Robots learn from experience in laboratory tests
Heise reports that britisch scientist puplished a report in Nature Magazine that they are using a robotic system to make DNA analysis of the special mushroom breed "Saccharomyces cerevisiae". While the tests go on the robot learns from results and mixes other DNA to test the mushroom. This is almost completely autonomous. Right now the scientist check if the system is working as expected with tests they have already done themself. They say that the thinking machine is up to tens times faster with right conclusion then the human counterparts. The next step will be tests the humans have not done. The mushroom is used in antibiotic research and drug development. This is in fact the first story that I heard of where an intelligent computer is applied in real work outside a testing lab. They are getting brighter, they learn and all this is a fast process. 2004 will be the year of the first intelligent machines this is just an early sign of it. They are not spiritual yet but intelligence is not so far off.