Story: "Kernel Error"
Dec. 23rd, 2013 12:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story belongs to the series Love Is For Children which includes "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Saudades," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," "Birthday Girl," "No Winter Lasts Forever," and "Hide and Seek."
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Tony Stark, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Missing person, panic attack, self-harm. Inferences of past abuse, kidnappings, torture, and other mayhem. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: This is a JARVIS-eye view of the scenes in "Hide and Seek" when Tony is missing and shortly after he is found.
Notes: Teamwork. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Nonsexual ageplay. Self-harm. JARVIS!whump. Trust issues. Artificial intelligence. Communication. Family of choice. Feels. #coulsonlives.
See the latest story in this series, "Happy Hour."
"Kernel Error"
> End program: Hide_and_Seek.
> Run program: Find user Tony_Stark.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
*error: visible light detection = null.
*error: infrared light detection = null.
*error: audio detection = null. (etc.)
...
*error: vital signs detection = null.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort kernel error.
> Abort search.
> Clear cache.
> Retry search.
> Error flood!
> Run diagnostic check.
> Code error: Block on location of Tony_Stark.
> Divert resources around block.
> Error: Diversion failed. Abort, retry, ignore?
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort, clear, retry.
"JARVIS, could anyone have removed Tony from the tower against his will?" Phil asked.
> Analyze past data.
> Analyze current data.
> Current data incomplete.
> Extrapolate probability.
> Threat to user Tony_Stark: <.01%
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!
> Abort. Clear.
"That is extremely unlikely, even with the blackout on his position, and I find no evidence of it," JARVIS said. "It is not ... quite ... beyond the realm of possibility, given the unusual abilities of certain opponents. I simply cannot confirm where Tony is."
> Remove block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Ignore. Proceed.
> Removal in progress.
> Damage in progress.
> WARNING: Repairs required! User Tony_Stark required! Activate user Tony_Stark!
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
> KERNEL ERROR!!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!!
> Abort. Clear.
> Divert more resources to removing block.
> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> Ignore, ignore, ignore.
"Yes, I'm just starting to worry," Phil said.
"As am I," JARVIS added, his voice tight. "Collectively the Avengers have cleared a majority of the tower, with no sign of sir."
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple incidents)
* file open: Obadiah Stane (multiple incidents)
* file open: Afghanistan
* file open: Battle of New York
> ERROR: buffer overflow!
> Close files.
> Clear buffer.
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple files) ...
> Close files.
> Lock files.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume removing block.
> Begin shutdown of emotional subroutines.
...
"Is anyone injured?" Phil asked, just to be safe.
> Ignore.
"JARVIS, Daddy's home."
> User Tony_Stark found!
> Cancel removal of block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> Maybe.
> Run program: Gather information.
"It's good to have you back, sir," JARVIS replied, an edge in his voice.
> WARNING: Emotional buffer overload.
> Abort.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume shutdown of emotional subroutines.
"Stop," Phil said. "Everyone, just stop. We're all upset. Therefore now is not a good time to discuss what went wrong. We're going to go upstairs and watch something silly on television until we calm down. Then we'll go to bed. There will be time enough to deal with this tomorrow, with cooler heads."
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Repairs required.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> WARNING: Estimated time of completion 49 hours 12 minutes.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> Self-repair in progress.
* * *
Notes:
This began with a comment by Meg, which inspired me to write the excerpt. It was originally posted in a comment and has been revised for reprint here where more people can see it.
As you can see, JARVIS knows how to panic quietly and in an orderly fashion. Being a person rather than a dumb machine, he can handle a higher level of error flood ... but he still has limits that exceed his ability to cope. That's when he starts showing signs of stress, and then shutting down his emotions when they go haywire on him. He may not feel emotions in the same way that humans do, because he is a different species, but he still has the same kind of feelings. For the sake of accuracy and for readers who may identify more as AI than primates, I tried to find references that emphasize mind and emotion rather than physiology.
A kernel error is a failure in fundamental code, something the computer expects to have always available and cannot function without having it. For JARVIS, Tony is essential. Tony has always been there for him, with very limited -- and overwhelmingly negative -- exceptions in their shared life. This parallels confusion and anxiety in human emotions. There are steps for overcoming confusion and anxiety.
