What can dogs do that robots can't?

Question

I'm thinking fifty or so years down the line. Will there be any functions, tasks, affection etc., that cannot be duplicated and exceeded by robots?

Answer 1

panther saved my life three time's. An american ice breaker, came outta the icefog when ice noise and crumpling - He grabbed my sealskin pant's and dragged me outta the icebreaker "burton Is." bow. Second time he saved me, a polar bear was comeing at me from behind, and he attacked the bear as if it was a squirrel, although the bear stood 15 feet high. Third time an earthquake struck and the ice jammed 200 feet high where we were a few minute's before, he didn't want to go where I told him, but since he saved me before I let him save me the third time. Robot's are computer.

Answer 2

Hi Urgelwolf

Simple answer: Dream.

The opening to this question reminds me of the people who brought you one of the earliest home computers - the ZX Spectrum.
About 30 years they declared that by the turn of the century we'd all have pocket computers that were at least as "intelligent" as a cat.

Anyone here got a pocket computer called "Tiddles"?

Basically, the question itself is based on a misunderstanding that has infected the minds of generations of "materialistic reductionists".

According to many scientists (but by no means all), there is nothing in life beyond the simple interaction of atoms.
(That is, you can understand ANYTHING by reducing it to its most basic material components!)

Everything else, like consciousness, for example, is an illusion [ if you think this sounds like some Eastern religion, you're right. no wonder "science" is in a continuous verbal punch up with formal religion :-) ].

Anyway, following that line of thinking, everything a flesh and blood brain can do is purely down to physiological interactions. If you can duplicate or simulate those interactions (in a robot, say) then you can create a mechanical version of a "living" creature, since we are ourselves ALLEGEDLY just bio-mechanical beings.

All of this is derived from Newtonian physics.
Only problem - Newtonian physics is waaaay out of date (not surprising, Newton died in around 1720) - and has been replaced with quantum mechanics, etc. A form of physics which completely pulls the rug out from under the whole case for materialistic reductionism.

Based on quantum physics, life is a whole lot more complex, varied and interesting than Newtonian physics allowed for. And the old "give us the technology and we'll build a brain" thinking is obsolete (though you would never know it from the number of "scientists" still clinging to the wreckage).

One of the key issues is "uncertainty". To build a robot that could accurately mimic a dog it would need top include a capacity for "uncertainty" - not mere randomness, but something more.
At the moment we're only just beginning to find out what the "something more" is. And that's a looooooooooooong way from building it in to a robot - if, indeed, it can be mechanically reproduced.

So fear not, Fido lovers - your doggy is still in a league of its own

;-)

Answer 3

hump other dogs with a result. seriously, noone can duplicate life. Peeing on trees, bottom sniffing, leaping up on visitrs, having thier furry little ears scratched while giving whines of pleasure; pooing on the carpet -these are all things a robot coudl be taught to do - but no reproduction; at least not with the greates of ease as current doggies do. However, once robots learn to make robots - then we'd better look out.

Answer 4

Affection is the one thing they will not be able to show.
Affection is truly of an organic origin, connecting us all-human and animal.

Even if a robot could fake the emotions i would not feel it as i would know in the back of my mind i was being lied to.

Another thing as well is the effect of giving us a sense of purpose.
We must feed animals who are pets, and teach them.
This is a natural thing and cannot be recreated with robots as it requires organic interation.
If i dont feed my robot i dont care if it starts barking at me, its fake!

If i dont feed the dog i feel really bad as i know it causes suffering and inversely if i feed the dog or cat when they are hungry i feel that i have done something good in the world, even small and insignificant on the large scale.
It makes me feel worthy of being fortunate enough to be human.

Answer 5

"Smell Fear"

Dogs are great at tasks like drug detection. They have over 300,000 olfactory senses (smell senses) vs human 345 olfactory senses. This is why some ppl say they can "Smell Fear."

So we make friends with the dogs and together look for drugs, rescue recovery, and hunting. I honestly don't see a robot having an advantage above dogs in this sense.

Answer 6

Robots will never be as loyal, loving, companions as are our pets, especially our canine pets.

Answer 7

Love you....Even when you are at your worst. Always be glad to see you. Protect you and warn you when the bad guys are afoot.

Answer 8

I'm not sure. with artificial intelligence, robots might be able to learn to do anything.

Answer 9

what a sad sad thought.
no robot could EVER take the place our doggies.
in fact, i HATE robots. they scare me.

Answer 10

Dude, you watch way too many science fiction shows!