We don't have a good way to numerically measure similarity to humans therefore the theory that it matters fails is a terrible argument.
The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
21–30 of 38 posts
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#22I don't get the sense the author really understands the existing literature. In fact, I think the author has misunderstood the main point from Mori's 1970 paper[123], the counter-intuitive relationship between "affinity"[z] and human-likeness -- the uncanny valley itself. For a specific example, consider the discussion of Mori's "famous graph" near the beginning of the article. > the graph assumes you have an objecti…
Agree, and there's also further research in babies that have demonstrated the "facial recognition" or "more human appearance = safer" isn't all that true, as babies will look at congruent objects (two blocks over one smaller block over a round background) just as much as faces (Macchi Cassia et al., 2008).
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#23The author had it right up until they tried to generalize "uncanny" to equate to "loss of control". It's not the same thing. "uncanny" happens as a result of your brain not being able to dismiss a potential threat (and thus you remain on alert and can't relax fully). That's not the same thing as a loss of control. The author also fails to go into our evolved genetic psychological makeup (which varies according to wha…
> That's not the same thing as a loss of control.
Not a loss, but it is a lack. You can't have perceived autonomy without certainty.
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#24The most uncanny thing in the world is the observation of our subjectivity in action.
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#25I wonder if this is why people are uncomfortable with autistic people. Some subtle details of behavior are missing and they can't identify what because all the superficial features may be present. They'll tolerate it for a little while but eventually get sick of not being able to relax and accept the person as fitting into any desirable or known type of personality. Perhaps moving to a foreign country makes it easier…
Another option is to learn to pay attention and learn to understand the cues the individual does display. Similar to learning any new to you culture.
Likewise with learning to correctly interpret "resting bitch face" in a non mysogynistic way.
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#26The example of "Clu" in TRON: Legacy is a bad example. In the movie they are inside a simulation and everybody besides the real humans do look a bit off, on purpose. So 3D generated young Jeff Bridges fits perfectly. It does add to the movie that they look "not completely real". Great soundtrack by Daft Punk by the way. The story is linear but it's still an impressive movie.
Being a bit off on purpose doesn't change whether they are uncanny.
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#27I highly reccomend The Weird and the Eerie by Mark Fisher. He's talking most about horror and strangeness in kterature and film, but I think it still applies to this. One is a presence of something that should not be there and the other is an absence of something that should.
Never thought about it like that before.
"A weird sound broke the eerie silence."
"An eerie sound broke the weird silence."
Hmm.
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#28Our brain is a face reading machine. We're very attuned to inferring emotion and inner state based on subtle facial movements. Most of uncanny valley is down to the face moving in a way that sends disturbing emotional signals. Not too different to how you feel when seeing the weird stare of a Zuckerberg or Elizabeth Holmes for instance. Body language and movement would be the same, albeit simpler.
Things that look like snakes like those weird mimic moths or a coiled garden hose in tall grass can also trigger that uncanny feeling to me. I suspect serpent recognition is coded into many animals at a very deep level, and anything that trips that recognition will seem uncanny.
Affective Blindsight detection of snakes is real and supports that at least the primates have that; there's plenty other animals that freak out at snake like objects (cats, elephants, etc)
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#29We are in an uncanny phase of history for sure
Re: The "uncanny" is the experience of a loss of control
#30Our brain is a face reading machine. We're very attuned to inferring emotion and inner state based on subtle facial movements. Most of uncanny valley is down to the face moving in a way that sends disturbing emotional signals. Not too different to how you feel when seeing the weird stare of a Zuckerberg or Elizabeth Holmes for instance. Body language and movement would be the same, albeit simpler.
Things that look like snakes like those weird mimic moths or a coiled garden hose in tall grass can also trigger that uncanny feeling to me. I suspect serpent recognition is coded into many animals at a very deep level, and anything that trips that recognition will seem uncanny.
If you have cats you can trigger this response with many of them, using a leather belt.
If you hold the belt at the buckle end and then lay it on the floor while rotating your wrist back and forth, the belt will writhe and curl in the manner of a snake.
Many/most cats will instantly respond to this and they will try to strike the belt while simultaneously keeping as much distance as they can -- but still compelled to keep trying to strike the threat.