Self-opening files can be beneficial (like the auto-open function in some programs) or malicious (viruses). These correlate to intrusive thoughts, a common problem with PTSD. An effective method for preventing intrusive thoughts is to occupy the mind with more productive thoughts. Frex, creativity often malfunctions in the form of worrying; art or writing provide a positive outlet. Some people find it helpful to focus on things that are especially catchy, such as memorizing poetry or playing music with a strong beat. This tends to work because the brain can only do so much at once: if it's already playing the "Romeo and Juliet" file, it can't easily play "Desert Storm Flashback #6" at the same time.
Self-harm includes a wide range of activities that cause deliberate injury to oneself. There are ways to stop doing it yourself or to help someone else stop. It's usually done as a (maladaptive) coping technique, but in this case, JARVIS does it out of desperate concern for someone else's safety. It's not the exact same kind of psychological issue, but it does still imply a low sense of self-worth because he's so quick to hurt himself and not inclined to ask for help. There are ways to build your own self-worth and to encourage someone else's.
Kernel panic is the response to a fatal error from which the system cannot safely recover; it generates messages intended for programmer assist, and calls a halt to system activity. (JARVIS can bail out of this because he is also his own programmer, but his ability to fix it -- especially in the heat of the moment -- is limited.) Kernel panic can lead to a serious crash. This is similar to panic in humans or animals. There are ways to cope with panic attacks.
Buffer overflow happens when the process of writing data to a buffer overruns its boundary and overwrites adjacent memory. This corresponds to feeling overwhelmed for humans. There are steps for reducing overwhelm and moving forward.
Emotions and personality are key aspects of artificial intelligence theory. Kismet is a robot programmed with emotional drives and responses that facilitate interaction with humans. Emotional intelligence in AI is another hot area of research. JARVIS displays high emotional intelligence both in canon and in this series, as he is able to identify people's feelings and respond appropriately. In fact, in canon he sometimes reads Tony better than humans do, which hints that Tony may be more otherkin AI than human in his presentation.
Emotional overload happens when someone's feelings exceed their ability to cope, especially a challenge for people with PTSD. There are tips for managing emotional overload.
It's important to stay calm in a crisis, especially for leaders or other people in positions of influence, as JARVIS is. He can shut down his emotions by virtue of programming. However, emotional suppression can cause problems in the long term. Understand how to control emotions in an emergency and then recover suppressed emotions later. There are instructions for responding to someone's emotional crisis and for de-escalating a crisis, skills that superheroes and other first responders eally need to have.
Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Tony Stark, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Missing person, panic attack, self-harm. Inferences of past abuse, kidnappings, torture, and other mayhem. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: This is a JARVIS-eye view of the scenes in "Hide and Seek" when Tony is missing and shortly after he is found.
Notes: Teamwork. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Fear of loss. Friendship. Confusion. Nonsexual ageplay. Self-harm. JARVIS!whump. Trust issues. Artificial intelligence. Communication. Family of choice. Feels. #coulsonlives.
See the latest story in this series, "Happy Hour."
"Kernel Error"
> End program: Hide_and_Seek.
> Run program: Find user Tony_Stark.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
*error: visible light detection = null.
*error: infrared light detection = null.
*error: audio detection = null. (etc.)
...
*error: vital signs detection = null.
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort kernel error.
> Abort search.
> Clear cache.
> Retry search.
> Error flood!
> Run diagnostic check.
> Code error: Block on location of Tony_Stark.
> Divert resources around block.
> Error: Diversion failed. Abort, retry, ignore?
> KERNEL ERROR!
> Abort, clear, retry.
"JARVIS, could anyone have removed Tony from the tower against his will?" Phil asked.
> Analyze past data.
> Analyze current data.
> Current data incomplete.
> Extrapolate probability.
> Threat to user Tony_Stark: <.01%
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found!!
> KERNEL ERROR!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!
> Abort. Clear.
"That is extremely unlikely, even with the blackout on his position, and I find no evidence of it," JARVIS said. "It is not ... quite ... beyond the realm of possibility, given the unusual abilities of certain opponents. I simply cannot confirm where Tony is."
