Terminator Sparrows?

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Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday February 26, 2013 @08:06AM from the they'll-be-back-...-from-the-dead dept.

AstroPhilosopher writes "In a move not far removed from the model T-101, U.S. researchers have succeeded in re-animating a dead sparrow. Duke scientists were studying male behavior aggression among sparrows. They cleverly decided to insert miniaturized robotics into an empty sparrow carcass and operate it like a puppet (abstract). It worked; they noticed wing movements were a primary sign of aggression. Fortunately the living won out this time. The experiment stopped after the real sparrows tore off the robosparrow's head. But there's always a newer model on the assembly-line. Good luck sparrows." Bad Horse has not yet made a decision on the researchers' application.

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I Don't Understand the Conclusion by eldavojohn · 2013-02-26 08:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

Awesome research but the last section puzzles me:

The living male birds were equally aggressive to Robosparrow whether its wing movements were activated or not, the researchers found.

"It confirmed our hypothesis that the wing-waving behaviour is functioning male aggressive communication," said Dr Anderson.
Wouldn't the first sentence imply that nothing can be determined? I mean, it sounds like they weren't beating the shit out of robosparrow because of his wing movements but more so because he was going around looking for Sparrow Connor.

But in all serious does anyone know how they came to that conclusion given the seemingly arbitrary constant aggression?

--
My work here is dung.
1. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by GameboyRMH · 2013-02-26 08:14 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  It certainly looks like a pair of conflicting statements...did they never consider that they'd triggered an "Uncanny Valley" reaction in the sparrows and they were being aggressive towards the cyborg-zombie sparrow?
  
  --
  "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
2. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:15 · Score: 0
  
  Presumably the sparrows that attacked the robot exhibited the behaviour, and those that didn't, well, didn't.
3. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:15 · Score: 0
  
  american educational system
4. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by parallel_prankster · 2013-02-26 08:19 · Score: 2
  
  Exactly, I was about to say the same thing. I mean was the Robosparrow attacked because the others thought it looked weird because it had a dead look or something? Is there a full paper that explains their research. That conclusion jump left me wondering!
5. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:39 · Score: 0
  
  Presumably the sparrows that attacked the robot exhibited the behaviour, and those that didn't, were nailed to the perch.
  FTFY
6. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:42 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Yeah... if this were to happen with humans, I could see that just about anyone would try to take down a random robo-zombie with a baseball bat or shotgun blast to the head!
  There's not going to be any "Oh hey... are you okay, man? You look pale, and your eyes are dull and you move with an unnatural jerky movement... did you eat some bad shellfish?"
  It's going to be screaming and mayhem.
  BEST CAPTCHA EVER: "automata"
7. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by operagost · 2013-02-26 08:47 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed. I greatly hope that this is just a poorly written article, and not a ridiculous conclusion.
  
  --
  
  Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
8. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by geekoid · 2013-02-26 09:14 · Score: 1
  
  "...subjects responded more aggressively to the mount during wing waving trials than during stationary trials. A second experiment demonstrated that this effect cannot be attributed simply to increased attention to movement. Less expectedly, subjects did not alter their own display behavior in response to wing waving as compared to a static mount. We conclude that the wing wave display in the context of singing is a signal that functions in male–male aggressive communication. Questions remain, including whether wing waving functions as a signal in the absence of singing and whether wing waving and song are redundant signals or communicate different information."
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
9. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by TheCarp · 2013-02-26 09:14 · Score: 3
  
  > Wouldn't the first sentence imply that nothing can be
  > determined? I mean, it sounds like they weren't beating the
  > shit out of robosparrow because of his wing movements but
  > more so because he was going around looking for Sparrow
  > Connor.
  That was my first thought too.
  Going out on a limb here but... this is the article not the paper. My assumption would be, before going to check the paper out, that the reporter who wrote the article either misunderstood the test or possibly, his editor did, and either worded it badly, or an important statement or two got cut. ....now lets do a quick check,....and the abstract says.... the reporter/editor left shit out:
  
  As predicted, subjects responded more aggressively to the mount during wing waving trials than during stationary trials. A second experiment demonstrated that this effect cannot be attributed simply to increased attention to movement. Less expectedly, subjects did not alter their own display behavior in response to wing waving as compared to a static mount. We conclude that the wing wave display in the context of singing is a signal that functions in maleâ"male aggressive communication. Questions remain, including whether wing waving functions as a signal in the absence of singing and whether wing waving and song are redundant signals or communicate different information.
  
