If you enjoy the thought of having a military robot running around your house, go buy a new Roomba. It uses the same technology found in the manufacturer's military robots that are right now helping the U.S. military function as more efficient killing machines in the Middle East. Althought I own an earlier model Roomba, I've stopped recommending Roomba robots. I do not wish to support the financial interests of a firm that invests in robotic killing machines for the U.S. military. Robots should be built for peaceful purposes: cleaning your house, mowing your lawn, entertaining your guests, and so on. They should not be used as killing machines, nor to aid a wartime aggressor in being a more efficient killing machine. IRobot's claim that Roomba uses technology to seek out and destroy dirt in your home -- just like a minesweeper -- is just too much for me to stomach. I don't need a war in my living room, even if it's only the, "War on Dirt." This is an issue of robotics ethics, and roboethicists actually deal with these questions on a regular basis. In my view, Japan demonstrates the correct focus for robotics technology: peaceful, helpful, social robots that improve the quality of our lives. The U.S., in contrast, wants to make robots that destroy life. That's what the recent Pentagon-sponsored Robot Race was all about, by the way: handing out a bag of prize money to the company that could build the most efficient battlefield navigation robot. It's only use, of course, is to ultimately kill enemy combatants, which all too often includes innocent civilians. And IRobot, the company that makes Roomba, is marching right along with the U.S. military by providing the technology that could someday make robotic soldiers a reality. Two thumbs down to IRobot.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and adult gymnastics. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
|
Related Articles
• The implications of humanoid robots as laborsaving devices are more ominous than most people realize
• Microsoft Robotics Studio Provides Common Ground for Robotics Innovation (press release)
• U.S. Army tests battlefield robot armed with pump action shotgun; bring on the Terminators!
• The Top Ten Technologies: #4: Practical Robots
• Roomba maker iRobot also developing military robots for Pentagon
 |
Additional Resources:
robot
Roomba
iRobot
|
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/000280.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|