Almost Human: The Sci-Fi Show We Need Now, Part 1

So I’ve been watching Almost Human for the last several weeks and I have to say (needlessly) that it’s become my favorite live-action TV show.  I love Dorian; he is very funny and great and he looks like he can be my cousin (I am mixed and my hair is a short afro as well).  But generally, the show has a good mix of action, suspense, humor and soft moments.  It can get really intense, to the point where I don’t realize I am holding my breath for the entire segment of the show until commercial time.  The episode “Arrhythmia” was hard for me to watch without feeling a little angry, maybe even my blood pressure raised a little bit.  But I love this show.

Even more important to me about Almost Human besides great characters are the powerful issues it touches on:

• Civil rights, equality (MX’s priority to energy charging stations in an emergency, Dorian excluded)
• Ethics (especially robot ethics…)
• Derogatory words for robot (“synthetic” is neutral, but still offends Dorian in the beginning of the show because he is seen as fake).
• Fear (human fear and even Dorian’s fear)
• Crimes in the future (watch the show and see how scary crime is in this future!)
• Jobs in the future (such as the Recollectionist who helps people recall forgotten memories with the help of a machine)
• Money in the future (i.e. bit-coins)

I really enjoy Dorian and Detective Kennex’s car conversations.  They get to know each other, understand each other better during the drive and we as viewers get to learn about them both too…

When I think back about how they first worked together, Detective John Kennex has changed a lot.  In the beginning he called Dorian a “synthetic,” and Dorian responds “I am not a huge fan of that term.”  I can understand why: he feels human enough that being called a synthetic offends him, implies that he is not real and therefore his feelings and opinions don’t matter.

But they do matter because Dorian is not just an android cop, he’s a valuable friend.  Dorian saved John from quite a few tight traps so far.  Even volunteering to risk his functionality, his life, to save a human victim trapped in the middle of a crime.  He may be too altruistic for his own good.  It seems that in each episode that he gets into a fight, his injuries become more serious. 

I want to write a really good essay on Almost Human and the important issues and themes it brings up. It will have to wait a little longer. For now I want to say that that my guesses about the show (before I started watching it on its November 17, 2013 premiere) were fun to make and now I can enjoy the show as it is.  Of course I was wrong about the “experiment” thing…so far, I could be wrong and something might come up, right?  It repeats on Saturdays at 8:00pm if you can’t catch the regular airing on 8:00pm Mondays.

Please, I want to start a discussion!  If any of my readers want to say something about the show, your thoughts/feelings about it, share it in the comments or email me through Blogger.  Who else enjoys Almost Human?  Or who dislikes it?  I will be respectful of your opinions—just respect mine as well!   ;)

Cybernetic Dreams Update, 02-16-2014

The following has been added to the List of Favorites page:


Androids:
Axl, from the Mega Man X video game series
Dorian, from the TV show Almost Human


Cyborgs:
RoboCop, from the 1987 RoboCop movie...looking forward to the 2014 RoboCop film


NOTES: Fixed the spelling of the Japanese anime show Android Kikaider the Animation (spelled it wrong with "Kikader")

A Lunar Rover with a Beautiful Death Speech

I was checking the news feed online when one article came up that stood out to me.  I think it is relative to some of the things that Cybernetic Dreams is about.

The headline title read: Chinese lunar rover cutely broadcasts its own death

It is a lunar rover robot from China, called a Jade Rabbit Rover, with a Chinese name Yutu.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read about it, considering that I get emotional whenever adorable little robots die/cease to function.  But I was intrigued and wanted to read it.  The article is short, but it is a concise report on the lunar rover’s last message to Earth.

I was almost brought to tears.  In fact my eyes got misty.  And this was the first time I found out anything about this lunar rover from China.  It’s a sad but beautiful true story.

Wow.  If only we can face our own mortality with the same grace and dignity as that Jade Rabbit.  That’s one brave little robot.  If I could, I'd like to do a follow-up post about this in the near future.