  --
  "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
10. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Grayhand · 2013-02-26 09:24 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  It certainly looks like a pair of conflicting statements...did they never consider that they'd triggered an "Uncanny Valley" reaction in the sparrows and they were being aggressive towards the cyborg-zombie sparrow?
  That was my reaction. The attack seemed disproportionally aggressive. Killing the competition isn't a normal reaction. It seems more like fear than aggression. Curious if that could end up being another intelligence test whether animals also deal with a form of Uncanny Valley reaction. It's not universal since I've seen animals being fairly accepting of robotic animals. Gorillas don't normally have an aggressive reaction to people in gorilla suits, Rick Baker's crew dealt with that first hand on Graystoke by mixing with wild gorillas. Birds are different and look for subtle cues so they may react more strongly to "wrong" behavior. Moving oddly might be perceived as diseased so a dangerous threat to the gene pool.
11. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:24 · Score: 0
  
  Bad summary.
  Wing Wave + Song appear to be linked to aggression.
  Wing Wave + Song in Robosparrow = very aggressive behavior in response.
  No movement + Song in Robosparrow = less-but-still-aggressive behavior in response.
  Some movement (not wing wave) + Song in Robosparrow = less-but-still-aggressive behavior in response.
  
  As predicted, subjects responded more aggressively to the mount during wing waving trials than during stationary trials. A second experiment demonstrated that this effect cannot be attributed simply to increased attention to movement.
  In all cases, the living sparrows exhibited the same wing-waving behavior towards the Robosparrow before attacking it - regardless of whether or not Robosparrow was moving or still, wing-display or not.
12. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:36 · Score: 0
  
  Or that it smelled funny from electronics and being handled by people. Or was just an unfamiliar bird in their territory.
13. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:50 · Score: 1
  
  I think what the article is TRYING to say is that the wing waving of the LIVING SPARROWS was proven to be "functioning male aggressive communication", rather than the movement of the dead sparrow, which generally just seemed to piss off the other sparrows...
14. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by viperidaenz · 2013-02-26 10:11 · Score: 2
  
  There's not going to be any "Oh hey... are you okay, man? You look pale, and your eyes are dull and you move with an unnatural jerky movement... did you eat some bad brains?"
15. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Time_Ngler · 2013-02-26 10:12 · Score: 0
  
  sounds more like a pollock education system, amirite?
16. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by viperidaenz · 2013-02-26 10:14 · Score: 2
  
  Or it smelt funny because its a dead animal. Like you know, food.
17. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by viperidaenz · 2013-02-26 10:16 · Score: 1
  
  Or sparrow asks Robosparrow "Hi, who are you?" Robosparrow responds with "#$*@^(&*%@)^(#%&#)&*$@(&#%". Sparrow attacks.
18. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by nametaken · 2013-02-26 10:21 · Score: 1
  
  The article says that it was constructed with the help of a taxidermist. I doubt there was much in the way of rot going on, but it would probably smell funny (like plastic and glue).
19. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Somebody+Is+Using+My · 2013-02-26 10:27 · Score: 1
  
  Possibly the hypothesis connecting wing movement to aggression is not based on the /puppet's/ wing movements, but those of the living sparrows.
  As in, as the /living sparrows/ became more aggressive, they displayed more wing movements.
  You wouldn't to base any conclusions on the manipulated behaviors of the puppet anyway.
  *Why* the living sparrows became increasingly aggressive (the the point of decapitation!) towards the puppet is unknown. Perhaps they were watching too many Romero movies.
  I therefore conclude it is time for a new study: does watching violent movies increase aggressive tendencies in small birds? This is a question too important to leave unanswered.
20. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by viperidaenz · 2013-02-26 10:44 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe sparrows don't like the smell of formaldehyde?
21. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 10:47 · Score: 0
  
