Questionable Content XVI: Yes, Butt

[Radar]

I'll second that: while I'm luckily not quite that direct in my own life, cutting through a back-and-forth of potential signs of attraction to just talk about it like adults is so much easier than just.... compiling potential signs of attraction until you feel obliged to talk about it anyway, or hoping you'll magically get clarity on it somehow. Communication is essentially the key to a relationship: might as well start it that way.

And yes, some playful flirting and such can be fun, but not if someone might get lead on or hurt because of it. Hard to keep it entirely clear unless it's harmless conversational fun with a good friend or with your actual SO, but otherwise mentioning it to get some clarity might help both parties. Especially when one of'em might not realize he/she/*insert pronoun* is being flirty in the first place.

And while I imagine neurotypical people have these same problems to a certain extent (not that I can be certain), lacking any clue about other people's emotions beyond accumulated experience and potential deductions from that makes it.... tough. Especially when you haven't been in a relationship yet, as that's an entirely different world of body language you'll have to learn if you want to keep up.

This, so very much this. Even neurotypical people have varying skills in reading body language and other clues. Besides, all those little details are never the same thing as certainty and if someone is actively hiding their feelings it is even more difficult to understand, what is going on - there are no psychics in this world.

When I met my wife, one of the most refreshing things was how direct she was about everything. If she was upset with something, she would let me know plain and simple. If she needed something, she would let me know. Granted, in a relationship it is good to be able to pick up more subtle clues and anticipate what the other party might like, but you have to get to know the other person first for it to work. And even after a long time together it is still important to openly talk things through.

Friendship is obviously less intense than a relationship, but the same general principles apply.

Essentially, we should just agree on the use of a universal flowchart for starting a relationship, so we can get those pesky emotional barriers and doubts out of the way: it's expedient, and everyone knows using flowcharts is crazy attractive

There is already a flowchart algorithm for making friends, so why not?

edit: sigh... I miss climbing.

[eee]

The smelling salts I've smelt are ammonia. The sensation goes up your nose deep into your brain searing all the way. It will awake you up and have you questioning God's mercy in one go.

[Wraith]

Nothing like the feeling of having the inside of your sinuses melting and trying to escape via your eye sockets to wake you up in the morning.

[Cikomyr2]

Yes Brun

The inside of a robot is like clockwork

[Mechalich]

Yes Brun

The inside of a robot is like clockwork

Honestly it's actually a lot more like a synthetic facsimile of organic anatomy than anything else. We've got not-muscle, not-tendons, and not-bones beneath the not-skin. That's very different from the insides of robots we build today using motors and mechanical joints.

[Wraith]

Maybe that's why she's entranced - not only is it not clockwork, its something a thousand times more complex and flexible. So real, and yet synthetic; perfectly human but without the messy and confusing emotions getting in the way....

...Long story short, this is the start of her career as a serial killer.

[VoxRationis]

Honestly it's actually a lot more like a synthetic facsimile of organic anatomy than anything else. We've got not-muscle, not-tendons, and not-bones beneath the not-skin. That's very different from the insides of robots we build today using motors and mechanical joints.

It's a setup that makes a fair amount of sense for the character it's associated with, one who ascribes to human concepts of body image. After all, if one wants a body with the consistency of human flesh, it makes sense to put (at least some of) the padding required for that to a useful purpose. I'm not sure what the idea was with Bubbles' chassis, though. My best justification (and it's rather ad hoc, so I suspect it won't hold up) is that the concept was similar to that of self-sealing fuel tanks in fighter aircraft; perhaps robot myomer can function (at reduced capacity) with small punctures or tears in a way that a more rigid, more classically mechanical construction would not.

So real, and yet synthetic; perfectly human but without the messy and confusing emotions getting in the way...

If only the robots in this work were not basically strangely-colored humans.

Though an arc where Brun goes L1Z1X would be amusing.

