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Notes
- 1.
Neuroscientific research shows how our brain is wired in such a way as to recognize certain patterns and respond to them. The mere sight of a human face triggers a whole neuronal network that is very different from the network that is triggered if we see things. For example: in an experiment, two sets of animations were presented, both of moving squares, circles and triangles. One set moved around in a ‘social’ manner, e.g., as if dancing together, or chasing one another. The other set moved in mechanical ways, e.g., like billiard balls. Only the first animation triggered the ‘social’ network in the brain of the participant who looked at the animations (Farah & Heberlein, 2007). I mention this to show how easily our brain is fooled by new technology: if a picture of a smiling face or an animation of circles and squares is enough to trigger the social or person networks in the brain, it is not surprising that robot dogs or humanoid robots will do the same, even more forcefully. We could say that the evolution of our brains does not keep up with the technological changes and that our rational judgments are often clouded by our intuitive reactions.
- 2.
http://www.edge.org/q2006/q06_8.html#turkleaccessed 15-12-2008
- 3.
Actually, I am quite happy to confine my encounters with wolves and bears to television; the experience of being recognized by this type of non-human other is something I don’t mind missing out on.
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Schermer, M. (2009). They Could Have Used a Robot: Technology, Nature Experience and Human Flourishing. In: Drenthen, M., Keulartz, F., Proctor, J. (eds) New Visions of Nature. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2611-8_3
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