  If the wing-waving from the real sparrows only occurred in response to the wing-waving from RoboSparrow, it could be attempted communication rather than aggression, so the logic goes.
  The "Grab your torches and pitchforks to kill the Monster" response could have impacted the validity of the results though. And still, it's Dr. Frankenstein we really need to worry about.
22. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 10:58 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Gorillas don't normally have an aggressive reaction to people in gorilla suit.
  Apples vs. Oranges.
  How would gorillas react to someone in a suit made out of a dead gorilla? You know: with rotting flesh smell and dead eyes.
  It must have a robotic whirring noise to be a fair comparison.
23. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 12:03 · Score: 1
  
  sounds more like a pollock education system, amirite?
  Yeah. That Jackson Pollock was quite the moron. Nice paintings though.
24. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Sulphur · 2013-02-26 12:20 · Score: 1
  
  Awesome research but the last section puzzles me:
  
  The living male birds were equally aggressive to Robosparrow whether its wing movements were activated or not, the researchers found.
  "It confirmed our hypothesis that the wing-waving behaviour is functioning male aggressive communication," said Dr Anderson.
  Wouldn't the first sentence imply that nothing can be determined? I mean, it sounds like they weren't beating the shit out of robosparrow because of his wing movements but more so because he was going around looking for Sparrow Connor.
  But in all serious does anyone know how they came to that conclusion given the seemingly arbitrary constant aggression?
  Sparrow Connor taught him about Tweetie and Sequester.
25. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 12:24 · Score: 0
  
  All is okay. There's no contradiction... in the actual work. It's just that the BBC article is poor.
  If anyone is genuinely interested in sorting out just what the research is saying, the paper is available for download from the web page of one of the authors: http://biology.duke.edu/nowicki/pubs.html
  I'm too nervous to try summarizing it though, in case I do just as bad a job as the BBC did!
26. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Livius · 2013-02-26 15:05 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  You may laugh now, but with their proactive approach sparrows will be the ones surviving the zombie apocalypse.
27. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by a_hanso · 2013-02-26 16:18 · Score: 2
  
  Yes! They knew exactly how to take out a zombie. Massive cranial trauma.
28. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by spiritplumber · 2013-02-26 19:00 · Score: 2
  
  Actually maybe that's the point. The real conclusion here is "Animals instinctively attack abominations of twisted science and/or necromancy."
  
  --
  Liberty - Security - Laziness - Pick any two.
29. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by a_hanso · 2013-02-26 19:40 · Score: 1
  
  Sparrow Connor taught him about Tweetie and Sequester.
  Tweetie and Sequester: How one bird reached across the aisle and averted the budget crisis.
30. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by anyanka · 2013-02-26 21:17 · Score: 1
  
  You don't need a fancy robot to determine that wing movements are a display of aggression (together with, e.g., an open beak), you can learn that through simple observation. Interestingly, wing movements (and an open beak) are also used when begging for food, but that's more of a fluttery movement.
31. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Sulphur · 2013-02-27 00:49 · Score: 1
  
  Sparrow Connor taught him about Tweetie and Sequester.
  Tweetie and Sequester: How one bird reached across the aisle and averted the budget crisis.
  And he said, "I think you're ... delicious."
32. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by AnalogBrain · 2013-02-27 01:50 · Score: 1
  
  From the abstract:
  
  As predicted, subjects responded more aggressively to the mount during wing waving trials than during stationary trials. A second experiment demonstrated that this effect cannot be attributed simply to increased attention to movement. Less expectedly, subjects did not alter their own display behavior in response to wing waving as compared to a static mount. We conclude that the wing wave display in the context of singing is a signal that functions in male–male aggressive communication.
  
  I guess that means the birds were more aggressive when the robosparrow was flapping it's wings, but didn't necessarily signal this with their own wing flapping. I assume they have other ways of showing aggression, like pecking its head off. This wasn't well summarized in the article.
33. Re:I Don't Understand the Conclusion by Rakarra · 2013-02-28 12:34 · Score: 1
  
  Sparrows can't smell much of anything, like most birds who aren't vultures.
Your seeds by Hsien-Ko · 2013-02-26 08:10 · Score: 5, Funny

Give them to me.

Now
1. Re:Your seeds by Quakeulf · 2013-02-26 08:13 · Score: 1
  
  Mod parent up. Just do it. DO IT
2. Re:Your seeds by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:09 · Score: 1
  
  Apparently, "Come with me if you want to live" was lost in the translation.
3. Re:Your seeds by game+kid · 2013-02-26 09:40 · Score: 2
  
  I can't quite tell if you said that in the tyrant robotic bird in a swamp sense, the Monsanto legal team sense, or the "this experiment is so awesome that I demand the researchers' bukkake all over my body" sense.
  
