[/.] Deinhard writes “Space.com is reporting that ‘[a] pair of NASA scientists told a group of space officials at a private meeting here Sunday that they have found strong evidence that life may exist today on Mars, hidden away in caves and sustained by pockets of water.’ It is all based on methane signatures and not direct observation. Now plans for using the Genesis Device on Mars are out … unless this is just a particle of preanimate matter caught in the matrix.”

Slashdot | The Indirect Case For Life On Mars

“In a test that might’ve sent some folks shrieking from the room, robots programmed with no more sense than a blind, deaf baby rat developed new behaviors on their own.

Welcome to biorobotics, an emerging field in which automated machines are used to study living creatures — and vice versa.”

Eek! Robo-Rats Make Their Own Rules

[/.] An anonymous reader writes “There
are a few robots that do amazing things. Honda’s Asimo can walk backward and climb stairs. Sega’s idog can dance to music. A tougher nut to crack has been making robots walk like humans. Today, scientists introduce three humanoid striders at the annual AAAS meeting. Unlike other robots that have to power every move, these three save energy by letting gravity do a lot of the work. Like humans, they pick up their feet and just let ‘em drop. Engineers say they’ll inform the next generations of humanoids and also improve design of robotic prostheses for people. And hey, why not send them to Mars to look for those microbes?”

Slashdot | One Giant Step for Humanoids