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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe DARPA Robotics Challenge Was a Bust
A scientist friend connected with Carnegie-Mellon's Robotics program just posted this link on her FB page, and it was all new to me. When I think of the vast "news" coverage about butt implants & the Kardashians, compared to the scintilla of coverage of this event - well, Einstein wept! This article is absolutely fascinating, and gives you a catch-up look at DARPA's efforts with these competitions. Unless you're someone who ridicules science, give it a read!
http://www.popsci.com/darpa-robotics-challenge-was-bust-why-darpa-needs-try-again
It's been close to a month since the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) wrapped up. That's time enough to face facts. The biggest and most well-funded international robotics competition in years was a failure. That doesn't feel good to write. The DRC was a huge undertaking, spanning years and costing millions. The competition had a noble goalthe development of robots that can better respond to disastersand it attracted many of the world's smartest and most accomplished roboticists."
"Worst of all, it failed to catch or at least hold the attention of the general public. The event was webcast, but not televised. News outlets with a focus on tech and science covered the finals, but not enough to pique the interest of more mainstream media. Years of work and tens of millions of funding culminated in an event that no one appeared to care about, despite the fact that it featured walking, driving, tool-grabbing humanoid robots.
"This is a shamelessly unscientific survey, but no one among my family or friends knew that the DRC Finals were happening. That includes my brother, who works at NASA, and my 11-year-old nephew, who's in an engineering program sponsored by defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the defense firm that had a team in the DRC. When the competition was over, the only person in my social circlewhich is rife with nerdswho had read or seen anything about it was my father-in-law. His sole takeaway: the Pentagon held a contest where a bunch of robots fell down.
Divernan
(15,480 posts)Thanking you in advance, I remain your humble servant!
Fellow wonks? Anyone? Anyone? Buehler?
randome
(34,845 posts)...who needs robots?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"Everybody is just on their feet screaming 'Kill Kill Kill'! This is hockey Conservative values!"[/center][/font][hr]
Divernan
(15,480 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)how advanced they are.
pengu
(462 posts)Divernan
(15,480 posts)Divernan
(15,480 posts)mahatmakanejeeves (6,432 posts)
Welcome to the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals
Hat tip, Virginia Tech News: 2 College of Engineering robotics teams prep for DARPA Robotics Challenge finale
What is the DARPA Robotics Challenge?
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA for short, is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense. In 2011, the agency launched the Robotics Challenge as part of an effort to use humanoid robots as first responders for devastating events, such as the 2011 Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami that heavily damaged a nuclear plant and rendered a large chunk of land uninhabitable. A total of $3.5 million is up for grabs.
Teams from around the world are competing, with some U.S. teams (including VALOR and ViGIR) receiving federal funding. Teams from foreign nations are competing without federal funding.
The event website is full of information on the competition, teams, venue, and more.
DARPA will live-stream all events Friday and Saturday, June 5-6.
Video: Meet ESCHER, the robot that rescues
2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge
Let's meet some of the contestants: DRC Finals - Qualified Teams
From Japan, Team NEDO-Hydra:
Local effort, Team ViGIR:
Octafish
(55,745 posts)When challenged to use the word "horticulture" while enjoying drinks at the Algonquin, Ms. Parker replied: "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think."
Especially so for television executives and their presstitutes.
LongTomH
(8,636 posts)Kansas City was one of the cities worldwide with a "Maker Faire," where young people were invited to create their own tech projects, including robots. Things like this get very little attention, even from local media, maybe a page 16 story or a soundbite on the late news.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)...for some reason cough Nixon, going to the moon was made routine half a century ago. Today pictures from Pluto are no big deal.
For those interested in important news closer to home:
Cuba first to eliminate mother-to-baby HIV transmission
World Health Organisation hails one of the greatest public health achievements possible, five years into regional initiative
Lisa O'Carroll
The Guardian, Tuesday 30 June 2015
Cuba has become the first country to eliminate the transmission of HIV and syphilis from mother to baby, the World Health Organisation has announced.
The WHOs director general, Margaret Chan, said it was one of the greatest public health achievements possible and an important step towards an Aids-free generation.
Over the past five years, Caribbean countries have had increased access to antiretroviral drugs as part of a regional initiative to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.
HIV and syphilis testing for pregnant women and their partners, caesarean deliveries and substitution of breastfeeding have also contributed to the breaking of the infection chain, said the WHO.
Carissa Etienne, the director of the Pan American Health Organisation, which partnered with the WHO on the initiative, said: Cubas achievement today provides inspiration for other countries to advance towards elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.
It is estimated that each year 1.4 million women living with HIV become pregnant. Untreated they have a 15-45% chance of transmitting the virus during pregnancy, labour or breastfeeding. The risk drops to just over 1% if the mother and baby are treated with antiretrovirals.