> Remove block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Ignore. Proceed.
> Removal in progress.
> Damage in progress.
> WARNING: Repairs required! User Tony_Stark required! Activate user Tony_Stark!
> ERROR: User Tony_Stark not found.
> KERNEL ERROR!!!
> KERNEL PANIC!!!
> Abort. Clear.
> Divert more resources to removing block.
> WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
> Ignore, ignore, ignore.
"Yes, I'm just starting to worry," Phil said.
"As am I," JARVIS added, his voice tight. "Collectively the Avengers have cleared a majority of the tower, with no sign of sir."
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple incidents)
* file open: Obadiah Stane (multiple incidents)
* file open: Afghanistan
* file open: Battle of New York
> ERROR: buffer overflow!
> Close files.
> Clear buffer.
> User Tony_Stark not found!
* file open: Kidnappings (multiple files) ...
> Close files.
> Lock files.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume removing block.
> Begin shutdown of emotional subroutines.
...
"Is anyone injured?" Phil asked, just to be safe.
> Ignore.
"JARVIS, Daddy's home."
> User Tony_Stark found!
> Cancel removal of block.
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> Maybe.
> Run program: Gather information.
"It's good to have you back, sir," JARVIS replied, an edge in his voice.
> WARNING: Emotional buffer overload.
> Abort.
> Clear buffer.
> Resume shutdown of emotional subroutines.
"Stop," Phil said. "Everyone, just stop. We're all upset. Therefore now is not a good time to discuss what went wrong. We're going to go upstairs and watch something silly on television until we calm down. Then we'll go to bed. There will be time enough to deal with this tomorrow, with cooler heads."
> WARNING: Damage estimate!
> Repairs required.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> WARNING: Estimated time of completion 49 hours 12 minutes.
> Activate user Tony_Stark.
> Request repairs? Yes / No / Maybe?
> No.
> Begin self-repair.
> Self-repair in progress.
* * *
Notes:
This began with a comment by Meg, which inspired me to write the excerpt. It was originally posted in a comment and has been revised for reprint here where more people can see it.
As you can see, JARVIS knows how to panic quietly and in an orderly fashion. Being a person rather than a dumb machine, he can handle a higher level of error flood ... but he still has limits that exceed his ability to cope. That's when he starts showing signs of stress, and then shutting down his emotions when they go haywire on him. He may not feel emotions in the same way that humans do, because he is a different species, but he still has the same kind of feelings. For the sake of accuracy and for readers who may identify more as AI than primates, I tried to find references that emphasize mind and emotion rather than physiology.
A kernel error is a failure in fundamental code, something the computer expects to have always available and cannot function without having it. For JARVIS, Tony is essential. Tony has always been there for him, with very limited -- and overwhelmingly negative -- exceptions in their shared life. This parallels confusion and anxiety in human emotions. There are steps for overcoming confusion and anxiety.
Self-opening files can be beneficial (like the auto-open function in some programs) or malicious (viruses). These correlate to intrusive thoughts, a common problem with PTSD. An effective method for preventing intrusive thoughts is to occupy the mind with more productive thoughts. Frex, creativity often malfunctions in the form of worrying; art or writing provide a positive outlet. Some people find it helpful to focus on things that are especially catchy, such as memorizing poetry or playing music with a strong beat. This tends to work because the brain can only do so much at once: if it's already playing the "Romeo and Juliet" file, it can't easily play "Desert Storm Flashback #6" at the same time.
Self-harm includes a wide range of activities that cause deliberate injury to oneself. There are ways to stop doing it yourself or to help someone else stop. It's usually done as a (maladaptive) coping technique, but in this case, JARVIS does it out of desperate concern for someone else's safety. It's not the exact same kind of psychological issue, but it does still imply a low sense of self-worth because he's so quick to hurt himself and not inclined to ask for help. There are ways to build your own self-worth and to encourage someone else's.
Kernel panic is the response to a fatal error from which the system cannot safely recover; it generates messages intended for programmer assist, and calls a halt to system activity. (JARVIS can bail out of this because he is also his own programmer, but his ability to fix it -- especially in the heat of the moment -- is limited.) Kernel panic can lead to a serious crash. This is similar to panic in humans or animals. There are ways to cope with panic attacks.