  --
  You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
4. Re:Your seeds by CanHasDIY · 2013-02-26 09:45 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I can't quite tell if you said that in the tyrant robotic bird in a swamp sense, the Monsanto legal team sense, or the "this experiment is so awesome that I demand the researchers' bukkake all over my body" sense.
  More like the "reference to a classic sci-fi movie that probably came out before you were but a twinkle in your father's eye" sense.
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
5. Re:Your seeds by Billlagr · 2013-02-26 11:09 · Score: 2
  
  I would have thought that the now-removed robosparrow head's last words would be "I'll be back", as it's one glowing red eye faded out..
6. Re:Your seeds by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 12:32 · Score: 0
  
  Give them to me.
  Now
  
  Fuck you, asshole.
7. Re:Your seeds by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 12:46 · Score: 0
  
  My great uncle used to say something more euphemistic by a just wee bit: "...before you were a tip in your father's kilt."
8. Re:Your seeds by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 19:01 · Score: 0
  
  A version of the same theme for the young: I like your seeds.
9. Re:Your seeds by telchine · 2013-02-27 00:17 · Score: 1
  
  Apparently, "Come with me if you want to live" was lost in the translation.
  Tweet, twit-tweet-twit twit-twit-tweeeeeeet!
Jesus God by SpaceManFlip · 2013-02-26 08:10 · Score: 1

What has Science done !!??@!
1. Re:Jesus God by GameboyRMH · 2013-02-26 08:16 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  That's nothing. Consider this:
  http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/medical-robots/ratbot-beats-on-live-rats-to-make-them-depressed
  Harry Harlow would be proud.
  
  --
  "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
2. Re:Jesus God by j00r0m4nc3r · 2013-02-26 09:16 · Score: 1
  
  Imagine what will happen when the robosparrows and roborats join forces against humanity
3. Re:Jesus God by Medievalist · 2013-02-26 09:45 · Score: 1
  
  Harry Harlow would be proud.
  If he could take time out from drunkenly abusing monkeys, yes.
4. Re:Jesus God by CanHasDIY · 2013-02-26 09:47 · Score: 2
  
  What has Science done !!??@!
  Nothing my uncle the taxidermist hasn't.
  If you think this is the first time that someone has ever had the idea to animate a taxidermy mount, you have obviously never been inside a Chuck E. Cheese's.
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
5. Re:Jesus God by Motard · 2013-02-26 12:41 · Score: 1
  
  Heh. The banner ad at the bottom of the page is for Aerospace/Defense Whitepapers from IBM
This is good news by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:13 · Score: 5, Funny

Even sparrows hate the undead. Those zombies are going down.
1. Re:This is good news by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:51 · Score: 1
  
  Sometimes I wonder about how researchers justify generalizing their conclusions. If someone put a robot inside a human corpse to study human social behavior they'd probably observe people shooting it with shotguns and trying to light it on fire. You can't say that the arm movements triggered the aggression.
2. Re:This is good news by Jeng · 2013-02-26 09:26 · Score: 1
  
  Sparrows are the carriers of the soul.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopomp
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Half
  
  --
  Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
3. Re:This is good news by CanHasDIY · 2013-02-26 09:49 · Score: 1
  
  If someone put a robot inside a human corpse to study human social behavior they'd probably observe people shooting it with shotguns and trying to light it on fire. You can't say that the arm movements triggered the aggression.
  Well, you could, but you'd probably be gunned down for being one of those damn zombie sympathizers...
  Side Note: Boy, that gives 'bleeding heart' an all new connotation, now doesn't it?
  
