and stuff that’s on the ground, they’ll be able to wet clean floors and the bath. High carpets won’t be a problem, neither staircases, and mid-sized objects that are in their way (e.g. chairs) can be shoved aside temporarily.

I believe the technology is already here, it’s just a case of shrinking IP licensing and manufacturing cost. Not sure how fast the acceptance and adoption rate of walking household robots will be, though; but if you’re a manufacturer of such a thing and are looking for test subjects, here I am, take me! I have a perfect set of bachelor chaos going on.

Just make it so that the thing doesn’t kill me with a knife while I’m asleep 🙂

I don’t love you anymore

Hey, Boomer saturday here. Well, in Europe I’m a Boomer, in the US I’d be a GenX’er 🙂

So I was thinking about what has been going on over the last 10 or so years — in terms of people who are good in principle, but let themselves be manipulated into doing bad things. Destroying the remainder of an old scientist’s life for saying something nice in a slightly awkward way. Misconstruing an author’s maybe somewhat backwards, but nevertheless well-meaning words into something horrible that was never said. Giving in to demands to remove a respected elderly science and reason advocate from a conference because he shared one borderline tasteless video clip online, causing him a stroke from the undeserved aggravation.

It’s called „cancel culture“ and the list is endless. I’m not saying criminal offenders shouldn’t be brought to justice; of course they should. I’m saying that people are being cancelled, lives destroyed outside of the justice system for having a different opinion, or trying to look at things in a more nuanced way, or simply for being slightly awkward with words; and then the mob decides not to look at the complete picture before participating in a public stoning.

While thinking about this, for some reason, the line from this old Eurythmics song came to mind this morning:

Now you think that you’re forgiven, but you can’t be born again

And whoever I noticed doing something like that, and not give an honest apology once they discovered their mistake, I’m sorry to say that I lost all respect and that

I don’t love you anymore.