Robot Flies the Friendly Skies

The next time you take a flight, you may want to check that the passenger next you is human. Last week, Athena, a humanoid robot, took what was hailed as the first flight by a robot as a paying passenger on a commercial airline. Built by an American robotics company, Athena was accompanied on her flight from Los Angeles to Germany by researchers from the Max Planck Society, who are exploring the potential for robots to do life-threatening jobs, such as cleaning up nuclear waste. The flight served no scientific purpose, but Athena’s handlers said buying a seat was cheaper than stowing the robot as cargo. More… Discuss

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today’s birthday: Brigham Young (1801)

Brigham Young (1801)

Young was an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormon Church, who helped maintain the unity of the church after Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was assassinated in 1844. He led the great migration west and established a settlement at Salt Lake City, where the Church is headquartered today. He defended Mormon interests during the Utah War, eventually losing his post as governor of Utah. A known polygamist, Young had how many wives and children? More… Discuss

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