Please read it here at this website page:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/2014/01/28/11/14/chinese-lunar-rover-cutely-broadcasts-own-death

If you would like to say anything or continue the conversation, please leave a comment :)

Happy New Year!! New Year, New Beginnings

Happy New Year, dear readers!!  It's a new year and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for reading Cybernetic Dreams and for those stopping by for the first time, thank you!

 

I am looking forward to the new year!  Aren't you?

 

I have some more reading to do on robotics when I get around to it.  I am especially excited about a book I want to read that focuses on one of my favorite topics about robots: robot ethics.  There will be more on this within the next few weeks, I hope very soon.

My Thoughts, Speculation on the TV Show “Almost Human”

I have not read any reviews of this show yet.  I want to just document some thoughts and personal speculations about Fox’s Almost Human before I watch it.  It’s like a fun guessing game to see how close my guesses are, if I‘m close or way off—because I’ve seen the promos for the show enough times to do it.

I decided to give this show a try.  I am curious as to how the main human cop character will interact with his new synthetic partner Dorian. 

The concept of synthetic humans is as possible as the existence of a synthetic hand or arm.   The popular idea a lot of people have about robots and androids is that they don’t have emotions, or don’t have the ability to understand them.  Simulating human emotions is not the same as understanding them or why they happen.  So I am also curious as to what the Dorian character will be like.  According to the promos on TV, he seems to have a sense of humor as well as a grasp of sarcasm.  Often for a new drama series, Fox shows some of the funny bits of the show, usually something one character says to the other.

Often this type of show makes me think of the relationship dynamic of Detective Spooner and the android non-partner Sonny in the film I, Robot.  Of course, Sonny was different from all the other NS-5s and displayed those differences clearly, from expressing anger to understanding trust (using the wink signal he learned from Detective Spooner.)

The character Dorian strikes me as more “synthetic human” than “android.”  His skin tone is human and his voice doesn’t sound mechanical or tinny like many robots do.  It sounds just like he’s flesh and blood.  He is able to smile and appear warm and friendly, reaching out to shake hands with Detective Kennex.

Part of one promo shows an android cop on the ground and out of commission.  Even before reading any reviews or synopses of this show this is my guess as to what this show is about, based on seeing the downed android cop:  Android partners for cops and detectives are less likely to survive dangerous encounters because they don’t have the emotions necessary for self-preservation (fear, for one) and the emotional connection to effectively protect his human partner when he is in danger (brotherhood, friendship, even love).  So, Dorian is an experimental version of the android cops, made to be more of a synthetic human, instead of a robotic and cold humanoid machine.  He may even be a prototype, and be observed by the authorities?  The synergy between the partners needs to be as close to fully human as possible.  So Detective Kennex is the guy with which they are going to try out this experiment.  Maybe this cop gets into a lot of trouble and gets his android partners killed often, and it costs the police facility loads of money.  Dorian may be an answer for saving money and creating more effective android or synthetic partners for the police.

I am curious to find out about Dorian’s origin.  I’ll have to watch Almost Human to find out, won’t I?  And along the way, I want to see how wrong or how right I am about my guesses as to what this show is actually about.  I’m excited about it!

Does anyone else have thoughts or feeling about this new show?  You may share them in the comments or email me through Blogger.

Watching TRANSFORMERS PRIME, even though I am an adult

About my favorite Autobot: Bumblebee

 

My favorite Transformer is Bumblebee.  It’s an adorable name for a Transformer robot.  I knew about Bumblebee for a while but I didn’t know much about his backstory or personality until watching Transformers Prime on the Hub.  He’s such a robot-y robot.  While the other Autobots can speak verbally, Bumblebee makes buzzing beep sounds.  This has to do with the loss of his voice box in the past.  I was like, awww, poor Bumblebee :’(  So I love him even more because after learning about that and listening to the buzz/beeps he makes for communication, I can tell how he’s feeling; curious, explanatory, angry,  annoyed, saddened.  And the other Autobots (and the humans who stay with them in their headquarters) understand exactly what he is saying, like Kenny from South Park!  His name also matches his color scheme on his armor.

