This Mech Suit Simulates the Aging Process. But Do “Empathy Simulators” Inspire Actual Change?
The R70i robotic aging suit looks like the futuristic, bizarre armor that a video game hero might find in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, except that it doesn't provide an escapist power fantasy. Quite the opposite, in fact. The R70i attempts to simulate the experience of aging several decades.
Read MoreThe Psychology of Fandom: Why We Get Attached to Fictional Characters
Having been a venerable X-Files fangirl throughout my teen years, the concepts of “OTPs”, “UST” and fanfiction weren’t new to me in the least. What proved to be different, approaching fandom as an adult woman, was the depth of human emotion that I became aware of.
Read MoreClassic Literary Fiction Will Turn You Into a Telepath
The catch is, you actually have to read the classic literary fiction.
While we can't guarantee that reading Dickens will turn you into Jean Grey, new research suggests that reading literary fiction actually enables you to more closely "read" the thoughts and feelings of others around you. Reading while wearing Emma Frost's outfits remains totally optional.
Read MoreEmpathy for Robots Looks Very Similar to the Empathy We Feel for Humans
Robots may not have the capacity to care about us yet, but that won't stop humans from feeling unrequited love for their android buddies. While it may seem obvious to those of us who have harbored a mad Data crush at one point or another, a new study seems to confirm that humans harbor a great deal of empathy for their robotic brethren, reacting to affection towards -- or violence against -- them in the same way they react to these things in humans.
Read MoreNot Your Imagination: Humanity Getting Progressively Dumber and Crazier
Your Brain Can Be Nice or Logical, But Not Both At Once
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