Dr Robo is in, PhD in Psychology
Ever wanted to be an astronaut when you were a kid? Sure you did! What with all the grand imagery of flying into space, viewing the world from outside and floating around in weightlessness. After movies like Armageddon, all the more you want to be one of those grand heroes who do something to save the earth (or walk on the moon, depending on what turns you on). How cool is it to be one of the privileged few to have left the earth’s atmosphere and explore the boundaries of our solar system!
But before you go rushing off to apply for NASA’s training program, here’s something your mother never told you… the dark side of “astronautdom”… NO, i’m not talking about dangerous asteroids, flying comets, fatal radiation or the possibility of never making it back to earth… I’m talking about what if your astro buddy steals (and consumes) your only remaining freeze-dried fruit loops, and you suddenly develop an insatiable urge to konk him/her on the head with your extremely thick NASA training manual? What do you do then? There’s no one around to whine/complain to for the surrounding 200,000 miles. You can’t call your mom either.. the phone bill would be absolutely astro-nomical (no pun intended).
So you grit your teeth and walk over to the $1.74million computer program known as ‘Virtual Space Station’
Virtual Space Station Screenshot
In essence, it is a software being developed to provide assistance to astronauts on future space missions. This interactive software suite is intended to address the psychosocial challenges of long-term space travel. In the program, astronauts type their various psychological problems into a console, and a pre-recorded video therapist leads the astronaut through a series of likely solutions. To put it in simpler terms, it is a robo-shrink.
Quoting Psychologist James Carter, PhD, one of the program’s developers: “Behavioral health problems can interfere with the success of the mission, especially on long-duration space flights like missions to the International Space Station, the moon and Mars. These self-guided software tools will provide private and immediate access to treatments even though the patient may be many miles from Earth.”
Wow, what do you think of that? Counselling by a computer. If you have any thoughts on this, I’d sure like to hear them! I wonder what’s next… a virtual girlfriend?? Oh wait, they already have those things…..
Rob
The development of this virtual interactive software is a smart one I should say. BUT what if the astronaut types in a problem which is not pre-recorded? and at the same time he can’t think of a solution to that?
I was going to write an article on robot boyfriends……what a coincidence again.. hahaa There was this Japanese dorama, which the girl has a robot boyfriend, she could select the options of what she wants… creating the perfect boyfriend of hers!!!
But it is kinda sad if everything depends on virtualized stuff … It is not computers that could really listen us… When we are feeling troubled, I guess the most important thing is to let someone listen to us and understand us…..but all the program could do is to make us feel a bit better…but yeah… it might help hikkikomori though….since they are in the room all day long…this software might be helpful to them.
@jess: That’s probably gonna happen. I don’t believe they can predict every single situation.. there’s just too many variables. The astronaut will just have to come to terms with himself that a computer is NOT going to solve all his problems hahaha.
@eva: wow a customizable boyfriend lol. That’s interesting. What would you choose if you were in her position? Does the perfect boyfriend exist?
It is indeed sad if we rely too much on virtualized stuff. Speaking of Hikikomori, there are quite a disturbing number in Japan I think, it’s a sad state of affairs. Well, unless they are all happy with their lives I guess.
I would choose loads of options actually… but it will even make me more selfish! So I better need to adapt something of myself to suit him, more than him to adapt everything to suit my likings…but then the perfect boyfriend is more of the eye of the beholder….I will be looking for one in Japan soon hahaha..
Eva-chan, so you finished watching the “Zettai Kareshi” (Perfect Boyfriend). If I’m not mistaken, there’s another Jap drama which is the opposite version of “Zettai Kareshi” – talk about a virtual girlfriend. Forgot the name d.
In fact, as human being, I’m proud with the development of science & technology (esp in Japan) nowadays. However, I’m agree with Robin that we can’t really rely much on these virtualized stuffs. Life becomes meaningless if everything is being “programmed” (just my point of view). Anyway Eva-chan, good luck with your zettai kareshi search in Japan (hopefully you’ll get someone like Johnny-sama/Tegoshi-kun). XD@