Should robots be gendered? Comments on Alan Winfield’s opinion

The gendering of robots is something I've found fascinating since I first started building robots out of legos with my brother. We all ascribe character to robots, consciously or not, even when we understand exactly how robots work. Until recently we've been able to write this off as science fiction stuff, because real robots were …

Why isn’t my mother a mechanic?

As a child, my mother had her own overalls. She grew up stripping engines and cleaning carburettors. She was the daughter of a mechanic and master builder. Then she became a librarian. As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut. I grew up playing with punch cards and radio telescopes. My father was a …

Where is feminism when you need it?

Where is feminism when you need it? That question is currently being asked, and answered, in Silicon Valley. Whether it's discussing the resurgence of sexism, finding the new flavors of feminist, cheer leading for all the fab women in tech and pushing for more women to join the geektrain; or whether it's asking hard questions …