Summary
The podcast episode explores the concept of the Uncanny Valley, a phenomenon where human-like objects become unsettling as they become more realistic. The hosts discuss Masahiro Mori, a Japanese roboticist who coined the term in 1970, and his graph that shows how people's affinity for robots increases until it drops sharply, creating the Uncanny Valley. The hosts also discuss the difficulty in translating some of the words Mori used, such as "bukimi," which more closely resembles the word "eerie." The face is the key factor in determining whether a robot falls into the Uncanny Valley, and Pixar characters and C-3PO serve as examples of robots that do not fall into the valley.
The podcast also delves into Hollywood's challenges with the Uncanny Valley, with examples including Pixar's "Tin Toy" and "The Polar Express." The article notes that roboticists and Hollywood alike have a vested interest in overcoming the Uncanny Valley in order to create more realistic and relatable robots and CGI characters. The hosts also discuss the concept of creepiness and why certain things or people give us the creeps. They cover different theories on creepiness such as pathogen avoidance theory, violation of expectation, and mortality salience theory. The conversation also mentions a study conducted by researchers from Knox College who found that physical characteristics and behaviors associated with creepy people do have an effect on whether someone is perceived as creepy or not.
In the second half of the episode, the hosts read a listener mail from an Irish historian who shares the little-known story of the Choctaw tribe's donation to Ireland during the Great Famine. The hosts express their appreciation for the story and end the episode with their usual sign-off. Overall, the episode provides an informative and engaging exploration of the Uncanny Valley and the concept of creepiness.