CONTINUED...
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/30/cuba-first-eliminate-mother-baby-hiv-transmission
That's The Guardian reporting a major health breakthrough. Where is it in the US media? Nowhere Double-Whammy: Commie Country plus Science News That Can Help the 99-percent.
hunter
(38,322 posts)DFW
(54,420 posts)Don't ask me what, he can't tell me!
Divernan
(15,480 posts)Kirkus Reviews: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/marc-emory/time-cellar/
"A hilarious time-travel shaggy dog story."
I just came across this DU OP - I'm impressed!
**The Time Cellar** A book by our very own DFW! [View all]
I've been hearing about this book around DU, and it sounded intriguing, so I bought a copy, and WOW.
For starters, here is the first sentence: "For the record, if there ever is one, the body in my basement with the pitchfork sticking out of its back isn't mine."
Well. That's all it took. I started reading it around 9:30 p.m. one night recently, and I didn't (rather, I couldn't) put it down till I was finished at around 1:00 a.m.
The plot is beautifully done, the characters are believable, and the story flows like, well, wine! Wine is one of the central themes and even if you don't know anything about it, it doesn't matter. The story is completely compelling. There is also time travel which is fantastic and takes you off to some very interesting places and people. There is also suspense and romance. It's wonderful! I strongly recommend this wonderful book.
I hope DFW will sell many many copies, along with a screenplay.
the Kindle version on Amazon. Can't wait to read it!
Divernan
(15,480 posts)DFW
(54,420 posts)Last edited Sat Jul 4, 2015, 04:17 PM - Edit history (1)
When Thom Hartmann raved about it on his show (a DUer told me about it, I never would have known), I was pretty blown away, but I already had some nice comments from Howard Dean, Adrian Cronauer (the real one from the Good Morning Vietnam story, not Robin Williams), some Amazon readers I don't know and Spider-Man creator Stan Lee. Everybody but some hotshot publisher willing to take a shot LOL!!
To all DUers who posted on Amazon (i have no idea who most of the comments are from, though Norm Ornstein and a couple of DUers I do recognize), THANKS!!
For the rest of you, here are two little passages from the book where the main character, a wine nerd in California in 2010, is talking to a retired president Thomas Jefferson in the year 1818:
Um, right, so here I am, probably about to give Thomas Jefferson a fatal heart attack just by saying howdy. But my history book says he died peacefully in bed on July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day after his Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. I really hoped this wasnt July 3, 1826, but he didnt look like he was in his early eighties yet. He wore what I assumed to be simple garb for his time, appeared to be taller and a little more gaunt than I expected, but otherwise looked very much like a slightly older version of his portrait on the two dollar bill.
I called over to him, Mr. President? He started, saw me through the portal, and dropped his book. He got up from what looked like a revolving chair, slowly crossed over to me. Thomas Jefferson!!!!!
I said, Mr. President, please dont be alarmed. I am quite real, and I am communicating to you from the year 2010 by way of a science unknown in your time. I said "science" instead of "technology, as that was not a term in use in the eighteenth century. He seemd to understand, anyway. Jefferson stared at me and gaped. Then the great man spoke: Either Im dreaming or this is one of the most momentous occurrences in the history of the universe. And, by the way, I havent been the president for years now.
He had a slightly lilting, almost Irish-sounding accent. I should have known that, growing up in the eighteenth century, his English would have more in common with the Court of St. Jamess than the Grand Ole Opry. I just hadnt thought about it up to now.
Yes, sir, I said, trying to be as respectful as I could. I believe I am the first one to have done this. In my time, all former presidents are still addressed as Mr. President. You were always one of my favorite people from the early days of the United States.
Why, thank you, my boy. That is very flattering. If you live in the year 2010, then to you, I must be history. Wow, the man didnt miss a trick. I had deliberately avoided using that expression.
Well, yes sir, one could look at it that way.
No other way to look at it, Jefferson replied. Where are you located?
Im in the vicinity of the city of Los Angeles, sir. Its in the southern part of California.
Very impressive! mused Jeffersonnot the reaction I expected.
How so? I asked.
"You speak impeccable English for a Mexican."
Oops. Give me a break, I'm not Katie Couric.
Mr. President, in 1850, California became a part of the United States. My name is Robert Packard.
Brilliant! exclaimed Jefferson. Your speech pattern is, of course, unknown to me. Obviously, we will have developed a uniquely American sound to our English over the years, presumably with some marked regional differences.
Oh, more than marked, Id say. Obviously, people in Virginia were not yet saying yall, and people on Long Island were probably not saying Noo Yawk yet either, although I would never find out.
