[ExI] dementia

[BillK]

On Sun, 13 Jun 2021 at 14:42, John Grigg via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
> It is interesting how some elderly make it to their nineties and beyond in good shape due to being blessed with a genetic hardiness that others lack. We need to figure out how we can replicate their condition so that everyone can be so fortunate.
>
> John
> _______________________________________________


One of the big problems for the elderly today is loneliness.
Quote:
Older people are more likely to live alone in the United States than
in most other places in the world. Nearly thirty per cent of Americans
over sixty-five live by themselves, most of them women.
------------
Here is another article about robot pets / companions, this time from
the New Yorker. It is a long read, but I found it fascinating.

<https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/what-robots-can-and-cant-do-for-the-old-and-lonely>

There are now thousands of these 'pets' being supplied to the elderly
in America. And they are continually improving and becoming more
helpful.
One comment I thought significant was -
Producers of the latest companion robots don’t seem to care much about
achieving Turing test-level authenticity. For a robot to win the
affinity of a human, it doesn’t have to seem real; real enough will
do. Researchers have found that humans will naturally attribute agency
to machines—and, in turn, qualities like “intention” and “caring.”
------------

What comes across is that these pets make an incredible improvement in
the lives of their owners. They have to keep reminding themselves that
the pet is not 'real'. But they still love them.  That's wonderful!


BillK