Who invented the word “robot,” and what does it mean? Some people think it was Karel Čapek, a Czech novelist and playwright. But, contrary to popular opinion, Karel Čapek, the author of the play R.U.R., is not the inventor of the word robot. The word, derived from the Czech noun “robota”, meaning “forced labour”, is […]

Despite Australia “punching above its weight” in artificial intelligence (AI) research, the country is failing to embrace the technology in the business sector. Within the next five to 10 years, Professor Toby Walsh envisions Australian businesses using autonomous cars, buses, trucks, and robot advisors. “In research terms, I think we punch above our weight,” the […]

The history of robots has its origins in the ancient world. Concepts akin to a robot can be found as long ago as the 4th century BC when the Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum postulated a mechanical bird he called “The Pigeon” propelled by steam. Leonardo da Vinci made one of the first recorded designs […]

What does the academy mean, and where does it come from? The ancient Greek historian Plutarch wrote that the Athenian king Theseus (the slayer of the Minotaur) abducted the beautiful 12-year-old Helen of Troy (long before she married Menelaus, met Paris and was the cause of the Trojan War). Due to this outrage, her twin brothers Castor […]