Robot makes scientific discovery

[Syt]

FT: Robot achieves scientific first

A laboratory robot called Adam has been hailed as the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators.

Adam formed a hypothesis on the genetics of bakers' yeast and carried out experiments to test its predictions, without intervention from its makers at Aberystwyth University.

The result was a series of "simple but useful" discoveries, confirmed by human scientists, about the gene coding for yeast enzymes. The research is published in the journal Science.

Professor Ross King, the chief creator of Adam, said robots would not supplant human researchers but make their work more productive and interesting.

"Ultimately we hope to have teams of human and robot scientists working together in laboratories," he said.

Adam is the result of a five-year collaboration between computer scientists and biologists at Aberystwyth and Cambridge universities.

The researchers endowed Adam with a huge database of yeast biology, automated hardware to carry out experiments, supplies of yeast cells and lab chemicals, and powerful artificial intelligence software.

Although they did not intervene directly in Adam's experiments, they did stand by to fix technical glitches, add chemicals and remove waste.

The team has just completed a successor robot called Eve, which is about to work with Adam on a series of experiments designed to find new drugs to treat tropical diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis.

"Adam is a prototype," says Prof King. "Eve is better designed and more elegant."

In the new experiments, Adam and Eve will work together to devise and carry out tests on thousands of chemical compounds to discover antimalarial drugs.

Neat

[PRC]

From a fairly recent best of Craigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/van/1023828822.html

I have lost a good friend due to alcohol abuse.

I got blackout drunk at the commodore last weekend (Fri Jan 30) and misplaced a small crocheted robot with a lot of sentimental value.

I need this back.

If you see this doll either laying around or in a crackhead's shopping cart please alert me because I need dexter back.

See the below picture, please hook a sister up.

Text 778.239.6844 if you have any information regarding the whereabouts of dexter.

Location: Commodore / seymour / alley
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

[Caliga]

Today Adam, tomorrow the Terminator.

[grumbler]

Today Adam, tomorrow the Terminator.

Why is the fun stuff always coming "tomorrow?"

I demand that scientists invent the affordable flying car before they invent the Terminator, damnit!

[jimmy olsen]

FT: Robot achieves scientific first

A laboratory robot called Adam has been hailed as the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators.

Adam formed a hypothesis on the genetics of bakers' yeast and carried out experiments to test its predictions, without intervention from its makers at Aberystwyth University.

The result was a series of "simple but useful" discoveries, confirmed by human scientists, about the gene coding for yeast enzymes. The research is published in the journal Science.

Professor Ross King, the chief creator of Adam, said robots would not supplant human researchers but make their work more productive and interesting.

"Ultimately we hope to have teams of human and robot scientists working together in laboratories," he said.

Adam is the result of a five-year collaboration between computer scientists and biologists at Aberystwyth and Cambridge universities.

The researchers endowed Adam with a huge database of yeast biology, automated hardware to carry out experiments, supplies of yeast cells and lab chemicals, and powerful artificial intelligence software.

Although they did not intervene directly in Adam's experiments, they did stand by to fix technical glitches, add chemicals and remove waste.

The team has just completed a successor robot called Eve, which is about to work with Adam on a series of experiments designed to find new drugs to treat tropical diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis.

"Adam is a prototype," says Prof King. "Eve is better designed and more elegant."

In the new experiments, Adam and Eve will work together to devise and carry out tests on thousands of chemical compounds to discover antimalarial drugs.

Neat

Horrible, the doom of the human race is on the horizon.

[FunkMonk]

Hopefully I'll be long dead before that happens. 

[HVC]

We're screwed once it thinks up the theory of eugenics :p .

[The Brain]

They already outsmart us 10 to 1.

[Neil]

Good.  A Skynet-style machine intelligence gets closer and closer.  And then I'll really be able to start cooking.

[Josquius]

"Adam is a prototype," says Prof King. "Eve is better designed and more elegant."

That's what God said too.
But you don't win any prizes for second place.

Horrible, the doom of the human race is on the horizon.

How do you figure?
Its stupid robots we're to be fearful of. Smart ones are a help/

[FunkMonk]

Will future intelligent machines consider us their gods?

Can I be: Archangel Michael?