  --
  An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
4. Re:This is good news by Grayhand · 2013-02-26 10:08 · Score: 1
  
  Even sparrows hate the undead. Those zombies are going down.
  "Next on AMC The Sqawking Dead"
5. Re:This is good news by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 11:23 · Score: 0
  
  "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will." -- Matthew 10:29
  (Translated from sparrow-chirps:) "But when humans stick robot parts into one of our corpses and reanimate it as a zombie, that is surely the work of the Sparrow Devil. Fellow sparrows, attack this unholy abomination before the mad scientists get the idea to build more!"
6. Re:This is good news by Motard · 2013-02-26 12:42 · Score: 1
  
  Wait, is this about Robin being killed?
O.O by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:15 · Score: 3, Funny

I am appalled at what science has done...
That said, I really want to see the YouTube video of this...
1. Re:O.O by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:32 · Score: 0
  
  Obviously these particular scientists have not caught on to the 21st century yet. If you want to prove it or get funding or massive public attention for it, YouTube it!!!
2. Re:O.O by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:33 · Score: 0
  
  Here ya go.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZY0-PH1dDE
  
  .
3. Re:O.O by reverseengineer · 2013-02-26 09:56 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  There's video of the sparrow in the supplementary information tab on the abstract page in Quicktime format. The file 265_2013_1478_MOESM2_ESM.m4v is the one with footage of the reanimated sparrow. I'll warn you that it isn't exactly thrilling. No lurid sparrow on cybersparrow violence.
  Of note is that they actually operated the mechanical bird inside a cage. I think the quote "Eventually the head fell off and the wing stopped moving" from the BBC article meant precisely that: the robobird fell apart from exposure to the elements and repeated trials.
  The /. submitter appears to have wrongly inferred that this damage was from other sparrows tearing it apart, when in fact their aggressive behavior was "got close and waved menacingly."
  
  --
  "FDA staff reviewers expressed concern about the number of patients who were left out of the study because they died."
4. Re:O.O by reverseengineer · 2013-02-26 13:52 · Score: 2
  
  Looking again at the BBC article, they do mention physical attacks (and the page picture seems to be depicting one), so I went looking for the researcher's' own page, and it turns out there are some videos of sparrows attacking a taxidermied sparrow. From the looks of it, they may have used the "robosparrow" with the motorized wing in a cage, since it was fragile and they only had one. This video from 2011 of a live sparrow attacking a stationary taxidermied sparrow seems to suggest that there's no way the Robosparrow makes it two months in the wild if this is the kind of treatment sparrows dish out to rivals. Go for the eyes, Boo!
  
  --
  "FDA staff reviewers expressed concern about the number of patients who were left out of the study because they died."
But, was it... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:15 · Score: 5, Funny

an African or European swallow?
1. Re:But, was it... by interval1066 · 2013-02-26 08:28 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  I would've modded you up if I could've. The jerks who modded you down are comically barren.
  
  --
  Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
2. Re:But, was it... by Westwood0720 · 2013-02-26 08:38 · Score: 2
  
  Its a matter of where it grips it I'd imagine.
3. Re:But, was it... by W.+Justice+Black · 2013-02-26 09:00 · Score: 1
  
  I'd say a strand of creeper was involved, but this IS /., so there is no shortage of creepers here.
  *bah dum bum*
  
  --
  "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana." --Groucho Marx
4. Re:But, was it... by asylumx · 2013-02-26 09:00 · Score: 2
  
  But... we're talking about sparrows, not swallows.
5. Re:But, was it... by idontgno · 2013-02-26 09:03 · Score: 1
  
  North American, or Asian?
  
  --
  Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
6. Re:But, was it... by TeknoHog · 2013-02-26 09:18 · Score: 1
  
  I think the correct question is:
  African spit or European swallow?
  
  --
  Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
7. Re:But, was it... by CyberKnet · 2013-02-26 10:04 · Score: 1
  
  I don't ... know ....
  AAAAAaaaAAAaaAAaAhhhh!!!
  
  --
  Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor - Ovidius
8. Re:But, was it... by Cyfun · 2013-02-26 11:46 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, I dunno that! Yaaaaughghhhh!
  
  --
  In Soviet Russia, dot slashes YOU!
9. Re:But, was it... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 11:54 · Score: 0
  
  Only asians swallow, everyone knows north americans think they are to good for such. Oh wait this was a male-male study... Conclusion still holds true.
10. Re:But, was it... by nanospook · 2013-02-26 16:16 · Score: 1
  
  It depends on how the blow goes.. ummm I mean wind blows.. yeah wind..
  
