Scientists report today that cockroach robots, affectionately known as roachbots, effectively integrated themselves into insect communities.


The bots were so effective at mimicking insect behavior that they succeeded in taking over the tiny colony, herding the cockroaches into a plastic shelter. Scientists speculate that this could become an effective technique someday to remove pests from infested homes.

It does seem like a short leap, as acknowledged in the report, to speculate that robots could similarly perform a herding function in human societies, especially once they pass the Turing test and are indistinguishable from humans.

But in the meanwhile I am having flashbacks to John Jay Hall, freshman dorm at Columbia University, back in the days when roaches outnumbered humans. Conditions have surely improved, but back then speculation was that these ancient species might outlive humans. Thank goodness no pranksters had roachbots to unleash in the dorms.

And we should keep an eye on our robofriends for the future.

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The Law Offices of Michael H. Cohen offers corporate legal services, litigation consultation, and expertise in health law with a unique focus on holistic, alternative, complementary, and integrative medical therapies. The law firm represents medical doctors, allied health professionals (from psychologists to nurses and dentists) and other clinicians (from chiropractors to naturopathic physicians, massage therapists, and acupuncturists), entrepreneurs, hospitals, and educational organizations, health care institutions, and individuals and corporations.

Michael H. Cohen is Principal in Law Offices of Michael H. Cohen and also President of a nonprofit organization exploring legal, regulatory, ethical, and health policy issues in the judicious integration of complementary and alternative medical therapies (such as acupuncture and traditional oriental medicine, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine, homeopathy, massage therapy, energy healing, and herbal medicine) and conventional clinical care. Michael H. Cohen is author of books on health care law, regulation, ethics and policy dealing with complementary, alternative and integrative medicine, including Healing at the Borderland of Medicine and Religion, Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Legal Boundaries and Regulatory Perspectives (1998), Beyond Complementary Medicine: Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Health Care and Human Evolution (2000), and Future Medicine: Ethical Dilemmas, Regulatory Challenges, and Therapeutic Pathways to Health Care and Healing in Human Transformation (2003).

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Health care and corporate lawyer Michael H. Cohen has been admitted to the Bar of California, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington D.C. In addition to qualifying as a U.S. attorney, he has been admitted and to the Bar of England and Wales as a Solicitor (non-practicing). For more information regarding the law practice of attorney Michael H. Cohen, see the FAQs for the Law Offices of Michael H. Cohen. Thank you for visiting the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Law Blog.

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