Empathizing with Human-like Robots

James Coan, a psychology professor at the Univ. of Virginia, claims empathy is hardwired into the human brain. Given enough time and familiarity, you begin associating friends, spouses and lovers with yourself. A lover’s pain becomes your pain; their joy, your joy, and so forth.

Using electroencephalography (EEG) studies on 15 adults, Japanese researchers found neurophysiological evidence of humans’ ability to empathize with robots in perceived painful situations. Albeit, there are still some differences when it comes to human-human empathy versus human-robot.

Study participants were shown a series of photographs showing human and robot hands cutting fruit with knives. In four photos, the human and robot hands are positioned in such a manner it appears as if they’ll cut their fingers.

Nanotweezer to create advanced plasmonic technologies

A new type of "nanotweezer" capable of positioning tiny objects quickly and accurately and freezing them in place could enable improved nanoscale sensing methods and aid research to manufacture advanced technologies such as quantum computers and ultra-high-resolution displays.

The device, fabricated at Purdue Univ.'s Birck Nanotechnology Center, uses a cylindrical gold "nanoantenna" with a diameter of 320 nm, or about 1/300th the width of a human hair. The structures concentrate and absorb light, resulting in "plasmonic hotspots" and making it possible to manipulate nanometer-scale objects suspended in a fluid.

"The proposed approach enables the immediate implementation of a myriad of exciting applications," said Alexandra Boltasseva, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Findings are detailed in a paper appearing online in Nature Nanotechnology.

NanoGriptech: Gecko-Inspired Adhesives

Dexterous climbers, geckos have long been a source of inspiration for materials scientists. The lizards boast a unique sticking ability, allowing them to climb walls and hang upside down.

“Nature’s had millions of years to evolve solutions” and “humans have been engineering only for hundreds,” says Paul Glass, vice president of engineering at nanoGriptech, in an interview with R&D Magazine. “I think there’s limits to what we can learn from nature, but it’s a fantastic starting point.”

For close to a year, nanoGriptech has been offering the world’s first commercially available dry adhesive technology inspired by geckos. Called Setex, the product has applications in a variety of industries from sports and apparel to upholstery and manufacturing.

NanoGriptech’s beginnings lie at Carnegie Mellon Univ.’s campus. At the time, Glass was a PhD student studying biomedical engineering. His thesis research focused on applying biologically inspired materials to medical devices. On top of exploring gecko-inspired microstructure materials, he delved into polymers inspired by marine mussels.       

Bank of America: How do I build credit from scratch? Bank of America Bank of America

Building your credit for the first time can feel a little like the chicken and the egg. To build a good credit score, you’re going to need take out a loan or get a credit card. But you can’t qualify for a loan or get a credit card without some credit history,right? So, what do you do?Let’s start with a bank account.
You don’t really need a long credit history to opena checking account at your local bank.  In fact, you may have a one already.  Even thougha checking account won’t necessarily help you build credit history with the bureaus,that account may help you get your first credit card or loan from the same provider.

Man Convicted of 3 Rapes Is Exonerated

Broadcast Center In Los Angeles, This Is "CBS 2 News" At5:00 P. M. Pat: An Emotional Day In L.

A. Courtroom. A Judge Threw Out A Case Of Aman Convicted Of Three Raids that He Did Not Commit.

Paul: Randy Paige Explains The evidence That Helped To Prove his Innocence. Reporter: Luis Vargas Waited For 16years To Hear These Words. He Is, In Fact, Innocent.

This Superior Court Judge Declared At His 1999 Conviction for Sexually Assaulting Three that Comes.

Attorneys Of The California Innocence Project At The Western school Of Law Compelled The testing Of DNA Evidence From One of His Alleged Victims.

The Result Of The Test?The Victim's Clothing Did No-Show His DNA.

Reporter: Crystal Nunez-Vargas was 10 Years Old When Her Father was Taken Into Custody. Not Having A Father Is difficult. You Do Not Have A Sense Of protection And Security. And Growing Up, I Would Cry myself To Sleep.

30 Yr. Old Couple Payoff Their 30 Year Mortgage in Just 6 1/2 Years!!!

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Introduction to Mortgage Loans

This is me right here. And I've been able to save up $125,000 dollars. I've been able to save up $125,000 but I would really liketo live in that house so I go to a bank. I go to a bank, let me get a good color for a bank. That is the bank right there. And I say, "Mr. Bank, can you lend me"the rest of the amount I need for that house?"Which is essentially $375,000. I'm putting 25% down. This number right here,that is 25% of $500,000. So I ask the bank, "Can I have a loan for the balance?Can I have $375,000 loan?"And the bank says, "Sure. You seem like a nice guy"with a good job who has good credit rating. "I will give you the loan but while you'repaying off the loan you can't have the title of that house.
"We have to have that title of the house"and once you pay off the loan,"we're going to give you the title of the house. "What's gonna happen here is the loan is gonna go to me,so it's $375,000. $375,000 loan. Then I can go and buy the house. I'm gonna give the total $500,000,$500,000 to the seller of the house,and I'll actually move into the house myself,assuming I'm using it for my own residence. But the title of the house, the documentthat says who actually owns the house. This is the home title. This is the title of the house. Home title. It will not go to me.