The uncanny valley

For human simulations - especially androids - there's a term that's used to describe the creepiness in seeing a mannequin that's recognizably human but falls short:  The Uncanny Valley.  Usually the term describes situations where the automaton is really, really close to being a human and is "wrong" in subtle ways (kind of like that old motion-capture movie, The Polar Express).

This video features original music and the simulation mannequins for medical science students.  I would say they're identifiably "human" and not very close.  But the Uncanny Valley here is going strong.  Suuuuuuper creeeeeepy.

Feedback from YouTube

 I wasn't sure where to put this, but I thought the "Humour" page would be the best fit!  I love creating artifacts (teaching objects) and posting them on YouTube.  A few years ago I put up one for my Introductory Biology students to show how to use Excel on the Mac so they could hand in better Lab Manuscripts.  It turns out that the pages really took off and I sometimes get comments about them.  The one I posted below reminded me of something in my life that was rather funny, so I responded as you can see:

• thank you for uploading this :) it is the perfect savior for a senior on the last minute trying to get done with internal assessments
  ur voice has a calming effect by the way =)

  a2310kj 8 minutes ago
• @a2310kj Thanks for the feedback and the nice comment about my voice. I want to share something: my low voice calms lots of students. I'm a professor at Mount Royal University and during my job interview here, I put the Dean to sleep during my teaching demonstration (a part of the hiring process). It didn't stop me from getting the job, though. And just to prove it's not a fluke, I also put an external evaluator to sleep two years later!

 Another response was succinct:

• YOU SIR ARE A GOD!!

I like that because I picture a student who's been struggling to get something right  - much as I was doing as an undergraduate - and finally the catharsis and relief when it all comes together.  And I'm warmed that I had a little contribution to that.  I hope that person did well in whatever they were up to.

And my son just about crapped his pants when he read this one: (There's colourful language, so I put this after the jump.  Don't go there if you are offended by the f-bomb...)

• Dude, this was fucking amazing. Thank you so much! Because of you, I can now finish my lab. You are a fucking genius. I asked my lab T.A AND the school's tech place and they couldn't help me. Thank you so much. i fucking love your geniusness.

  xxDoraemonx 1 month ago

 I suspect the popularity of the videos is easily explained.  Some of the things you have to do to get Office products to do what you want are ridiculous.  This idea is summarized by this entry:

• Fuck you Excel. It's passed midnight and I've got a lab report due tomorrow morning at 8AM. Why are you so DAMN complicated?! I just want to make a simple LINE GRAPH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  Thanks for the tutorial, by the way.

  MsKTMvalley 2 months ago

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New note:


OMG, this is so funny - to me, at least.  I clicked on MsKTMvalley and the F-you Excel might be considered a tad... disrespectful.  The wallpaper on MSKTMvalley is this: