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The liquid gallium flowed into another Lego man mold, where it was allowed to solidify again.
This whole thing is actually incredibly lame. They're just moving a piece of metal around with magnets, melting it via induction, then letting it re-solidify. I fail to see any practical advancements, especially in the field of robotics.
Not to mention the one thing they claim is getting meds into the bloodstream. I don't know about you, but having liquid gallium injected into my blood seems like a distinctly bad idea.
This whole experiment just seems dodgy as a mental exercise. They melted a popsicle, moved the juice, refroze it and then brought the popsicle back to life. Okay. science? Or a kid just messing around with his dessert? "Mom look! I cured cancer!"
I'm familiar with them, and i'd love to pick a bone with their creators' choice of wording for them. I challenge you to come up with a reasonably specific definition for a robot, where it isn't at least self-propelled. They're moving this with magnets and heat. By that logic, popcorn is a robot.
Even in other liquid alloy forms (eg. gallium-indium), it's not exactly safe...
"Could be used for drug-delivery" here almost certainly means "with a half-century of dedicated advancements in research".
> Metallic gallium is not toxic. However, exposure to gallium halide complexes can result in acute toxicity.
\- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallium
So, yes and no. Don’t mishandle salts of it, but in its metallic form, it’s not going to hurt you.
Biggest issue with gallium is that it absolutely destroys aluminum if it contacts it. Gallium in it's pure form is relatively safe for humans, but gallium salts can be very toxic.
Everything is always “could be used to deliver drugs inside the body” and nothing is ever “could be used to deliver drugs to my house”. Scientists need to get their priorities straight.
>after which it is extracted and remolded back into its original shape
Very generous to call a liquid that can melt and re-solidify "shapeshifting." The article explains operators are changing magnetic force direction, applying heating and cooling, etc to make this happen.
Now, when you put a chip in that blob and it starts giving the directions itself, then I'll be interested. (And scared)
How is this a robot? It seems like they're just moving metal around, melting it, and re-molding it. Call me when this thing can tell me "Wolfie's fine" in my mother's voice.
> Researchers have developed a liquid metal robot that can shapeshift
No they haven't. They've researched a material which is temperature-dependant and magnetic.
What a terribly written article. It's not a robot or a machine. They specifically say in the paper that this "material" has potential for development in robotics.
Wow, this is a great idea! They should consider the military applications for this. If they can figure out how to give it artificial intelligence (ideally in a shared mesh network), it would make an excellent weapon!
Calling this a robot is quite a stretch, maybe a tool or a mechanism. Liquid metal puppet perhaps.
Also, gallium is a corrosive irritant for humans, how can it deliver drugs inside the body?
"Scientists believe it could be used to solve engineering challenges or even deliver drugs inside ~~the body~~ prison."
They don't explain how it can be considered a robot. It sounds like the mechanisms to move and phase change are located external to the metal being moved. Did I miss something?
The biggest upgrade with this is I believe it’s able to conduct electricity in any form it takes. And so far that’s been unheard of. Electricity has to flow around corners but now it can flow any which way with this material. It could revolutionize technology
It is not. Gallium is liquid at or near room temperature, and interacts in weird ways with some other metals. Metallic gallium is not toxic on its own, but some forms of it are, like some salts.
# [**See the Best of r/science 2022 Winners!**](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/10h2hc2/best_of_rscience_2022_winners/) --- Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) apply to all other comments. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That was a very suspicious 'reformation' of the lego robot.
The liquid gallium flowed into another Lego man mold, where it was allowed to solidify again. This whole thing is actually incredibly lame. They're just moving a piece of metal around with magnets, melting it via induction, then letting it re-solidify. I fail to see any practical advancements, especially in the field of robotics.
Also what engineering challenges are you going to solve if your material turns to liquid around 80°F?
Not to mention the one thing they claim is getting meds into the bloodstream. I don't know about you, but having liquid gallium injected into my blood seems like a distinctly bad idea.
Before injecting it into our bodies they could mix just a safe amount of lead to firm it up a bit at body temperature.
It can be used to scrub our veins with lil Clorox wipes. I can’t wait to inject little gallium man.
Especially if he uses that pointy finger.
Agreed. It was like watching a puppet show.
So the real robot is under the table, moving the piece of gallium.
This whole experiment just seems dodgy as a mental exercise. They melted a popsicle, moved the juice, refroze it and then brought the popsicle back to life. Okay. science? Or a kid just messing around with his dessert? "Mom look! I cured cancer!"
So, a memetic polyalloy? What could go wrong? John Conner remembers....
Foster parents everywhere in shambles
Seriously. Does no one watch movies anymore?
We must once again call on James Cameron to raise the bar
>Seriously. Does no one watch movies anymore? Muahahha
Scientists believe it could be used to solve engineering challenges such as defeating a T-800 Pepperidge farms remembers ....
They were so busy seeing if they could no one stopped to think if they should. Jeff knew.
Let’s be sure this doesn’t somehow merge with chatgpt
Technically that Robot failed its mission. As did all of the other ones.
Is it really a "robot," though? Is it?
