Robots could demand legal rights

Robots could one day demand the same citizen's rights as humans, according to a study by the British government.

If granted, countries would be obliged to provide social benefits including housing and even "robo-healthcare", the report says.

The predictions are contained in nearly 250 papers that look ahead at developments over the next 50 years.

Other papers, or "scans", examine the future of space flight and methods to dramatically lengthen life spans.

"We're not in the business of predicting the future, but we do need to explore the broadest range of different possibilities to help ensure government is prepared in the long-term and considers issues across the spectrum in its planning," said Sir David King, the government's chief scientific adviser.

"The scans are aimed at stimulating debate and critical discussion to enhance government's short and long term policy and strategy."

Robot rights

The research was commissioned by the UK Office of Science and Innovation's Horizon Scanning Centre.

The 246 summary papers, called the Sigma and Delta scans, were complied by futures researchers, Outsights-Ipsos Mori partnership and the US-based Institute for the Future (IFTF).
The reports also explored the future of manned space flight

The papers look forward at emerging trends in science, health and technology.

The scans explore a diverse range of areas from the future of the gulf stream and the economic rise of India, to developments in nanotechnology and the threat posed by HIV/Aids.

As well as assessing the current state of thinking the research also examines the possible implications for society.

The paper which addresses Robo-rights, titled Utopian dream or rise of the machines? examines the developments in artificial intelligence and how this may impact on law and politics.

The paper says a "monumental shift" could occur if robots develop to the point where they can reproduce, improve themselves or develop artificial intelligence.

The research suggests that at some point in the next 20 to 50 years robots could be granted rights.

If this happened, the report says, the robots would have certain responsibilities such as voting, the obligation to pay taxes, and perhaps serving compulsory military service.

Conversely, society would also have a duty of care to their new digital citizens, the report says.

It also warns that the rise of robots could put a strain on resources and the environment.

"These scans are tools for government to identify risks and opportunities in the future," said Sir David.

(c) news.bbc.co.uk

NASA Mulls ISS Solar Panel Repair

Having reached the halfway mark in their rewiring of the international space station, the crew of the shuttle Discovery may be able to get some rest on Friday. However, a stuck solar array panel could rob them of their day off. NASA hasn't yet decided what approach to take in making the repair -- it could mean another spacewalk.

After five busy days in space and two successful spacewalks, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery planned on taking things easy on Friday.

However, with a solar array halfway retracted and NASA managers willing to try several creative potential fixes, the day may end up being busier than expected.

Old Solar Panel Stuck

The solar panel is part of an interim power system the international space station was using. One of the main goals of the Discovery mission was to rewire the station and hook a new set of panels onto the permanent electricity grid.

The panels rotate with the movement of the sun to maximize the amount of solar energy produced, but in order for the new panels to rotate, the old panel had to be retracted.

While it was folded far enough to give clearance to the new panels, the old one got stuck after retracting halfway. NASA had wanted it to retract fully.

The problem lies in a guidewire that is stuck in one of the eyelets, causing the array to billow. In tests of the array on Earth, NASA saw the issue arise, but gravity helped fix it. That's not the case in space.

Fourth Spacewalk Possible

NASA will try helping it along by jiggling the array in hopes that will push the wire through the hole.

It plans to move a joint on the panel to shake it, and may also ask one of the astronauts to break a sweat using a bungee bar-like exercise device. NASA officials recalled an incident where the space agency saw an array shaking and found the cause was astronaut Leroy Chiao working the device hard in his squats and lifts.

NASA may also try different methods of retracting the accordion-like 115-foot array using a remote control.

One of the final resorts would be a fourth spacewalk, where astronauts could manually help the array along. If that were to happen during the Discovery mission, it would take place on Sunday or Monday.

U.S. astronaut Robert Curbeam and Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang -- who have performed both of the spacewalks -- would likely take on the task. It could also be performed later on by one of the space station residents.

Lack of training, logistical challenges and the risk of electrical shock involved in such an undertaking makes it a less favorable option.

Time to Ponder Solutions

"I think we'll clear this with IVA steps," Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, said in a briefing late Thursday, using the technical name "intravehicular activity" for tasks that can be done from inside the spacecraft -- as opposed to a spacewalk.

"Now I'll tell you, there's about two thousand people in the control center and about three-quarters of them think I'm crazy," Suffredini joked. On a more serious note, he said that because the halfway-retracted array is structurally sound, he can take the time to think about various solutions.

In its first two spacewalks, the Discovery crew installed a 2-ton, US$11-million addition to the space station and rewired half of the orbiting space lab. A third spacewalk is scheduled for Saturday to rewire the other half.

Astronauts on the 12-day mission are due to return to Earth on Thursday.

© 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
© 2006 ECT News Network. All rights reserved.

[Thanks goes to www.technewsworld.com for this article]

Foreigners 'power space industry'

Foreigners 'power space industry' Britain's space programme is becoming increasingly reliant on scientists from India and China, MPs have been told.

The Commons science and technology committee heard there was a shortage of high-end science graduates from the UK.

MPs are examining the future of the UK's space industry, which is worth an estimated Ј120m in exports.

Avanti chief David Williams said 80% of its graduates are from India and China, adding: "They are the best qualified and hardworking and they turn up."

"There's a lot of work needs to be done to encourage young people to come in this industry," Mr Williams, who is chief executive, added.

Satellite technology

Avanti owns the Hylas spacecraft, which will deliver broadband internet services to rural Europe.

The satellite, which should launch in the November 2008, will cost Ј75m (110m euros) and will be built by EADS-Astrium. It should deliver hundreds of high-definition TV channels.

The MPs' inquiry comes a week after science minister Malcolm Wicks met Nasa chief Dr Michael Griffin to discuss the possibility of Britain's involvement in further Moon exploration.

Nasa has said it plans to start work on a permanently-occupied base on the Moon after astronauts begin flying back there in 2020.

[original post: www.hitech-news.info]