There used to be a time when science fiction writing was safe. The Earth didn’t have any really cool technology. Times are changing. As writers, we need to think up new and exciting things. Our imaginations need to be bigger and better!
I recently read the attached article from Popular Science. Click on over if you want details, but in a nutshell, MIT has created a synthetic/organic muscle that will respond to light. They think they can create robots with this that will move fluidly.
Good thing? Bad thing? I’m all for progress. But there’s a “but” in here somewhere. What that “but” is will be up to the individual reader.
What I love when an article like this comes out, is the banter in the comments. Some people make good points, some are just crazy. Either way, it’s good entertainment.
If you like to write Sci-fi with robots, take a click on over and read the article. There is definitely a great novel brewing in there. – Just watch yourself, because there is fiction written about stuff like this that is forty years old or more.
I’ll pass on this, thanks… I like organic aliens, thank you very much.
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Jennifer M Eaton 
Yay aliens! For school I did a research project on immortality… and how it’s actually possible from a scientific stand point, provided you live in an environment with enough food and stuff.
I think I’ll stick to the aliens too 😀
On another topic … I keep getting an email for this post … ‘A mixed week – Dealing with a child with behavioral issues: Total Transformation #14’ … but the link takes me to ‘page not found’ … any thoughts? … should I talk to the Little Blue Lady?
You “keep getting an email” as in more than once? The Little Blue Lady has been known to press wrong buttons, and then correct herself, but normally not several times on the same post. 🙂 I believe the post you might be looking for will be available Tuesday. I appologize on behalf of her “blueness” 🙂
Ah … only one notification, but it obviously did a time travel jump. Will await Tuesday with bated breath. Thanks 😀
You’re quite right, Jennifer! Popular Science is a great resource for Sci-Fi writers, but it is getting harder to keep ahead of it. So much of what was written 50-100 years ago in science fiction has inspired the majority of our current technology. It will be hard for writers to come up with ‘future science’ when it becomes ‘current science’ before they finish writing the story!
As for robots, there have been many books and movies that plead caution when it comes to ‘artificial intelligence’, despite programming in Azimov’s 3 Laws. They’re fine for mindless repetitive work, but they also take over jobs that could feed a family. Just my opinion. 🙂
Electronic circuits inked into the skin like a tattoo! … FTL just might be a reality in our lifetime … as will mining the asteroid belt … we do indeed live in interesting times 😀
Thanks, interesting post and article. Robots that swim inside the body’s blood vessels? Still doesn’t beat Fantastic Voyage!
This new progress is sort of creepy but maybe not for SF writers…