Varun's Vagaries

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17.8.08

If you got it,why not use it?

Posted by Varun




As scientists started creating more advanced,intelligent robots,heads turned.Aibo,a pet robot dog that recognizes it's master and barks at unknown people,and Asimo, with it's nifty gesture and environment recognition blew everyone's minds.A robot that can hold things,walk,climb,get you your medicine the list is endless! As every invention thus far has been,this Robot Rage is designed to make things easier for us.


Cut back to 2600BC when the first calculator was created by Babylonians.Abacus,in it's earliest form,was the simplest way to help with number crunching.As the electronic calculator came along, there was a great cheer! We had created something that would make calculations much easier.Right through this wide time-frame,the INTENTION of the inventors has always been to somehow ease the pressures of life.What really has happened,though,is quite different.


I remember when I was in the 5th grade,we used to have they system where the teacher would assess our answer papers in front of us so that we could know there and then where we had messed up.One of those days,as I was standing in front of my teacher,I noticed that she was using a calculator to add up my marks.Curiously I looked at the answer sheet and saw that I had secured 16/20 in 4 sections and 17/20 in one. "Ma'am that's 81/100",I said.She looked at me incredulously.(rather,Angrily,as I found out later).I couldn't understand why she was looking at me like that.I clarified,"That's 16*5 80 and 1,81 on 100 ma'am."

Despite the 5 raps on my knuckle I got with a ruler for my 'rude' behavior,for the love of God I couldn't understand how the person who had taught me mathematics and tables since the very beginning couldn't figure out 16*5+1 on her own? Later she let slip discreetly,that it's much easier to add up using a calculator.I've had similar episodes with shopkeepers,and even traffic policemen! (He used his mobile to find out how much money to return to me after subtracting the bribe)
The general tendency is,why rack your brains when a machine can do that for you? If you look at it,Asimo can be an excellent aid for elderly people,hospital patients and the disabled.Instead,I can guarantee that you will rather find future Asimos polishing their owner's toenails and fetching her (/him) some beauty cream from the shop.
It's just that we are so becoming the slaves of our inventions,I fear that one day we'll even stop getting out of bed,if we keep inventing 'do this without moving a muscle' services.I don't want to be insensitive at all,but,isn't it evident that Alzheimer's is on the rise since,wait for it, people stopped using their brains? (this has been proven by studies.Although in some cases you can't do anything to prevent it,in some cases).The same goes for our bodies.Why go outside and kick a ball if you can see finely chiseled athletes do that for you while you munch your cheeseballs?
And if you get too fat to walk to the fridge,maybe Asimo's the one for you.


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4 comments:

Rinzu said...

A NICE MIX OF HUMOR AND THE REAL TRUTH...

THE PCTURE OF THAT LADY LOOKD SCARY... I WONDER WAS SHE REALLLY LIKE DAT???


NU HAVE DONE UR PAGE WELL...
KINDLY DO AWAY WITH THE WORD VERIFICATION

Ratzzz said...

the feeling is mutual.... i remember my room mate asking me how much is 1/100 and then adding never mind i'll use the calculator

Karmasura said...

ya sad times ahead for the human race..

Jil Jil Ramamani said...

Id love to hav an asimov...but thats besides the point of the post eh...