Robot seal tested for stress relief on pretend Mars mission

We must have all heard about "emotional support animals" by now – pets that provide comfort to people with psychiatric disabilities. They're also used as an excuse to try to take peacocks and more recently boa constrictors on airplanes. These chancers should take a leaf from the book of The Mars Society, a nonprofit that …

[Little Mouse]

A seal?

Sounds a bit random for a space mission.

How about a Skipper the Eye-child robot instead?

[Eclectic Man]

Re: A seal?

They are not thinking straight, all you need is a HAL 9000 to keep everyone safe and happy ...

(Where's the ROTM icon when you need it?)

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: A seal?

This one?

[Lil Endian]

Re: A seal?

For keeping sane, but not necessarily calm, I've heard being quartered with a chicken soup vending machine technician in holographic form is the ticket.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: A seal?

What about the alien from Dark Star

[Sgt_Oddball]

Re: A seal?

Nah, I'd lean the other way - a high stress environment for the crew and send them with Thermostellar Bomb #20. That way they have something to talk to but that sense of danger to really give the crew something to worry over but control.

Nuke because... Well, it's what it was designed to do.

[GruntyMcPugh]

Re: A seal?

Just what I was thinking. I'd rather have a robot dog. Hell, they predicted that in 'Battlestar Galactica' with the robotic 'daggit'. Don't these people SciFi?

[TimMaher]

No, no, no!

Don’t these people read or watch science fiction?

Everyone is in a cryogenic chamber with some Richard Strauss playing in the background... until... something goes badly wrong.

[Eclectic Man]

Boa Constrictors!!!????

I'm sorry, did someone seriously claim a boa constrictor as a working 'support animal' on an AEROPLANE?*

WTF-ingF?

Now, I realise that some people actually like snakes, but taking an animal on a plane that can actually eat one or more of the actual passengers** or at least a child is surely going much too far. What if your 'comfort animal' is someone else's phobia? What next, will 'Sir' Gavin Williamson be flying with his comfort tarantula?***

<Shivers in fear>

I shall have nightmares.

* https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417148/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snake-tampa-international-airport-tsa-emotional-support-animal/

** https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/26/python-swallows-woman-at-plantation-in-indonesia

*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGogYvwuyPU

[Eclectic Man]

Re: Boa Constrictors!!!????

For arachnophobia try https://www.zsl.org/experiences/friendly-spider-programme

[Ken G]

Re: Boa Constrictors!!!????

Will no one think of the robo-penguins?

[Anonymous Coward]

Space Ship Humor

- "Oh my god, she's blown a seal!"

- "No, just eating ice cream in zero-G"

[My other car WAS an IAV Stryker]

A different movie reference (a quote this time)

Used car salesman: "That's right -- I'll club a baby seal to make a better deal! And you know I'll do it, too -- I'm CRRRRAAAZZZZYYY!!!"

(from UHF, written by "Weird Al" Yankovic; emphasis added to indicate relevance to the article)

[Totally not a Cylon]

Weebs, otakus and furries....

Why are they testing people who need social activities when there are plenty of us who prefer being alone?

Penguin because there is no catgirl icon.....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Weebs, otakus and furries....

I remember reading an article about the selection process for qualifying to serve on a US navy nuclear ballistic missile sub. The navy wants people who are inherently stable, and able to cope with being cooped up in a dangerous environment for long periods of time.

An anecdote from the article was that early on in the application process, you'll go to a one-on-one meeting with a selection officer. If you initiate a handshake at the meeting, you auto-fail.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Most Theraputic Robot Guiness record"

Is there a Guiness world record for the "least theraputic robot"? I vote for "Hector" from the film "Saturn 3"....

[Throatwarbler Mangrove]

Re: "Most Theraputic Robot Guiness record"

Marvin the Paranoid Android

[Eclectic Man]

Re: "Most Theraputic Robot Guiness record"

Anne Droid (https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Anne_Droid)

[Potemkine!]

Re: "Most Theraputic Robot Guiness record"

Robot Santa Claus

[Sgt_Oddball]

Re: "Most Theraputic Robot Guiness record"

Hudzen-10 surely?

Icon because of all the calculators going to silicon heaven....

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: "Most Theraputic Robot Guiness record"

But there's no such thing as silicon heaven...

[xyz]

Ask any astronaut...

And they'd probably want one of those Japanese robot "love ladies" more than a robot oinker.

"Look at the flippers on that" just doesn't cut it.

[The commentard formerly known as Mister_C]

Re: Ask any astronaut...

Kryten! Unpack Rachel and get out the puncture repair kit!

[Lil Endian]

Re: Ask any astronaut...

Ah, Rachel! Who I suppose in many ways is his widow.

[Lil Endian]

Re: Ask any astronaut...

The Flippers were okay, but I'm more of a Skippy fan.

[No! Don't make a joke about the bush.]

[Lil Endian]

Emotional Support

If it's an emotional bot you'd better ensure you get a seal of approval.

[Jimmy2Cows]

Simpsons

I'm reminded of a Simpsons episode where the kids create a cute robotic seal and tests the extent of their cuteness in the local old folks home.

But which came first? Not sure if this life imitating art, or art imitating life.

[imanidiot]

Re: Simpsons

The original Paro came in production in 2004. The Simpsons episode you're thinking off was aired in 2011 (S23E04 Replaceable You)

[hatti]

All well and good until the seal of approvals A.I. fancies a fish supper