[Willie the Duck]

It's a setup that makes a fair amount of sense for the character it's associated with, one who ascribes to human concepts of body image. After all, if one wants a body with the consistency of human flesh, it makes sense to put (at least some of) the padding required for that to a useful purpose. I'm not sure what the idea was with Bubbles' chassis, though. My best justification (and it's rather ad hoc, so I suspect it won't hold up) is that the concept was similar to that of self-sealing fuel tanks in fighter aircraft; perhaps robot myomer can function (at reduced capacity) with small punctures or tears in a way that a more rigid, more classically mechanical construction would not.

I don't think Bubbles will ever make sense, and perhaps that's fine. Even if the whole biomechanical robot thing was done for some form of actual combat benefit (it certainly wouldn't be the first time, the whole 'pound for pound, bio is better than metal, something something spider silk tensile strength something something' is practically a sci fi trope), and she was built with near human appearance for interact-with-human factors, they still made her more humanesque than the civilian default. It would have made sense if this body was a mustering out benefit or the like, but that doesn't appear to be what happened. I just take it as something we were never intended to analyze this closely.

[Radar]

I don't think Bubbles will ever make sense, and perhaps that's fine. Even if the whole biomechanical robot thing was done for some form of actual combat benefit (it certainly wouldn't be the first time, the whole 'pound for pound, bio is better than metal, something something spider silk tensile strength something something' is practically a sci fi trope), and she was built with near human appearance for interact-with-human factors, they still made her more humanesque than the civilian default. It would have made sense if this body was a mustering out benefit or the like, but that doesn't appear to be what happened. I just take it as something we were never intended to analyze this closely.

It is hard to fit it all on the timeline, but if the civilian AI bodies came first, the military chassis was simply an adaptation of the established design paradigm. You needed to enhance the performance, but there was no need to reinvent the wheel. This has an additional benefit of simplifying equipment (armor, weapons, etc.) as it is just a scaled up human design, so you do not need to invest all that heavily in R&D. We know that there was some overlap between civilian and military hardware for AI as Pintsize has a chassis that was produced for the military but the overall design was pretty much the same as for civilian models that we have seen - just with some modifications.

One of the biggest R&D problems that was avoided by choosing a humanoid chassis was pretty simple: what kind of machine design could replace infantry? Soldiers perform a lot of very different tasks and coming up from scratch with a machine design that could do the same is not an easy task. Well... unless you just crib from nature and call it a day.

Besides, those artificial myomers can be very strong and have impressive reaction times, so there are some direct advantages to that design choice.

[Willie the Duck]

It is hard to fit it all on the timeline, but if the civilian AI bodies came first, the military chassis was simply an adaptation of the established design paradigm. You needed to enhance the performance, but there was no need to reinvent the wheel. This has an additional benefit of simplifying equipment (armor, weapons, etc.) as it is just a scaled up human design, so you do not need to invest all that heavily in R&D. We know that there was some overlap between civilian and military hardware for AI as Pintsize has a chassis that was produced for the military but the overall design was pretty much the same as for civilian models that we have seen - just with some modifications.

One of the biggest R&D problems that was avoided by choosing a humanoid chassis was pretty simple: what kind of machine design could replace infantry? Soldiers perform a lot of very different tasks and coming up from scratch with a machine design that could do the same is not an easy task. Well... unless you just crib from nature and call it a day.

I'm don't mean the 2 arms/2 legs body arrangement that of course you'd choose that if they were to replace/supplement infantry. I mean the specific ways in which Bubbles' body exceeds the human-ness of what appears to be the default civilian AIs. She doesn't have visible line joints, doesn't have some of the robotness even could-be-mistaken-for-human bots like new-Momo has, or (looking to find a way to say this without invoking bad jokes from someone) -- in the post-lovemaking scene between Faye and Bubbles, Bubbles' breasts swoop in a very effected-by-gravity-as-real-breasts-do way that seems like a lot of extra effort compared to mannequin physiology (and again more than civilian AI default). Adapting an established design paradigm would makes sense if those things were semi ubiquitous amongst civilian models, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Besides, those artificial myomers can be very strong and have impressive reaction times, so there are some direct advantages to that design choice.

