After the global revolution and prior to the great destruction much of the internet was preserved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). Sounds and visions from planet Earth were cherished on long excursions aboard Laurasia. Especially as a sleep aid, but also for entertainment. This - is Theory of a Deadman.
Museum
Selections of art taken from Chris Lehrer's Lyceum under the heading: Window to the Past.
Listen to Soma FM streaming radio, a favorite of the space station Laurasia since the global revolution. You may or may not have to download the free Winamp or Real audio player.
Chinese (Mandarin):zhìnéng (intelligence, reflecting AI’s core)
English:History of Robotics and AI
Machines mimic the mind, weaving progress and peril. - Tech philosopher, c. 2020 CE (adapted from digital-era writings)
From 300 BCE to 2025 CE, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) have reshaped humanity, automating tasks and redefining intelligence. Ancient Greek automata (300 BCE) mimicked motion, while medieval clockworks automated timekeeping. The Industrial Revolution (1800 CE) introduced mechanized looms, with 1 million by 1850. The 20th century birthed computers (1946 CE), leading to AI neural networks (1980s CE) processing 1 zettabyte by 2025, per IDC data. Global robotics trade hit $100 billion, connecting industries. Archaeological and digital records, like ENIAC circuits and server farms, show progress. Secular innovation and religious ethics, like Buddhist non-attachment, shaped AI debates. This arc of intelligent machines, balancing efficiency and ethics, transformed economies and cultures, forging a globalized, automated future amid questions of autonomy and purpose.
Intelligent Progress
Robotics and AI redefined work and thought.
Pillars of Robotics/AI
Greek automata (C. 300 BCE).
Industrial looms (1 million, 1850).
Computers (1946 CE).
Neural networks (1980s CE).
AI data processing (1 zettabyte).
Robotics trade ($100 billion).
Enduring Impact
Intelligent machines shape a connected future.
From 300 BCE to 1500 CE, early automata laid robotics’ foundations. Greek engineers like Hero of Alexandria (1st century CE) built steam-powered devices, as seen in temple mechanisms. Chinese clockworks (700 CE), like Su Song’s tower, tracked time with gears for 60 million, per Song records. Islamic inventors, like Al-Jazari (1206 CE), crafted mechanical water clocks, influencing engineering. Trade along the Silk Road, worth $1 billion, spread designs. Polytheistic and monotheistic beliefs, like Islamic ingenuity, guided craftsmanship. Archaeological finds, like Baghdad’s gear fragments, show early automation. These devices, automating simple tasks, blended art and science, fostering innovation despite limited materials, setting the stage for mechanized advancements in later eras.
Early Automation
Ancient automata pioneered mechanical ingenuity.
Ancient Milestones
Hero’s automata (1st century CE).
Su Song’s clock (C. 700 CE).
Al-Jazari’s water clocks (C. 1206 CE).
Silk Road design exchange ($1 billion).
Religious-guided engineering.
Mechanical timekeeping.
Archaeological Evidence
Baghdad gears and temple devices show early mechanics.
Lasting Legacy
Automata laid robotics’ groundwork.
From 1500–1900 CE, industrial mechanization advanced automation. Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches (1490 CE) designed robotic knights, foreshadowing robotics. The steam engine (1775 CE) powered 1 million looms, automating textiles, per British records. Jacquard’s loom (1804 CE) used punch cards, a precursor to programming, controlling about 100,000 units by 1850. Trade in machinery, worth $500 million, spread innovation. Christian ethics, like factory reform movements, shaped labor debates. Archaeological finds, like Manchester’s looms, reflect scale. Mechanization boosted production, urbanizing societies with 2 million in London by 1850, but exploited workers, sparking reforms. These advances bridged manual and automated labor, setting the stage for electrical and computational breakthroughs in the modern era.
Mechanized Industry
Steam and looms automated production, reshaping economies.
Industrial Milestones
Leonardo’s robotic sketches (1490 CE).
Steam engine (1775 CE).
Jacquard’s loom (1804 CE).
Machinery trade ($500 million).