  --
  Have you fscked your local propeller head today?
Finall we know the answer by n0w0rries · 2013-02-26 08:16 · Score: 3, Funny

What would you do if suddenly your uncle bernie was reanimated like a zombie. You'd blow his head off I'm sure! I side with the sparrows! Death to cyborg zombies!
I for one by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:16 · Score: 0

welcome our new robot sparrow overlords. All hail the sparonator!
Better idea by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:17 · Score: 1

Maybe live sparrows just hate cyborg/zombie sparrows?
Video? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:18 · Score: 0

Where can I find a video of this???
I bet you thought this sparrow was alive by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:20 · Score: 1

Nope, Chuck Testa.
Bad Horse? by Lynchenstein · 2013-02-26 08:20 · Score: 1

He's bad.
1. Re: Bad Horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:51 · Score: 1
  
  He rides across the nation; the thoroughbred of sin.
2. Re: Bad Horse? by irving47 · 2013-02-26 09:26 · Score: 1
  
  He got the application that you just sent in...
  
  --
  I had a sucky sig.
3. Re: Bad Horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:30 · Score: 0
  
  It needs evaluation, so let the games begin...
4. Re: Bad Horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 14:42 · Score: 0
  
  It needs evaluation, so let he games begin!
Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:22 · Score: 1

Does putting robotic pieces into a dead bird count as re-animation?
1. Re:Huh? by Arancaytar · 2013-02-26 09:10 · Score: 1
  
  The literal kind, I suppose. The other kind would probably be instead termed something like resuscitation, revivification or resurrection, depending on whether the subject is a little, mostly or all dead.
2. Re:Huh? by Barryke · 2013-02-26 09:11 · Score: 1
  
  No. Unless you don't know shit and feel creative. Seeing the rest of the article, i guess its actually content sources at The Union News..
  
  --
  Hivemind harvest in progress..
3. Re:Huh? by Farmer+Pete · 2013-02-26 09:16 · Score: 1
  
  If Disney had just used corpses in their Hall of Presidents, this story would be dumber than it already was.
Alive! It's alive! by Arthur+B. · 2013-02-26 08:23 · Score: 2

http://imgur.com/iDdNnNk
nope...

--
\u262D = \u5350
How is this ethical? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:24 · Score: 3, Funny

I'm no bird, but if they animated a human corpse by what appears to be magic and had it make threatening gestures at me until I freaked out and ripped its head off, I'd probably be very traumatized.
Oh, OK... by interval1066 · 2013-02-26 08:26 · Score: 3, Funny

Oh god, I thought they succeeded in doing some kind of Frankenstein's monster thing with electrodes and chemicals... they just stuck some wires and gizmos up the ass of a dead sparrow... big difference. Big relief imo...

--
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
1. Re:Oh, OK... by JaredOfEuropa · 2013-02-26 09:11 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  they just stuck some wires and gizmos up the ass of a dead sparrow
  All is fair in the name of science
  
  --
  If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
2. Re:Oh, OK... by Farmer+Pete · 2013-02-26 09:13 · Score: 2
  
  I know right? I thought it was the same thing. It went from being the biggest news I've probably ever heard to a pretty stupid research project in 4 seconds.
3. Re:Oh, OK... by geekoid · 2013-02-26 09:16 · Score: 1
  
  Really? This is BETTER then bringing the dead back to life?
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
4. Re:Oh, OK... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 10:19 · Score: 0
  
  Wait... I thought that Abraham Lincoln at Disneyland was alive!
5. Re:Oh, OK... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 12:56 · Score: 0
  
  I can't wait for human trials....
  Captcha: unworthy
6. Re:Oh, OK... by interval1066 · 2013-03-06 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  Ok, you did read/see/are aware of the story in Mary Shelley's classic novel "Frankenstien: The Modern Prometheus"? And yes, I would rather see a dead body animated as a marionette rather than a brain-eating zombie or a Frankenstien's monster. Seriously, everything has to be spelled out to so many /.'rs. Maybe its a language thing...
  
  --
  Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
"Eventually the head fell off" by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:27 · Score: 5, Funny

The researchers, as quoted in the original article, describe the problem I've always had with re-animation:

"Eventually the head fell off"
Watch out for the third question by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:27 · Score: 0

WHAT is the airspeed velocity of a motorized sparrow?
1. Re:Watch out for the third question by narcc · 2013-02-26 09:21 · Score: 2
  
  African or European?
  
