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Monday, December 15, 2008 12:00 AM

WTF of the day

A Canadian inventor's new female android is like the perfect woman, designed by a sociopath in 1955.

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  • Monday, December 15, 2008 11:25 AM

    Why is this a problem?

    In a world where women are allowed to choose their partners, there will be some unpartnered men. An android probably won't stop them from complaining about how awful flesh-and-blood women are, but it has a high probability of stopping them from actually trying to have sex with them, much less marry them.

    No matter how human it looks or feels, an android is a thing, a machine. It's made of metal, plastic and silicone. It needs a power source, as it lacks a metabolism. It will require regular maintenance, just like any other machine. It is not human. It can't even really feel pain, even though it's been programmed to respond to certain sensory information as though it hurt. Change the programming, and there's nothing to be empathic about.

    Androids beat the heck out of forced marriage to a man who doesn't really like women very much.

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