cover image How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion

How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion

Daniel H. Wilson. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, $13.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-1-58234-592-5

In this uncomfortably humorous survival guide, Wilson, a Ph.D. candidate at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, reminds readers that ""any machine could rebel, from a toaster to a Terminator,"" and though the forms our future robot enemies may take are manifold, they each have exploitable weaknesses that, fortuitously, match our natural human strengths. So, if a two-legged android gives chase, seek out a body of water, as ""most robots will sink in water or mud and fall through ice."" It also may be a good idea to carry around a pair of welder's goggles, as lasers will likely be robot attackers' weapons of choice, and even a weak laser can cause blindness. Options for fighting back are plentiful, though not everyone will be relieved to learn the standard kitchen microwave can be retrofitted into a radiation gun that can destroy electronics and ""cook human flesh."" (Instructions for such a project are not included.) Humorous and informative-Wilson drops robotics history trivia nuggets and includes brief descriptions of current robot research-this nifty little guide to surviving the inevitable robot apocalypse may have you reconsidering purchasing that ""smart"" (read: insidious) refrigerator.