If you're feeling sciencey, check out a Pew Research Center survey completed with Smithsonian Magazine and released yesterday. You'll see the percentage of Americans surveyed who would welcome or dismiss personal robots servants, driverless cars or other futuristic possibilities, given the options.
A piece published on the blog re/code reports:
Asked what inventions they most want to take advantage of themselves, participants repeatedly landed on three themes: Medical strides that extend human longevity, flying cars or personal space crafts, and time travel.
On the other hand, nearer realities like robot caregivers, face computers, genetic engineering and drones seem to give a lot of people the heebie-jeebies. Among the findings:
- 65 percent think it would be a change for the worse if lifelike robots become the primary caregivers for the elderly and people in poor health.
- 63 percent think it would be a change for the worse if personal and commercial drones are given permission to fly through most U.S. airspace.
- 53 percent think it would be a change for the worse if most people wear implants or other devices that constantly show them information about the world around them.
What do you think?
Previously: Using personal robots to overstep disability, Helping the public make sense of scientific research and Hey, president-to-be: What are your views on science?
Via Kara Swisher
Photo by Bob Owen
