Skepticism

Comment o’ the Week!

It’s no secret that I <3 robots, and apparently you all do as well. This week’s Comment o’ the Week winner was nominated about 2,000 times or slightly less. Congrats to Steve, who responded to news that robots think we taste like bacon with this:

SteveNo Gravatar // Jul 27, 2009 at 12:06 pm

Robotics tip #314: Many English phrases that appear straightforward to humans are likely to confuse a robot. For example, never tell a robot (especially one that thinks you taste like prosciutto), “make me a sandwich”. The alternative phrasing, “make a sandwich for me” has a much higher survival rate for the requester.

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Well done, Steve! You win the prize of getting to choose next Wednesday’s Afternoon Inquisition! Send it in using the contact form.

Happy Friday!

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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