This week we are discussing the introductory miniseries of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica as a kind of "culmination" of our recent robot/AI-themed episodes. For once we both really like the show, and we dissect how it deals with the complex issues of technology and religion as well as the question of "fatherhood" with respect to both characters in the show as well as the dynamic between the Cylons and humanity.

We open the episode by going over recent events, including the escalating war between Israel and Iran, Trump's military parade, the No Kings protests, and the assassination of a Minnesota state politician by a man in a life-like mask. Dark stuff!

This episode contains spoilers for the first miniseries of Battlestar Galactica.

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This week we are continuing our suite of robot themed episodes by discussing the play that originated the word, R.U.R. by Karel Čapek which was first written in 1920. Derived from a Czech term meaning "serf" or "worker," these robots are more akin to the androids and other humanoid robots to be found in works like Blade Runner or Companion than the metallic beings to be found in Star Wars. While the play itself is perhaps not the most dramaturgically compelling work we've examined, it is incredible how many of the contemporary concerns about AI and robot labor we've been discussing lately this work anticipates. Robots are created to liberate man from his labor in this play, but in the end, what does that liberation lead to? In a world where "hard work" is held up as the ultimate good in and of itself, what is lost when the need for it vanishes?

We open the episode by discussing the recent deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles.

This episode contains spoilers for R.U.R.

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This week we are talking about robots. Where did they come from? What are they? Are they really going to replace all human workers? We get into the history of these machines, while looking at the implications for them, should they be paired with AI. We also discuss Elon Musk's fixation on humanoid robots, and where this obsession derives from.

We also get into the Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia, as well as discussing the recently aired claim that up to twenty percent of white collar jobs could be eliminated by AI in the next few years, and how absolutely zero safety net has been put in place to assure that people will be able to earn a living when this happens. Uplifting material!

This episode contains spoilers for the history of robots.

Ukraine Drone Attacks from the AP

AI Replacing White Collar Jobs from Axios

Elon Musk Interview with CNBC

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