UniversityOfBonn
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Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days. Are you reading this? Seriously, are you? Sure, we know you think you are, but what if you're just a sub-feature of a complex computer program. A sprite, nothing more than the creation of software. The problem with this question is, how would you ever know? You wouldn't, right? Well, not so fast there. Turns out, maybe there is a way to unravel the matrix (if there is one). It'll come as no surprise, that this is one of the topics in this week's collection of alternative stories. Think that's all we got? Not even close. We'll explore the truth behind cloning dinosaurs, as well a rare performance by singing mice -- all before dinner. Or is it really dinner? This is alt-week.
Roomba QuadDrive: because riding around on Roombas isn't just for cats
You saw it, you loved it: the Roomba-riding cat was an international sensation because it touched something deep within our souls. A primal desire to witness a cat astride a robot steed. But deep down you longed for something more. You pondered in inner monologue: "What if you put a whole robot on top of four Roombas working in tandem? And what if that robot was kind of creepy, like as if a human face was behind a plastic mask and it had bizarrely fake lips?" We're pretty sure you know where this is going. Behold the University of Bonn's Robotinho, surfing the Roomba QuadDrive. The QuadDrive system can blaze across the floor at a blistering 1 mph, and carry a 44 pound payload, but surely there could be no more fitting a payload than Mr. Creepster himself, Robotinho. Check it out after the break, the platform can be spied at around the 2:00 mark.
