Jaak Panksepp was talking about the evolution of emotions, & to my surprise, he proposed that the very most fundamental emotion was the "seeking instinct"-- he didn't use the word "curiosity" but of course that's what jumped into my head. I hadn't even thought of this as an emotion per se, but it makes perfect sense! The same essential impulse that sends any animal out into the world in search of food extends to send me in search of interesting podcasts & new program skills,* for instance, or the Curiosity Rover to Mars, or this robot in search of odd little green thingies!
It was a fascinating podcast in general, & if you're not the podcast type there's a pdf transcript of the interview available here.
*For this Bot I learned how to use the star tool (for the pattern in the irises-- super-easy) & the object blend tool (for the goose-neck & arms-- quite a bit more complex but fun & amazing)!
And don't forget to check out all the other C robots over at AlphaBots!
Thank you, thank you for the link to the Brainscience podcast! It will be such fun to explore the site. Oh, that's partly what today's post is about, curiosity and seeking. Of course, thanks for the delicious whimsy of this site, as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you for the link to the Brainscience podcast! It will be such fun to explore the site. Oh, that's partly what today's post is about, curiosity and seeking. Of course, thanks for the delicious whimsy of this site, as well.
ReplyDeleteAw! What a fun robot! From the curious expression, to the heart-shaped head, to the funky shoes! He's got it all going on!!
ReplyDeleteI had the most amazing deliveries this week!!! My Old Man print and your Old Man book!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! Your book is amazing. Every illustration is a masterpiece. The decorated letters starting every page are awesome. I AM SO DELIGHTED, so happy. You truly are a most wonderful artist!!! Thank you for sharing your gift with the world!!!
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