the miraculous feat

Sunday, 6 November 2005

Today, science-fiction novels and movies always predicted work to be replaced by robots, robots that are capable of performing duties as commanded efficiently and without much rest. Even more amazing movies that I Robot or Stealth suggests machines capable of making decisions and think like a human mind. While these prove to be great and possible concepts of the future, some doubt that machines can every have emotions. It seem too impossible.

My answer to that will be why not, if actually one that is capable of making considered decisions is actually created. In a way, the human ability to reflect and think is what made us different from the other animals which we considered more lowly than us. And isn’t this ability to reflect and think based on our capability to feel, to respond to surroundings as well as be able to learn from past experiences. Thus, if a robot is able to consider choices, able to learn from mistakes, then will he not be prone to emotions as well, that is to love and to hate.

What rather amazes me is the wonder that the we are just made of atoms, and it’s the interaction of zillions of these particles which made up me. What amazes me is this ability to reflect based on basically chemical reactions in my mind. What marvels me is a survival instinct that animal and plant possess, and my question is do cells have, especially when some are simply created to die? If not, then isn’t it possibly curious to realise that while the smallest unit of life do not have this instinct, the gathering of thousands of such units feel the urge to survive…