Verse And Worse

Random Wit, Errant Rhyme. Not A Literary Crime

Sticks and stones may break my bones
So please don't ever try it
Experiment on android clones

And robots on a diet

I've Got A Stiff Neck, Dear

That's Because You're A Robot, You Tin-Head

A British scientist has been awarded a doctorate for a paper predicting that humans will one day marry robots. Maastricht University awarded David Levy a PhD for a thesis entitled Intimate Relationships with Artificial Partners. He wrote: "Trends in robotics and shifting attitudes on marriage are likely to result in sophisticated robots that will eventually be seen as suitable marriage partners." The thesis concluded that the findings are just as applicable to human interaction with robots of the future as they are to relationships between humans of today.

FOOTNOTE: To beep or not to beep, that is the question.

C3PO To Get An Arty Deed Too

Robot Charter Is A Good Korea Move

Aye, Robot: My wish is your command, Master!

If your surname is Jetson and you have a home-duties robot called Rosie, my only advice is: treat her well. It looks like South Korea is about to consider what may be the first government-backed ethical code for robots. The Korean ministry of commerce, industry and energy hopes to publish guidelines for human-robot relations by the end of the year. According to Telegraph.co.uk, the ``Robot Ethics Charter'' is likely to be modelled on the instructions devised by the American writer Isaac Asimov in his series, `I, Robot'. The website explains, ``This was a sort of Hippocratic oath for androids: they were not allowed to harm humans, or allow them to come to harm through inaction; they had to obey orders; and they had to protect themselves if that did not compromise the first two instructions.''