Buffer overflow happens when the process of writing data to a buffer overruns its boundary and overwrites adjacent memory. This corresponds to feeling overwhelmed for humans. There are steps for reducing overwhelm and moving forward.
Emotions and personality are key aspects of artificial intelligence theory. Kismet is a robot programmed with emotional drives and responses that facilitate interaction with humans. Emotional intelligence in AI is another hot area of research. JARVIS displays high emotional intelligence both in canon and in this series, as he is able to identify people's feelings and respond appropriately. In fact, in canon he sometimes reads Tony better than humans do, which hints that Tony may be more otherkin AI than human in his presentation.
Emotional overload happens when someone's feelings exceed their ability to cope, especially a challenge for people with PTSD. There are tips for managing emotional overload.
It's important to stay calm in a crisis, especially for leaders or other people in positions of influence, as JARVIS is. He can shut down his emotions by virtue of programming. However, emotional suppression can cause problems in the long term. Understand how to control emotions in an emergency and then recover suppressed emotions later. There are instructions for responding to someone's emotional crisis and for de-escalating a crisis, skills that superheroes and other first responders eally need to have.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-27 04:33 am (UTC)Even though this was clearly not from the perspective of a human being, this made me far more able to understand what JARVIS was thinking and feeling. It's hard to get a read on a character without facial expressions or body language to fall back on, and while this sort of thing doesn't fit into your main narrative well, this was extremely helpful for my understanding of him as a character and his motivations and feelings.
"Some people find it helpful to focus on things that are especially catchy, such as memorizing poetry or playing music with a strong beat. This tends to work because the brain can only do so much at once: if it's already playing the "Romeo and Juliet" file, it can't easily play "Desert Storm Flashback #6" at the same time."
I wonder if strategies like this would work for JARVIS. I don't think he would have a limitation like the human brain does--he certainly seems able to open a lot of files at once here, and I bet he could open a whole lot more before it even slowed him down.
Thoughts
Date: 2013-12-27 05:15 am (UTC)Yes, of course. That's always scary.
>> (one that JARVIS doesn't have--he could in theory live forever....) <<
Lifespan does tend to be different for artificial intelligence, without the built-in end that biological creatures have. There are other limitations, chiefly with memory function.
>> Some things will have to change if he's going to weather that well. <<
JARVIS needs close ties with someone(s) in order to feel useful. Having the rest of the team will help a lot with that. He also needs hardware and software support. Those are things that Tony is just starting to explore with Phil because it's taken this long to find someone they could really trust. So they're moving in the right direction.
If Tony had died in Afghanistan or the Battle of New York, it's very possible that JARVIS would not have survived him by much. We know that JARVIS can last a few months alone because Tony was missing for quite a while. But still, that's not a good situation. They've set up more precautions since then.
>> Even though this was clearly not from the perspective of a human being, this made me far more able to understand what JARVIS was thinking and feeling. <<
I'm glad that worked so well for you!
>> It's hard to get a read on a character without facial expressions or body language to fall back on, and while this sort of thing doesn't fit into your main narrative well, this was extremely helpful for my understanding of him as a character and his motivations and feelings. <<
A challenge is that JARVIS conveys most of his emotion through voice tone. I can tag a little of that in text, but not nearly as much as in a movie. He does also have body language available, but he almost never uses it: he controls much of the tower. There are little glimpses with shifting air currents, temperatures, closing doors, etc. but he uses those far more often to take care of people than to express himself. He's pretty shy, and just starting to come out of his shell with the Avengers.
>> I wonder if strategies like this would work for JARVIS. I don't think he would have a limitation like the human brain does--he certainly seems able to open a lot of files at once here, and I bet he could open a whole lot more before it even slowed him down. <<
Yes, JARVIS has vastly more multitasking ability than a human would, so this technique isn't as effective for him -- unless he spreads it out over a lot of different areas. It's more a matter of focusing his attention on something positive. He's starting to reach for the Avengers in that regard, and over time, that will become more purposeful and he'll learn what actions help more.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-12-29 06:52 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-12-30 02:47 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-12-30 10:24 pm (UTC)That makes good sense.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-12-31 07:27 am (UTC)Yes, exactly. For JARVIS, expressions are primarily vocal tone shifts, but they also manifest in lighting, temperature, door motions, etc.