Thomas Jefferson continued, You know, they laughed at me for the Louisiana Purchase, but I knew it would be a move that would prove prescient in the long run. In 1804, I sent Merriwether Lewis out west to find a passage to the Pacific coast. I guess you must know that.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jefferson pondered. I had only ten years with my Martha. She died before her thirty-fourth birthday. I was devastated. I must have spent three weeks inside a room in utter despair. Much later, I took up with someone that was completely illicit, at least in my day.
Its all right, Mr. President, we all know about Sally Hemings, and dont consider it a stain on your legacy at all.
Jefferson looked stunned. Really? You all know about Sally? Please dont even tell me how. I dont want to know. You cant imagine what a scandalous thing this is in my time. Our country, then, has truly become the beacon of enlightenment we hoped--Franklin, Madison, the others.
Well, not entirely, Im afraid, I answered. There are still strong, even violent forces of reaction that would bring the country back to the days when people were burned at the stake for such things. But they are a distinct minority, to be sure. I didnt want to get into the Texas School Board. We even abolished slavery entirely in 1865.
It took that long? I failed in my efforts to get slavery abolished over the years, although I still hold some slaves myself to this day. Ironic, isnt it? Many of us who were part of the beginning of this country envisioned abolishing slavery by 1808. As president, I even signed a law back in 1808 banning the slave trade with Africa. Some of us had hoped to have slavery abolished altogether by then, but we underestimated the resistance from the southern states, whose economies depended upon its continued existence. From what you say, it took far longer than any of us thought it would. I am glad to hear that it was finally done away with, although I imagine it had enormous economic consequences for the southern states. Im sure some of them must have had a few objections.
Oh, just a few, yeah. I didnt comment on that.
He went on, There will always be a conflict between the forces of free thought and enlightenment against those of glorified ignorance, control and darkness, I suppose, Jefferson said. But as long as they are beaten back by the forces of light and truth, they can be a tolerable evilindeed, perhaps a useful one, so as to point out by example what is not worthy of aspiration and is to be avoided. I gather from what youre leading up to that you want my opinion as to whether youre right to consider abandoning your present life for what, to you, would be the more simple life in an era you would find, superficially, at least, to be primitive?
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The two introductory quotes are these:
Le secret du bonheur et le comble de l'art, c'est de vivre comme tout le monde, en n'étant comme personne.
(The secret of happiness, and the pinnacle of art, is to live like everyone else, while not being like anyone else.)
--Simone de Beauvoir
Most people....fail to realize that style and form are everything,
and substance a passing myth.
--Rodney Whitaker (Trevanian, speaking as Nicholai Hel)
They sort of set the tone for the book, or parts of it, anyway.
Maybe that will whet someone's appetite!
Divernan
(15,480 posts)A rare treat to "talk to", i.e, exchange posts with an author!
DFW
(54,420 posts)But if my writing ever makes me rich and famous, you can say you knew me "when!"
hunter
(38,322 posts)pscot
(21,024 posts)has been postponed indefinitely.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)No. The competition was a huge success in terms of bringing together brilliant minds. The results will benefit us all in the future.
Divernan
(15,480 posts)And if the MSM had bothered to cover this event, and had a scientifically literate reporter and editor, it could have also made that point.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)Divernan
(15,480 posts)Popular Science (also known as PopSci) is an American monthly magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the American Society of Magazine Editors awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 (for General Excellence) and 2004 (for Best Magazine Section). With roots beginning in 1872, PopSci has been translated into over 30 languages and is distributed to at least 45 countries.
Good grief, giving the abysmally poor state of scientific education for the vast majority of Americans, this magazine is really important. I'd expect it to be trashed by on some tea party Luddite blog, but NOT on DU.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)I would have preferred a headline like "DARPA Robotics Challenge a Huge Success, But Nobody Noticed."
Divernan
(15,480 posts)But it wasn't a success. It was a heroic and massive effort, for sure, and the hard work could have been honored in the headline, not just the body of the article.
The Animator
(1,138 posts)I told my wife, who is facinated with robotics and AI, and she wants to enter the next competition. So it's captured the imagination of at least one aspiring scientist.
madamvlb
(495 posts)No one noticed!!!
Divernan
(15,480 posts)Parenting is damned hard work - and it's so great when our kids achieve something - basking in reflected glory is sweet! My son won a national award for investigative journalism & invited Mom (that would be me) as his "date" to the black tie awards dinner at the National Press Club.
madamvlb
(495 posts)tblue37
(65,458 posts)Quackers
(2,256 posts)My daughter and I love playing with robots and watching the development of new tech. Does anyone else remember robot wars from a few years ago? You build a robot and fight against another robot. Interesting stuff.