Dr. Todd A. Ward
bSci21.org
Teleportation is now a thing…but with our behavior rather than our bodies. And researchers believe this technology could eventually allow humans to teleport their behavior onto robots colonizing Mars.
A team at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering recently demonstrated this in zebra fish in a recent study published in iScience. They devised a technology that tracked the movements of the fish with 95% accuracy and mapped that behavior onto a robotic fish in another tank. The team found that real fish began to interact with and follow the robotic fish as if it were real.
The teleportation technology also allowed the team to independently manipulate the appearance of the fish (most notably size) and behavior. The team noted that human behavior depends on “complex processes, mediated by individual traits —baldness, height, voice pitch, and outfit, for example—and behavioral feedback, vectors that are often difficult to isolate. This new approach demonstrates that we can isolate influences on the quality of social interaction and determine which visual features really matter.”
To read more about the study, check out this summary at phys.org and see the video below from the Curiosity Daily Podcast discussing the study in more detail.
Todd A. Ward, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA is a science writer, social philosopher, behavioral systems analyst, and the President and Founder of bSci21Media, LLC, which aims to connect behavioral science to the world in an engaging, non-academic way. Dr. Ward received his PhD in behavior analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno under Dr. Ramona Houmanfar. He has served as a Guest Associate Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, and as an Editorial Board member of Behavior and Social Issues. His publications follow a theme of behavioral systems analysis, organizational performance, theory & philosophy, and language & cognition. He has also provided ABA services to children and adults with various developmental disabilities in day centers, in-home, residential, and school settings, and previously served as Faculty Director of Behavior Analysis Online at the University of North Texas. Dr. Ward can be reached at [email protected]
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