[unspun]

But either way, any such strong A.I. device does not obsolete the human ensemble of anatomy, physiology and consciousness – and most importantly, the soul. Nevertheless, having such a self-maintaining and replicating intelligent device would be extremely important for space exploration, intelligence, defense, research, etc.

Agreed. Many episodes of "The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, Star Trek," etc. come to mind, of course. Also, "Blade Runner" (the director's cut, of course) Alien, yada yada yada....

BTW, ever see "Screamers?" It's a dark horse favorite of mine, bringing a kind of evolution to bear with AI.

Can I get a "Screamers" bump, anyone? How about a weekend video?

[unspun]

Per last post, anyone interested in a thread about the movie, "Screamers?" ;-`

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for your agreement!

I don't recall "Screamers" exactly, but doesn't it involve some creatures that look like humans (one of them was a child?)

On the space exploration, I was specifically pondering what would be necessary to survive enormous amounts of time in space under hostile conditions - to locate a viable planet, prepare it and colonize it before our own sun burns off.