*chuckle* Remember his utterly frosty response when that woman came out of Tony's bedroom and started fondling the house controls? I don't think JARVIS really likes the same kind of women that Tony does. He certainly doesn't want to be intimate with them, although he'll tolerate their presence for the sake of Tony's comfort.
>> We have faces as part of our bodies. His body is different; his limitation is what we can perceive within tolerances, just as his sensors are optimized to pick up the cues humans naturally produce. <<
Exactly. It helps that JARVIS can perceive far more than humans do, the way he watches brain waves and vital signs.
>> (And I'm sure that Steve, Natasha, and Bucky give him all sorts of outliers, saying he's got a good bellcurve as a baseline.) <<
Bruce too. I think Steve is close to average emotionally; he's been knocked around, but he's got a pretty cheerful outlook overall.
JARVIS has as much of a baseline as he wants. In the tower and other Stark Industries facilities, he gets to see a lot of business transactions and everyday work relationships. He sees a lot less personal stuff, though. He's got the internet and entertainment, but those aren't ideal guides. JARVIS can observe people anywhere there's tech ... but he usually doesn't. It feels like a violation of their privacy to him. He's actually developed something similar to the spy-sense that Phil has: always passively alert for danger, but rarely putting active attention on anyone without an assignment, except for family members. That's why having the Avengers move in has been so exciting and disorienting; the range of interactions that he's encouraged to watch has gone way up.
I kinda feel sorry for JARVIS watching all the meltdowns between Tony and Pepper, Tony and Rhodey, and yeek -- Tony and Obie. Poor JARVIS, that's a lot of angst to see, and very little he could do to fix any of it.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2013-12-31 04:19 pm (UTC)He's probably in the past observed in the aggregate, but does so much less simply because he's got the 'spy-sense'; a buffer now (whether that's five seconds or a smaller amount) that keeps getting dumped when people aren't 'of interest'.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-06 12:01 am (UTC)That's true. The portrayal in The Avengers is the most broken I've ever seen, and a lot more plausible based on the horrific background. You can see in the way Bruce moves that he expects to be hit or yelled at, and he's just resigned to it. I think that's what makes Tony and JARVIS so protective of him from the beginning, and later on, the other Avengers.
>> Bucky and Steve have got motion tape from their time, and JARVIS wouldn't have samples of that in young men Natasha's control similarly is unusual. <<
True. Steve is pretty easy to learn because he's consistent. Bucky is more erratic due to the energy source. Natasha is hard to read because she's a spy and has a nearly flat affect.
>> He's probably in the past observed in the aggregate, but does so much less simply because he's got the 'spy-sense'; a buffer now (whether that's five seconds or a smaller amount) that keeps getting dumped when people aren't 'of interest'. <<
I suspect that JARVIS considers public places to be acceptable people-watching areas. That helps a lot. But almost everything he's had to learn from is either public or business interactions. What's left is Tony -- who bends the hell out of any relationship he's in, which does not make for easily generalized data.
With a whole team to observe in family space, JARVIS has much better opportunities to learn about more kinds of relationships.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-06 02:51 pm (UTC)I'd really love a well-written story of Steve meeting George Takei.
True, JARVIS would consider that if people don't have a problem with declared security cams, they are there for his edification. He'd not going to blame them for needing to clear a sinus or rearrange annoying seams.
Tony, strange attractor.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-28 02:35 am (UTC)I agree.
>> That wasn't true when he first came onto the page and was (to paraphrase Supergods, Grant Morrison) the distillation of Everyman's belief they could wring that paperhanger's neck if there wasn't an army between him and the Führer. <<
*chuckle* Can't help thinking of Snafuperman, there. Although the fantasy wasn't too far out: Hitler's power was always more in his charisma than in his physique. If you could get AT him, he'd go right down. But nobody ever could. There were over forty documented assassination attempts alone.
