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OUR ORIGINAL SERIES
Latest stories of our network
Will robots one day satisfy our need for love?
Look into the future of pleasure, lust and connection
Until now, scientists and developers have pushed to discover whether artificial intelligence can love humans, and vice versa. Welcome to the age of robot relationships.
AI loves me; AI loves me not
<p>In Steven Spielberg's 2001 blockbuster science fiction film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a highly advanced robot boy pursues a loving foster human who abandoned him. At the time it seemed far fetched. Today, it looks more like reality.</p><p>Imagine Beyond: Build me Somebody to Love looks at how AI is changing the way we look at love, lust and human connection. Could you marry a robot? Will a hunk of metal look after you in your dying days? Let's see how human machines could become.<br></p>Making robots understand their surroundings
Young Bright Minds improve everyday life
If you are one of the lucky people who own a robotic vacuum cleaner, you may have wondered, about how easy they float around your living room without falling off the stairs or getting stuck somewhere inconvenient. For the second episode of our latest web series Young Bright Minds we spoke to the experts from Swiss company Sevensense Robotics about the challenges of making robots not just see their surroundings, but also understand them, and how humanity may benefit from intelligent robotic helpers in the future.
- Want to hack your brain? ›
- Tomorrow Unlocked > Art – A Human Discipline? ›
- Tomorrow Unlocked > Can Social Robots Be Our New Friends? ›
- Tomorrow Unlocked > Entrepreneurs predict how AI will change the future of work ›
- Tomorrow Unlocked > Why do these tech company leaders think AI won’t steal your job? ›
Apart but connected
How does social distancing affect our mental health and which technologies may keep us sane in this situation?
Social Distancing is one of the big topics these days. You have to stay at least 1.5 meters away from others, don't gather in groups, and stay out of crowded places as much as possible. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention practicing social distancing is one of the best ways to slow down the spread of a virus. Although this protects us and others from infections it can get hard sometimes. Spouses have to see each other most of the time and people who live alone do not have the opportunity to get physical contact with friends or family, which may lead to loneliness and depression.
The power of a hug
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2ODMyOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODYzNjE5NX0.dAYWltNr4jkIhQjOYekv9pq_r4geXbr905UDQhg1jiI/img.jpg?width=980" id="7748d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f78213f8e50d2f54e929b5c8fe92a490" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="6000" data-height="4000" />Artem Beliaikin – Pexels.com
<p>Why is close social contact so important for us? Humans are social beings and so we need interactions with others. Close human contact has an impact on our immune system, helps to decrease stress, and is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hugging-benefits#5" target="_blank">important for our health</a>. When you hug somebody, for instance, millions of activated sensors under the skin send electric impulses to your brain. A multitude of hormones and neurotransmitter are spilled, which cause different effects on your whole body. Your heartbeat is more relaxed, the blood pressure falls, your breath slows down and emotions of anxiety and hormones that cause a feeling of stress decrease. Overall, the release of the hormone oxytocin strengthens the immune system and is so to say the biochemical glue between human relationships. </p>Oxytocin: The reason we fall in love
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dd05f8e06dc494c7d672c943d4e42d8b"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lOAakeXwiWU?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>What does social distancing to our mental health?
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2ODMzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzI1MjUxOX0.KkZTrvq4t7v51LyXVn6moWzcLkwf_duMEHtkwv1gkYA/img.jpg?width=980" id="51e84" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ca9df5114a8962ef165da3665eecec6d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1280" data-height="853" />Lukas Rychvalsky – Pexels.com
<p>Psychologists in the whole world are observing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on our minds and our interpersonal behavior. The Pandemic brought a lot of changes to our life like job loss, financial instability, or social distancing. <a href="https://www.kff.org/health-reform/press-release/brief-examines-the-covid-19-crisis-implications-for-americans-mental-health/" target="_blank">A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation</a> shows that 45 percent of Americans say that worry and stress related to the pandemic are hurting their mental health. On the other hand, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/04/psychologists-watching-coronavirus-social-distancing-coping/" target="_blank">a study of the University of Washington</a> points that most of the participants seem to be coping with the current situation. Over some time, the feeling of anxiety has leveled off because people thought about the virus less each day. The free time was used to try new hobbies, go for a walk in nature or work out more.</p><p>But with no doubt this is not generally speaking. Some people suffer extremely from social distancing and isolation. People with pre-existing mental health conditions for instance, need social contact to deal with anxiety and sadness. To manage these difficult challenges the <a href="https://www.apa.org/practice/programs/dmhi/research-information/social-distancing" target="_blank">American Psychological Association recommends</a>: "Planning ahead by considering how you might spend your time, who you can contact for psychosocial support and how you can address any physical or mental health needs you or your family may have."</p>Tech helps to keep the distance
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2ODM0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjEzNzM0NH0.-JrssVgiM_YG9ez2y5L6HYIcvOW_8lhCv1M93ZVV3lA/img.jpg?width=980" id="7cbd3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f88fa9686b1c12d792d1c3bb7dcc30e9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1280" data-height="850" />Pixabay – Pexles.com
<p>The Humankind has overcome a lot of crises in the past and so we will with the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially our high level of technology makes life in a crisis more bearable than ever before. We can use video calls to see and talk to our friends. We can browse on social media to see how others experience the current situation. And we can entertain ourselves by watching Netflix or playing videogames. Besides that, there are also technologies which help us to make social distancing easier.</p><p>In Belgium <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-in-belgium-use-social-distancing-wearable-tech-2020-5?r=DE&IR=T#rombit-ceo-john-baekelmans-told-reuters-that-the-bracelets-wont-allow-companies-to-track-employees-locations-because-the-devices-are-only-connected-to-each-other-he-says-there-is-no-central-server-8" target="_blank">dockworkers are wearing high-tech bracelets</a>, which measures the distance between each worker. The bracelets, designed for highly industrial environments, were invented by the Belgian Startup Rombit. If the workers are getting to close, the bracelet makes warning sounds.</p><p>Another great solution comes from the company "Boston Dynamics", famous for its advanced robots. The four-legged Robot "Spot" is used by the Bringham and Women's Hospital in Massachusetts to treat coronavirus patients. An IPad is mounted on to the robot, so nurses can check the symptoms of a patient from a safe distance. </p>