     I’d like to think he is the kid brother of the Autobots.  He is sort of in the middle in terms of size (with leader Optimus Prime being the largest) but his personality makes him seem more kid-like.  As a matter of fact, he may even seem immature and defy authority, especially demonstrated in the two-part episode “Operation Bumblebee.”  The episode titled  “Operation Bumblebee”  features Bumblebee as a major character in that storyline.  If you want to read my summary of the episode, you may read on.

In the first part of the episode, Bumblebee’s T-Cog is stolen, and without the ability to transform into a vehicle, he is in danger of revealing the Autobots, so he is ordered to stay in the HQ.  But he feels useless and wants to make himself useful, even if it means trying to get his T-Cog back himself.  He has a strong spirit—a strong “spark”, as the Transformers call it—that shows his determination to reach his goal, whether it’s personal or for others.

I have not seen the entire series of Transformers Prime yet.  I only have caught a few episodes from season 2 for one week, but my sister immediately fell in love with the show and bought the DVDs of the first two seasons.  We are a little over half done with watching the first season.  I definitely look forward to watching them.

Transformers Prime is not just for kids; the storyline is sophisticated enough that adults can enjoy the show too.  There are interesting character relationships and complex storylines that I don't think children can appreciate as much as they watch it for the action. 

Please check this TV show out!  Season 3 is airing on the Hub now, but the DVDs of seasons 1 and 2 are each around $20 if you'd like to enjoy it anytime and watch it from the beginning.  There is commentary included with some episodes, too!

 

Cybernetic Dreams Update: New Website Picture

I have decided to update the main picture for Cybernetic Dreams.

I think it will bring a new feel to the blog.  I drew this robot as a possible robotic representation of my second computer (thus my title for it is I Am #2), which I've had for one year and three months now.  His power-on light is blue, so that is the color I used for his CPU, eyes and mouth.

 

I used the stipling style of coloring to make him look sort of 3D. I used a black marker for the head and neck, and I used a gray marker for the oulines.  The black and gray background was colored digitally with #2 himself on the setting of crayon.  I don't know how well it will work for some viewers.  I amazed myself though.  To me, he almost comes alive.

It seems unfinished, though.  When I decide to color the picture more, I can make another update. 

I Am #2 by Amethyst Anne
March 7, 2013

A Combat Robot Show on the SyFy Channel

I still need to see the movie Real Steel, but I am kind of excited about this new show.  It's titled, Robot Combat League.

For once, the SyFy network is actually airing a show that focuses on robots.  But it is not just any robot.  No.  It’s going to show combat robots.  Robots made for fighting.

Fighting for the entertainment of humans.

In a way, I kind of don’t like that idea at the same time.  I don’t like to see two robots try to destroy each other.  At least when humans do it in sports like boxing and wrestling, they don’t try to kill each other, and yes there will be injuries.  But do robots know when to quit the damage?  Maybe if they had some sort of “damage gauge” built into their visual sensors, they’d tell when the other one is losing and it’s time to stop fighting.

Mega Man X would not want to see this.

What helps me easily deal with this oil-shed is that the combat robots don’t really have faces.  They may have something on their heads that resemble eyes, or one eye, but that is all.  

I’m going to give this show another chance, but otherwise I’m not sure if I want to waste any more hours watching people waste awesome perfectly-built robots.  They would do best at a science show and be operated to “air-fight” so as to not damage the other robots. Why is the act of physically fighting so entertaining to us humans?  Is it because we don’t like to do it ourselves but it is rather fun to see other people—or robots—do it instead?  Has our violent culture gone too far?