The Uncanny Valley?

[Grocat]

Okay, so...there's this theory or model or whatever, called the Uncanny Valley.  It basically states that, as representatives of human life (ie. Robots, Puppets, cartoons, etc.) become more human like, the more we can empathize with them and so the more adorable/attractive (no, not necessarily in the sexual sense) they become.  Until a certain point is reached.  This point is when the imitation of human life stops ceasing to be a thing with human like qualities, and becomes a human with "thing" type qualities.  Once this point is reached, there is a rapid dip into feelings of revulsion (generally sexual revulsion) towards this "imitation".  Only until it becomes nigh-indistinguishable from human life do our feelings pull out of this "Uncanny Valley" towards normal human to human empathy levels.

Please, discuss.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Uncanny_Valley

Also, there's a discussion of The Uncanny Valley in two of the comics or so, but I can't remember which right now.  http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=153

-Grocat

 

[jeansberg]

Have you ever encountered anything matching the description?

 

[Grocat]

Hmm...well, I suppose I saw a dead body once.  That would fit in the description...I am the opposite of sexually attracted to dead bodies...but, I was more thinking about whether anyone has heard of this theory or if they agree with it based on personal experience.  The main problem with the theory is that the latter stage, particularly when it comes to robotics, has never reached far enough to be considered, having gone past the Uncanny Valley.

The theory makes sense to me.

-Grocat

 

[Sir Prince]

Hah! Burn! Zombies at at the bottom of the valley! Take THAT you fugly sick perversions of life!

 

[Stonewall382]

I don't have time to say much right now, but I heard of this on www.diabloii.net (of all places), discussing that animated movie, The Polar Express.  The article was talking about how the characters in the movie were TOO realistic, and they just got creepy.

 

[Aflac]

Does it count if I think this thing is creepy?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Repliee_Q2.jpg

 

[Grocat]

AHHH!  The longer I looked at that thing the more creeped out I was by it.  Yes, that is in the Uncanny Valley...*shudder*

-Grocat

 

[jeansberg]

Hmm...well, I suppose I saw a dead body once.  That would fit in the description...I am the opposite of sexually attracted to dead bodies...but, I was more thinking about whether anyone has heard of this theory or if they agree with it based on personal experience.  The main problem with the theory is that the latter stage, particularly when it comes to robotics, has never reached far enough to be considered, having gone past the Uncanny Valley.

The theory makes sense to me.

-Grocat

I was just asking if you had any examples of pictures or whatever, that approach the uncanny valley. But I guess you'd rather talk about dead bodies.

 

[Grocat]

Does it count if I think this thing is creepy?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Repliee_Q2.jpg

Jeansberg- this thing is a good example.

-Grocat

 

[jeansberg]

I don't know. With a different pose, maybe. Now it just screams 'ROBOT!'.

 

[Hræfn]

To me that seems quite beautiful (not in an 'Omg, do you see the robo-titties on that?'), I just see progress, advancement of our species. Nothing creepy about it in my opinion.

 

[Tegan]

Did anyone else bother to wiki her after seeing that?  She can recognize and respond to speech, and apparently there was another model made afterward, based on a child, that babies couldn't recognize as not human.  I agree with Hraefn, it's very nifty and not creepy at all.

 

[malenn]

Deckard: She's a replicant.
Tyrell: I'm impressed, Mr. Deckard. How many questions does it normally take?
Deckard: I don't get it...
Tyrell: How many?
Deckard: Twenty, thirty, cross-referenced.
Tyrell: But with Rachael it took more than a hundred.
Deckard: She doesn't know.
Tyrell: She is beginning to suspect I think.
Deckard: Beginning to suspect? How can it not know what it is?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4176679811538561619&q=Blade+runner

Watch Bladerunner. or better yet read the book "do androids dream of electric sheep?" by Philip K ****.
Its a good movie/book on this subject.

Pris: Must get lonely here, J.F.
J.F. Sebastian: Not really. I MAKE friends. They're toys. My friends are toys. I make them. It's a hobby. I'm a genetic designer.