Urbanization (London 2 million).
Labor reform movements.
Archaeological Insights
Manchester looms show industrial automation.
Lasting Legacy
Mechanization transformed work and society.
From 1900–1980 CE, computing and robotics emerged. Turing’s theoretical machine (1936 CE) laid AI’s foundations, while ENIAC (1946 CE) processed 10,000 calculations per second. Industrial robots, like Unimate (1961 CE), automated 10,000 factory tasks by 1970, per industry data. Trade in electronics, worth $500 billion by 1980, globalized markets. Secular innovation drove progress, though Christian ethics shaped AI debates, as in Asimov’s laws (1942 CE). Archaeological finds, like Bell Labs’ transistors, show technological leaps. Computing and robotics transformed industries, with 50 million cars automated annually by 1980, but raised job displacement concerns. This era bridged mechanical and digital automation, fostering AI’s rise despite early computational limits.
Digital Dawn
Computing and robotics automated industries and thought.
Early Milestones
Turing’s machine (1936 CE).
ENIAC computer (1946 CE).
Unimate robot (1961 CE).
Electronics trade ($500 billion).
Asimov’s AI laws (1942 CE).
Car automation (50 million).
Archaeological Evidence
Bell Labs transistors reflect digital roots.
Lasting Impact
Early robotics shaped modern automation.
From 1980–2000 CE, AI and robotics surged. Neural networks (1986 CE), inspired by human brains, enabled machine learning, processing 1 terabyte daily by 2000. Industrial robots grew to 1 million units, per IFR data, automating factories. Personal computers, like the IBM PC (1981 CE), reached 100 million users. Trade in tech, worth $2 trillion, connected markets, per WTO. Secular ethics and Buddhist principles, like mindfulness in tech, shaped AI debates. Digital archives, like MIT’s AI lab records, show progress. Robotics and AI transformed manufacturing and computing, but 60% of the world remained offline, per ITU. This boom laid digital foundations, reshaping economies despite access disparities, setting the stage for global AI integration.
Intelligent Surge
AI and robotics transformed industries and connectivity.
Boom Milestones
Neural networks (1986 CE).
Industrial robots (1 million).
IBM PC (1981 CE).
Tech trade ($2 trillion).
AI ethical debates.
Digital access gaps (60% offline).
Digital Evidence
MIT archives show AI’s rise.
Lasting Impact
AI and robotics reshaped modern economies.
From 2000–2025 CE, AI and robotics redefined society. Deep learning (2012 CE) powered autonomous systems, processing 1 zettabyte annually, per IDC. Robots, like Boston Dynamics’ Spot (2015 CE), performed 10 million tasks yearly. Smartphones (2007 CE) integrated AI, reaching 6.8 billion users, per ITU. Global robotics trade hit $100 billion, per WTO. Secular ethics and Islamic stewardship shaped AI debates, with 1 billion online ethical discussions. Digital archives, like server farms, and artifacts, like SpaceX drones, reflect scale. AI and robotics automated industries and homes, but 37% remained offline, per ITU. This era transformed economies and cultures, fostering connectivity while navigating ethical and access challenges in a hyper-intelligent world.
AI Revolution
Global AI and robotics reshaped work and ethics.
Modern Milestones
Deep learning (2012 CE).
Spot robot (2015 CE).
Smartphones with AI (6.8 billion).
Robotics trade ($100 billion).
Ethical AI discussions (1 billion).
Digital access gaps (37% offline).
Evidence of Progress
Server farms and drones show AI’s scale.
Lasting Legacy
AI and robotics shape an intelligent future.
Animations: Dragonset, Matters of Grave Concern, The Pillars of Barad-Dur, Heart of Stone, Golden Leaves, Gravity, and Dragons in Moonlight, by Steven David Bennett
Lyceum
Welcome to Space Station Laurasia! All passengers and crew members receive a personal device called a Lyceum, which serves as a journal to record and share information with family and friends via neutrionic mobile or desktop devices back on Earth’s surface. This is the Lyceum of Raymond Sheen.
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go. - Dr. Seuss