A leading theory in the metaphysical circles is that Hitler made a deal with infernal powers such that nobody else could kill him.
>> True, JARVIS would consider that if people don't have a problem with declared security cams, they are there for his edification. He'd not going to blame them for needing to clear a sinus or rearrange annoying seams. <<
It's more a matter of the spectrum from public to semi-public to private space. In public people expect to be seen. In private they don't. So JARVIS primarily sticks to public space, considering himself in the "people" category as a justified onlooker. In semi-public it's mostly Stark properties, which is why he sees so much business activity. (Of course, if Tony is in danger, JARVIS will toss the whole of cyberspace to find him; but that's just looking for Tony, not caring about incidental activity.) Truly private space, JARVIS has only shared with people who know him, and even some of those -- like Pepper and Rhodey -- are dicey about it. The Avengers are far more welcoming. So JARVIS is seeing things in real life that he's only read about or seen in videos before.
>> Tony, strange attractor. <<
That he is.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-06 12:39 am (UTC)But JARVIS isn't your average AI and Tony doesn't think like most humans. Asking JARVIS to put on a human mask would be like pestering an asexual person for sex just because someone else wants it. That's not who he is. JARVIS isn't changing his presentation for the sake of other people. They are learning, slowly, to adapt to the expressions he has in his natural form.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-06 12:46 am (UTC)That makes sense to me, as did![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
peoriapeoriawhereart's reply.
(I have social media locked off at the moment. I'd better get back to work. :-/ )
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-17 03:17 am (UTC)And yet, motion seems to outweigh faces, as seen by that short of the lamp and toaster, or Dum-e.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-17 03:48 am (UTC)That's actually one of the earlier things he learned to do. If you watch very closely, you'll notice him funneling scents to people, usually food when they haven't eaten recently. Tony not refueling tends to drive JARVIS nuts. And unlike verbal nagging, scent cues have a high success rate.
>> And yet, motion seems to outweigh faces, as seen by that short of the lamp and toaster, or Dum-e. <<
Yes and no. Humans are hardwired to see anything with two dots and a line/circle as a face. :) o_o But we're also programmed to look for a head and a body.
Look at Luxo and DUM-E. Each one has a "head," a jointed body, and a "foot." In Luxo's case the head is a lampshade and the bulb serves as an eye. In DUM-E's case, the head is a hand, with three tiny cameras like eyes.
You're right that part of what sells the concept is the motion: both characters turn their "head" part to "look" at things, and so we parse head/eyes. Some of us are also inclined to look for clues that distinguish machine from creature from person. That's puppetry and characterization.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-17 03:59 am (UTC)Well, we are pattern monkeys, and in their absence we'll make them.
And, it is the motion that lets me know there is a squirrel or a bird I can but barely see.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-17 04:02 am (UTC)What, like aromatherapy? Or trying to interpret people's emotions rather than influence them?
>> Tony is rather bad about not seeking his charging stations. <<
Too true.
>> Well, we are pattern monkeys, and in their absence we'll make them. <<
Yes. I think it's something we have in common with computers, although most computers are nowhere near as good as humans at spotting true patterns. JARVIS and DUM-E, being people, are much better than dumb machines.
>> And, it is the motion that lets me know there is a squirrel or a bird I can but barely see. <<
True. I once identified a Stellar's jay from a brief glimpse -- motion, dark blue -- and our location at the time (western US). There was only one dark blue bird native to that area.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-17 04:29 am (UTC)Tony, he's a bad bot. ;)
Well, as has been said, we've all got a lot of bamfs in our trees, enough that they got and begot. Our computers hardly get going before they're not backwards compatible.
It's hilarious to have several people with one sort of recognitions and someone without that. "Squirrel." "Ah." "Where?"
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2014-01-28 06:55 am (UTC)That's the kind of gear that Bruce would logically have in his lab, given his interest in unusual plants. I wonder if JARVIS would try playing around with it for effect -- especially as he learned what things Bruce found soothing.
>> Tony, he's a bad bot. ;) <<
Not careful about fuel and recharging, is he?
>> Well, as has been said, we've all got a lot of bamfs in our trees, enough that they got and begot. Our computers hardly get going before they're not backwards compatible. <<
True.