  --
  Required reading for internet skeptics
Terrible summarization by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:30 · Score: 3, Insightful

This is a terrible summary even by /. standards.
Both terminator and 'reanimate' have completely different inferred meanings than what the story is actually about.
1. Re:Terrible summarization by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:53 · Score: 1
  
  Apparently, you have forgotten just how low slashdot standards really are.
African or European? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:31 · Score: 0

African sparrows?
1. Re:African or European? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:34 · Score: 0
  
  Nevermind. The joke is swallows. Not sparrows. I shouldn't have googled first.
Ex-Parrot by Marillion · 2013-02-26 08:31 · Score: 5, Funny

Repeat experiment with parrots and ruin a perfectly good Monty Python skit.

--
This is a boring sig
1. Re:Ex-Parrot by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:06 · Score: 1
  
  I'm seriously disappointed in Slashdot. Not only did it take a good few minutes for someone to finally make a Monty Python reference, not one person has asked whether or not the Robosparrow ran/still runs Linux.
  It's almost as if you've reddit all before and don't care about the articles.
2. Re:Ex-Parrot by TeknoHog · 2013-02-26 09:19 · Score: 1
  
  Repeat experiment with parrots
  African or European?
  
  --
  Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
3. Re:Ex-Parrot by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:30 · Score: 1
  
  This parrot wouldn't ZOOM unless you put a computer-controlled motor in it to activate it's wings!
4. Re:Ex-Parrot by ArsenneLupin · 2013-02-26 21:54 · Score: 1
  
  not one person has asked whether or not the Robosparrow ran/still runs Linux.
  ... and whether the python language is so concise that you need to "pad these python files out to 200 lines"...
Reanimation by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 08:33 · Score: 0

I cry fowl! This is not reanimation!
1. Re:Reanimation by Arancaytar · 2013-02-26 09:19 · Score: 0
  
  what you did there i see it
Last seen riding a west bound scooter... by ethanms · 2013-02-26 08:41 · Score: 2

Oh! That's it! That's IT! I've had it with this dump! We got no food! We got no jobs! Our pets heads are falling off!
What the hell are we doing here Harry? We gotta get out of this town!
The King! by Richy_T · 2013-02-26 08:41 · Score: 1

Pass me a shovel, I'm going to Graceland.
Hey AstroPhilosopher by gtirloni · 2013-02-26 08:44 · Score: 4, Funny

Good job trying to make everybody think researchers actually revived a dead bird.

This "news" would be as amusing as a 5 year-old "re-animating" his sockpuppet with Lego.

--
none
It'll be back! by arekin · 2013-02-26 08:47 · Score: 1

I hear it was looking for Sparrow Conner.

--
Disagreeing with you does not make me a troll.
1. Re:It'll be back! by jd2112 · 2013-02-26 09:29 · Score: 1
  
  I hear it was looking for Sparrow Conner.
  "Ah'll be bach." - RoboSparrow
  
  --
  Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
2. Re:It'll be back! by viperidaenz · 2013-02-26 10:39 · Score: 1
  
  Is RoboSparrow good at composing music?
3. Re:It'll be back! by jd2112 · 2013-02-26 17:01 · Score: 1
  
  Is RoboSparrow good at composing music?
  No, but it does have political ambitions.
  
  --
  Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
Pretty sure they did this to Keith Richards..... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 09:09 · Score: 0

years ago. Just listen to the lyrics of Start Me Up, very telling stuff in there.
Weekend at Bernie's by Barryke · 2013-02-26 09:09 · Score: 1

Obligatory IMDB link: "Weekend at Bernie's"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098627/

--
Hivemind harvest in progress..
Welcome by Farmer+Pete · 2013-02-26 09:11 · Score: 1

I for one welcome our new robosparrow overlords.
Didn't you watch Prometheus? by GodfatherofSoul · 2013-02-26 09:13 · Score: 1

That sparrow was simply incensed that puny humans would dare try to speak to him through such a crude facsimile. Ripping it's head off was the only means he had to communicate that to us in a language we could understand.

