Robohub.org
 

Why we often view digital culture through insect metaphors | WIRED UK


by
04 May 2013



share this:

Termite_alates_9759Says media theorist and author Jussi Parikka in his book Insect Media “Why do we constantly talk about digital culture and networks through insect metaphors? Is it just a metaphoric relation? … From the perspective of a computer scientist, it is hard not to see ant colonies as massive computation machines, optimising their algorithms, for instance, to find the best food routes. After all, insects are hackers and are interpreting the rules to survive.”

 

Read more: WIRED UK




Hallie Siegel robotics editor-at-large
Hallie Siegel robotics editor-at-large


Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack



Related posts :

Humanoid home robots are on the market – but do we really want them?

  03 Mar 2026
Last year, Norwegian-US tech company 1X announced “the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to transform life at home”.

Robot Talk Episode 146 – Embodied AI on the ISS, with Jamie Palmer

  27 Feb 2026
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Jamie Palmer from Icarus Robotics about building a robotic labour force to perform routine and risky tasks in orbit.

I developed an app that uses drone footage to track plastic litter on beaches

  26 Feb 2026
Plastic pollution is one of those problems everyone can see, yet few know how to tackle it effectively.

Translating music into light and motion with robots

  25 Feb 2026
Robots the size of a soccer ball create new visual art by trailing light that represents the “emotional essence” of music

Robot Talk Episode 145 – Robotics and automation in manufacturing, with Agata Suwala

  20 Feb 2026
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Agata Suwala from the Manufacturing Technology Centre about leveraging robotics to make manufacturing systems more sustainable.

Reversible, detachable robotic hand redefines dexterity

  19 Feb 2026
A robotic hand developed at EPFL has dual-thumbed, reversible-palm design that can detach from its robotic ‘arm’ to reach and grasp multiple objects.

“Robot, make me a chair”

  17 Feb 2026
An AI-driven system lets users design and build simple, multicomponent objects by describing them with words.

Robot Talk Episode 144 – Robot trust in humans, with Samuele Vinanzi

  13 Feb 2026
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Samuele Vinanzi from Sheffield Hallam University about how robots can tell whether to trust or distrust people.



Robohub is supported by:


Subscribe to Robohub newsletter on substack




 















©2026.02 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence