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This Toy Tortoise
Begs and Sulks
London, Saturday. — Dr. Grey Walter, o leading
brain expert, has made a toy tortoise and challenges
anyone who does not observe it closely for a long time
to tell it is not alive.
fHE tortoise will moan in
?*- temperatures below 40 deg.
and run to any warmth, recog
nise voices, nestle against your
leg, beg at its master's voice,
and potter to the door when the
bell rings.
It will even sulk for days if
given too many or misleading
instructions.
It is keen on women, and will
purr at silk stockings, but run
from a man's suit.
To do all this, the tortoise
has miniature radio valves and
miniature microphones to pick
up sound, photo-electric cells
to recognise color and shape,
instruments for registering
temperature, and a small
motor. v
Dr. Walter believes the toy
could be manufactured cheaply
for children.
In his Bristol laboratory,
where he perfected the crea
ture, Dr. Walter said, 'Many
modern instruments are at
least as responsive, accurate,
and adapatable as a simple ani
mal. Some have fantastically
high intelligence.
'Eventually you could make
a robot which could find its
way about, speak like a child,
answer questions, % and do
sums.' - :
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