ROBOTIC FOOLISHNESS

ENGINEERS WHO CREATE ROBOTS ATTEMPT TO IMITATE THE 3 THINGS THAT HUMAN BEINGS DO BEST: SEE, NAVIGATE AND IMPROVISE. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS HAVE OBVIOUSLY STUDIED AND VISITED HISTORY. SUCCESS IN HUMAN ENDEAVORS COMES INCREMENTALLY FROM CONFRONTING REALITY, BLUNDERING THROUGH IT AND ACCOMMODATING ACTIONS TO NEW DATA. A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT LED TO VICTORY IN THE CIVIL WAR DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE LAST YEAR OF THE BLOODSHED. FIRST FARRAGUT AT MOBILE BAY, NEXT SHERMAN AT ATLANTA, THEN SHERIDAN IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, TERRY AT FORT FISHER, THOMAS AT NASHVILLE, LINCOLN WITH HIS 13TH AMENDMENT OUTLAWING SLAVERY AND FINALLY GRANT AT PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND - EACH VICTORY WAS BOUGHT WITH PATIENCE MASQUERADING AS STUBBORNNESS AGAINST THE FOE.

HOW THEN DO WE EXPLAIN THE ROBOTIC STUPIDITY OF A LOCALLY HELD MERCURY COLLECTION FOR APRIL 3RD? THE DANGER OF MERCURY POISONING HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN SEEN BY THE GOVERNMENT WHO HAS NAVIGATED THROUGH THE DATA AND MADE THE DECISION TO ASK THE PUBLIC TO TURN IN THERMOMETERS AND ANY OTHER OBJECTS CONTAINING THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY MERCURY INTO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THE COLLECTION TAKES PLACE 'OUTSIDE' IN THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE CONTAMINATION WOULD THEN BE AVOIDED INDOORS. IS THIS OVERBLOWN FOLLY THE CULMINATION OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY AND PROGRESS?

HINT: ROBOTS WITHOUT HOMO SAPIENS' BRAINS AND COMMON SENSE COULD REPLACE POLITICIANS.