The Formation of the InterStellar Union (part 2)

Once the other races began to discover each other, several of them responded aggressively to the presence of others. The gelatinous Omuls tormented their peaceful plant-like neighbors, the Erwani, with endless raids. The reptilian Krissethi were quick to attack others, though they claimed their attacks were made in defense of their territory. The insectoid Chiraktis were distant neighbors to the Krissethi, and many lives were lost to the ferocious battles fought between the two. The Reln, neighbors and allies to the humans, worked with the humans to develop a set of laws that they hoped the other races would agree to, and together established the InterStellar Union (ISU). The Krissethi attacks on humans and Chiraktis were pacified as soon as borders were set and agreed upon. The Omuls officially ceased their raids upon the Erwani homeworld when offered a chance to join the other races in peace. Even the aggressive Chiraktis agreed to join, under the threat of open war with all the other races combined if they did not.

The Formation of the InterStellar Union (part 1)

The Solar Echoes universe was inspired by our own history—the history of humanity. We looked at patterns from our past and tried to project what we thought was likely to happen if mankind spread into space. The Solar Echoes universe involves six additional alien races to humans, but we felt all the races would have similar reactions when they discovered each other. Curiosity, suspicion, distrust, fear, and aggression seemed likely responses, but on a larger scale, we tried to imagine what each race would do if they discovered faster-than-light (FTL) speed technology. As soon as man made boats, what did they do? They sailed, as far as they could go, exploring and finding new lands, which they eventually sought to conquer. Throughout history, we have expanded and conquered. This has almost always guaranteed one thing: war.

Be Prepared for the Robot Apocalypse (part 5)

Some of you might be wondering why it is assumed that we should flee--why not stay and fight? Ok, let's be honest, your black-belt in karate is almost useless against a 300 pound hunk of steel. The best you can hope to achieve with that roundhouse kick is unbalancing the robot enough to topple it over. Shooting a robot with a gun could risk a ricochet off its metal surface and will probably trigger a call for back-up from other nearby robots. Don't forget, military drones are often equipped with high-caliber weapons, so it is best to not take your chances with close-range encounters. There are ways to fight, though, and they involve exploiting design flaws. Original programming routines still reside in the robot's memory, and with the proper catalyst, these routines can be prompted. For instance, the angry cleaning-bot that is rushing at you with sharp, pointy scissors could be distracted if you dropped your chewing gum and some pocket lint in front of it. Robot sensors can also be confused or temporarily disabled. Shine a bright light on a robot and its sensors may momentarily wash out. Even better, if you have a laser pointer handy, shining the beam of the laser on the robot's sensors could permanently blind it—until it hops online and signals an order for a replacement part from Amazon, which we've all been told will soon be able to air-deliver our packages by flying drones.

http://nysebulletin.com/bezos-announces-drone-package-delivery-testing-by-amazon-5584.html

Be Prepared for the Robot Apocalypse (part 4)

“Confuse Robot Sensors” is a very useful skill to have in Solar Echoes, and it can be a useful skill for us to understand, too, as we prepare for the upcoming Robot Apocalypse. Even a vague understanding of a robot's pathfinding algorithms is useful when eluding a pursuing metal monstrosity. Robots have a very difficult time moving through clutter—it confuses them—so make lots of obstacles for them. Spread garbage, knock down chairs, scatter clothes, and use anything else you can find that will obstruct a robot's direct path to you. Run in zig-zag patterns to make the robot constantly adjust its movement. While it may be able to think faster than you, it is still a machine and is much more limited in movement. Although many robots can climb steps, very few can currently run up steps and keep their balance. You don't have to be an expert at parkour to elude a pursuing robot, but if you just run in a straight line, you deserve what you get in the end. We've all seen what happens when some guy in the movies fails to outrun something when he could have just deviated his path to the left or right. Don't be that guy!

Be Prepared for the Robot Apocalypse (part 3)

A question from one of our readers: “You mentioned the roomba yesterday, a cleaning robot that I already have in my home. I'm starting to worry that its watching me. What should I do?” Good question, and thanks for asking! For anyone unfamiliar with the roomba, it is a robot-vaccuum, shaped like a large hockey-puck, which roams around the house, sucking up lint, dust, and small objects. It can be programmed to activate during certain hours, can navigate rather effectively around most objects and floor plans, and will even return to its charger to recharge when it is running low on energy. Though the roomba is unlikely to be much of a threat even if it develops a dangerous, rogue AI, it is very limited by its physical form. Roombas can't climb stairs or detect objects unless they bump into them. While roombas aren't much of a threat unless duct-taped with knives and scissors sticking out, other robots are potentially very deadly. Understanding robot sensors and movement capabilities is the key to survival when they rise up against us.

Be Prepared for the Robot Apocalypse (part 2)

Robots have weaknesses, and we need to know about them if we are going to survive the Robot Apocalypse. A robot with a rogue AI could range from a brutal military drone to an innocuous cleaning bot, so it is best to be prepared around any type of robot. The most important thing to remember about a robot is that it could become a threat at an unexpected moment—automatic software upgrades can happen without you knowing, especially when wifi signals are almost everywhere we go now. Some programming might not activate until a specific date, just like computer trigger viruses that activate at specific dates and times. Don't let yourself be caught by surprise! A robot might not give any indication that it has suddenly decided you should be deleted. It might carry out its usual programming without even a hint of malice lurking within its circuitry. But the moment you turn your back on it and start playing with your smartphone again, it's all over. What can we do? Should we hide indoors and evict all robots from our homes, even those innocent-looking roomba's? It's simple: if you are going to be around a robot, never take your eyes off it and know your exits, because you may need to RUN!

Be Prepared for the Robot Apocalypse (part 1)

According to the article below, robots will be smarter than us by 2029. How does that make you feel? We've grown up with sci-fi books and movies warning us that robots will decide humans are a problem. Already, drones are far beyond simple remote-control weapons, and their AI's are being designed towards total autonomy. Should we fear a Robot Apocalypse? Plenty of people have already prepared for a supposed “Zombie Apocalypse,” a scenario that the CDC has actually promoted as a possibility. Even though zombies are far less likely than killer robots with rogue AI's, I've yet to read any warnings to being prepared for a Robot Apocalypse. This week, we'll take a few tips from the Solar Echoes robot talents and learn how to improve our chances at surviving when robots decide we're no longer needed on this planet.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/robots-will-be-smarter-than-us-all-by-2029-warns-ai-expert-ray-kurzweil-9147506.html