--
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Original Poster by AstroPhilosopher · 2013-02-26 09:16 · Score: 1

Bad summarization? Not necessarily. In the Terminator series SkyNet placed living tissue over a robot in order to infiltrate human enclaves. Similarly, researchers placed robotics in a carcass in order to fool living sparrows. Exactly the same? No, but the premise is quite similar. The analogy was drawn simply to give the reader an idea of what happened since readers may be more familiar with the Terminator films than with ornithology, robotics, and taxidermy. Also, there are several meanings of the word re-animate; not just to bring the dead back to life. In this summary it is used in its abstract form. Finally, the summary clearly states exactly what was done (robotics placed into a carcass) and why (to study bird behavior) therefore even without reading the source one can properly deduce what transpired. I do not apologize for your confusion.
Nevermore by Niterios · 2013-02-26 09:24 · Score: 1

Make a terminator Raven, and teach it to say nevermore. Put it in some Poe fan's house.
"Hey, check this out!" by sdeath · 2013-02-26 09:25 · Score: 5, Funny

"... We wrapped a robot in a dead sparrow and decided to see if we could fool the other sparrows into interacting with our creepy, ghoulish automaton! It's *science*!"
And of course, it was COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED that the grisly abomination stapled to a tree branch triggered aggressive reactions from the other sparrows. Because every living thing JUST LOVES to be confronted with a soulless golem wrapped in the dead flesh of another of its kind. And that never causes pants-shitting terror or anything.
I can see it now:
Sparrow 1: "OH MY GOD! IS THAT... *THING* ... WEARING FRANK'S FACE? IS IT?! FRANK??!?!"
Sparrow 2: "It's not him anymore. IT'S! ...NOT! ...HIM! IT'S A MACHINE! Help me destroy it! Be his egg-layer one last time!"
Sparrow 1: "*snf* OK... OK... oh God, Frank... God help me..."
Yup. Science.
Is there, like, a review board or anything? Maybe that could screen some horror flicks before writing checks for this kind of bullshit? "New rule: If your study is substantially similar to the plot of any one of this library of 100 horror movies, or if it has a plausible chance of producing similar outcomes, we're not going to fund it."

--
I am Chaos. I am alive, and I tell you that you are Free. -Eris
1. Re:"Hey, check this out!" by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 14:04 · Score: 0
  
  It's not science, it's SCIENCE!
  We need more experiments to study the nature of uncanny valley in animals. Igor! We'll need more corpses!
  (captcha: sequels)
Notes on earlier versions by sootman · 2013-02-26 09:33 · Score: 1

Kyle Reese: "The 600 series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy. But these are new."

--
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
1. Re:Notes on earlier versions by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 02:20 · Score: 0
  
  Arnold was the T-101 model. That was a full robot with human flesh (grown in a lab/factory) overlaid. This was an animal carcass with robotic parts put in. This is more in line with the Marcus character in Salvation movie. He was a prototype and I do not believe he had a number designation.
My new favorite phrase... by roc97007 · 2013-02-26 09:36 · Score: 1

"empty sparrow carcass".

--
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
tweet by BattleApple · 2013-02-26 09:51 · Score: 1

Am I the only one that's surprised this thing wasn't hooked up to twitter to report its status?
1. Re:tweet by Anomalyst · 2013-02-26 10:09 · Score: 1
  
  Am I the only one that's surprised this thing wasn't hooked up to twitter to report its status?
  YES!
  
  --
  There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
Dutch got that eventuality covered already... by denzacar · 2013-02-26 10:13 · Score: 3, Informative

That zombiecatcopter is out there.
It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until they are dead.

--
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
1. Re:Dutch got that eventuality covered already... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 10:23 · Score: 1
  
  Oh. My. God. If I were religious I would say that guy is so going to hell. Nice link. Animal lover warning though. The image of this may be burned into your brain for the rest of your life.
Let me guess by mjwalshe · 2013-02-26 10:20 · Score: 1

Lead scientist is Walter Bishop ;-)
Idea Stolen from Robot Chicken by nomasteryoda6761 · 2013-02-26 10:37 · Score: 2

Creds to Seth Green as he already animated a dead bird... :-)
Re:Well that Explains a Lot by AK+Marc · 2013-02-26 11:01 · Score: 2

Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, [local alien colloquialism not on file].

--
Learn to love Alaska
It's pining for the fjords. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-26 11:32 · Score: 0

The scientists should simply explain to the other sparrows that franken-sparrow isn't dead but just pining for the fjords.
Movies/videos by ptresadern · 2013-02-26 21:02 · Score: 2

Videos are available on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/user/mspiza2010.