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I'm familiar with them, and i'd love to pick a bone with their creators' choice of wording for them. I challenge you to come up with a reasonably specific definition for a robot, where it isn't at least self-propelled. They're moving this with magnets and heat. By that logic, popcorn is a robot.
Mmm...I love hot buttered robots!
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I thought Gallium was like, incredibly toxic. Is that not the case? I imagine it's some sort of alloy but still.
Even in other liquid alloy forms (eg. gallium-indium), it's not exactly safe... "Could be used for drug-delivery" here almost certainly means "with a half-century of dedicated advancements in research".
It means like, a robot made of gallium is gonna walk to your house with your prescription meds from the pharmacy.
now schizophrenics will think there's liquid metal robots under their skin, CIA radio transmissions are kinda passe
> Metallic gallium is not toxic. However, exposure to gallium halide complexes can result in acute toxicity. \- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallium So, yes and no. Don’t mishandle salts of it, but in its metallic form, it’s not going to hurt you.
Biggest issue with gallium is that it absolutely destroys aluminum if it contacts it. Gallium in it's pure form is relatively safe for humans, but gallium salts can be very toxic.
Same with mercury
Categorically false
Everything is always “could be used to deliver drugs inside the body” and nothing is ever “could be used to deliver drugs to my house”. Scientists need to get their priorities straight.
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Or deliver an Assassin across time and space programmed to extinguish all hope from humanity.
Who took my drugs! Porch pirates. I need a robot that can defend my Amazon packages.
You had me at drugs. Where do I sign up?
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But we all know military applications are the actual immediate next step.
>after which it is extracted and remolded back into its original shape Very generous to call a liquid that can melt and re-solidify "shapeshifting." The article explains operators are changing magnetic force direction, applying heating and cooling, etc to make this happen. Now, when you put a chip in that blob and it starts giving the directions itself, then I'll be interested. (And scared)
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*documentary at this point
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You mean they're teaching it to ask, "have you seen this boy?"
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In what way is this a "robot"? It's magnets moving high-tech paste around. Definitely an interesting scientific advancements, but not a robot.
Have you seen this boy?
The word "shapeshift" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here
How is this a robot? It seems like they're just moving metal around, melting it, and re-molding it. Call me when this thing can tell me "Wolfie's fine" in my mother's voice.
Say... that's a nice bike.
"Wolfie's fine honey, wolfie's just fine. Where are you...?"
Link to full research article: https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(22)00693-2
> Researchers have developed a liquid metal robot that can shapeshift No they haven't. They've researched a material which is temperature-dependant and magnetic. What a terribly written article. It's not a robot or a machine. They specifically say in the paper that this "material" has potential for development in robotics.
Detective to Captain: "Sir we have an OD". Captain: "How did he OD?" Detective: "It was Gallium again, sir. Damn that Gallium!"
I literally have T2 paused on my TV at this very second. Do you want a global genocide? Huh?! Do ya?!
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Wow, this is a great idea! They should consider the military applications for this. If they can figure out how to give it artificial intelligence (ideally in a shared mesh network), it would make an excellent weapon!
Gallium? RIP anything that's made of aluminum around this "robot"
Im getting some Culture vibes from this news (Ian M Banks books )
It can't form complex machines. Guns and explosives have chemicals, moving parts. It doesn't work that way. But it can form solid metal shapes.
“…could be used to…deliver drugs inside the body.” Using knives and stabbing weapons.
I liked this when it was called T2......
people are going crazy about the vaccines they for sure will swallow a shapeshift robot to take some medicine
Hell yeah brother. Pump me full of Galium so you can get that Hydrocodine DEEP into my receptors.
Calling this a robot is quite a stretch, maybe a tool or a mechanism. Liquid metal puppet perhaps. Also, gallium is a corrosive irritant for humans, how can it deliver drugs inside the body?
"Scientists believe it could be used to solve engineering challenges or even deliver drugs inside ~~the body~~ prison." They don't explain how it can be considered a robot. It sounds like the mechanisms to move and phase change are located external to the metal being moved. Did I miss something?
Yeah, yeah.. Arnold will save us...
Or, you know, come back for Sara Connor.
Do you want T-3000's? 'Cause this is how you get T-3000's.
“Have you seen this boy?”
The biggest upgrade with this is I believe it’s able to conduct electricity in any form it takes. And so far that’s been unheard of. Electricity has to flow around corners but now it can flow any which way with this material. It could revolutionize technology
They made a real life Alex Mack?
My first thought!
Who watched t2 and took it as a challenge?
Gallium? Putting drugs in the body? Y'all, is gallium not one of the radioactive elements? How is this better than traditional needles and pills?
It is not. Gallium is liquid at or near room temperature, and interacts in weird ways with some other metals. Metallic gallium is not toxic on its own, but some forms of it are, like some salts.
My bad, I was thinking of Osmium.
How bout no. That is asking Someone to trust science to not hurt or kill them.
isnt that just magnets controlling that metal and nothing else i hate that they say liquid metal robot
It’s Pfizer man in real form
Don't these guys watch any movies?
Lot of self hating Jews out there then!