When robots are integrated into household spaces and rituals, they acquire emotional value

By Zhao Zhao, Assistant professor, Computer Science, University of Guelph

Social companion robots are no longer just science fiction. In classrooms, libraries and homes, these small machines are designed to read stories, play games or offer comfort to children. They promise to support learning and companionship, yet their role in family life often extends beyond their original purpose.

In our recent study of families in Canada and the United States, we found that even after a children’s reading robot “retired” or was no longer in active and regular use, most households chose to keep…

Read complete article

~	Charlie Kirk shooting: another grim milestone in America’s long and increasingly dangerous story of political violence

~	Charlie Kirk: why the battle over his legacy will divide even his most ardent admirers

~	How ‘sovereign citizens’ around the world draw on similar pseudo-law arguments – podcast

~	Charlie Kirk was emblematic of a country polarised and imploding

~	Beyond lavender marriages: What queer unions and relationships can teach us about love and safety

~	Working with local communities is a vital part of wildfire response

~	Indigestion is commonplace but sometimes concerning. Here’s what you need to know

~	From the Great Stink to the modern sewage scandal: why 19th-century sewers are failing 21st-century England

~	Curious kids: do owls have bogies?

~	Deaf: a powerful film about the real struggles of deaf families navigating medical institutions and parenthood