Flying Robots

I have always been fascinated by science and science fiction.  Particularly the leading edge of science (which is what any good science fiction will include).  Many years ago, in a galaxy far far away, when I was in college I took an elective 3 week course between semesters (I know there is a word for the between semesters courses but it's been so long it escapes me now) entilted "Science Fiction and the History of Science".  I enjoyed it thouroughly even though the reading requirements, as one would guess, were quite heavy.  We had a history of science text book and 10 science fiction novels.  It was the most fun I ever had at school that didn't end with a hangover or worse.  But one of the several things that stuck with me from that course is that what we generally think of as science would be more correctly called research and development.  And so I believe the instructor of that course would probably consider the TED video below to be about a research and development project.  But it's still science to me, whatever you want to call it (much like Billy Joel once said "it's still rock and roll to me").  

This video both fascinated me and made me feel a bit queasy.  With all of the warnings that we humans, and in particular science fiction writers, have given, it is apparent that we are STILL going there...I suppose because we can.  I would keep an eye out for those nasty Cylons. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/vijay_kumar_robots_that_fly_and_cooperate.html