Called it!

[Radar]

I'm don't mean the 2 arms/2 legs body arrangement that of course you'd choose that if they were to replace/supplement infantry. I mean the specific ways in which Bubbles' body exceeds the human-ness of what appears to be the default civilian AIs. She doesn't have visible line joints, doesn't have some of the robotness even could-be-mistaken-for-human bots like new-Momo has, or (looking to find a way to say this without invoking bad jokes from someone) -- in the post-lovemaking scene between Faye and Bubbles, Bubbles' breasts swoop in a very effected-by-gravity-as-real-breasts-do way that seems like a lot of extra effort compared to mannequin physiology (and again more than civilian AI default). Adapting an established design paradigm would makes sense if those things were semi ubiquitous amongst civilian models, but that doesn't seem to be the case.


Called it!

As far as breasts go, I have no idea - must have been a marketing move or the design went through this kind of hell. A properly sealed skin though is actually very important as those line joints invite dust, water and other agents that would clog and erode the joints easily. If there is a stretchy and moderately durable material you can use for the outer coating of a robot, it will be used for very practical reasons. Any lack of armor can and was dealt with external plating.

[Keltest]

As far as breasts go, I have no idea - must have been a marketing move or the design went through this kind of hell. A properly sealed skin though is actually very important as those line joints invite dust, water and other agents that would clog and erode the joints easily. If there is a stretchy and moderately durable material you can use for the outer coating of a robot, it will be used for very practical reasons. Any lack of armor can and was dealt with external plating.

A PR or marketing stunt seems likely. IIRC she was an experiment on integrating AI. Having her appear more human would help sell that.

[VoxRationis]

I think the most likely in-universe explanation is that the factory that makes robot erogenous zones is located in a state whose senator was on the budget committee.

[Traab]

Remember also that she has a suit of armor that she wears for combat scenarios. What we see with her and faye is basically the body underneath the armor, and they specifically wanted her to be as human looking as possible for troop integration iirc, so making her under armor chassis as close to human as possible just makes good sense. For regular civilian ai bodies humanoid is enough, as well as being cheaper to buy. I would imagine the closer to human the body looks, the more it costs to make.

[Morquard]

She doesn't have visible line joints,

If you go back just a day (or two by the time you read this maybe), you clearly see she has the same neck-seam that Millie, May and Momo have.

[Willie the Duck]

If you go back just a day (or two by the time you read this maybe), you clearly see she has the same neck-seam that Millie, May and Momo have.

Fine. I was thinking of OldMays hands.

Edit: you know what, nevermind. It doesn't matter. It's a subjective quality, so we shouldn't all agree. Bubbles seems, to me, to be a cut above the rest (the Melons, Lemons, newMomos, and so forths) of the AIs in the QC world, in terms of effort put into making her body humanlike. With the exception of the air/watertight seal, that seems like an unusual investiture in a combat frame. To me (again), it would have made more sense if that was the body she was given when she mustered out.

they specifically wanted her to be as human looking as possible for troop integration iirc, so making her under armor chassis as close to human as possible just makes good sense. For regular civilian ai bodies humanoid is enough, as well as being cheaper to buy. I would imagine the closer to human the body looks, the more it costs to make.

For troop integration, would they need to have the part under the armor chassis look all that human? Face for sure. My understanding was that she wore the armor shell pretty much continuously.

[Morquard]

To me (again), it would have made more sense if that was the body she was given when she mustered out.


For troop integration, would they need to have the part under the armor chassis look all that human? Face for sure. My understanding was that she wore the armor shell pretty much continuously.

I agree, would have made more sense as that.
And maybe they didn't discourage fraternization between humans and AI...

[Wraith]

Wasn't the point of Bubbles' programme intended to be able to integrate with other soldiers and civilians but without being cutesy and appealing to children, as Pintsize was? It seems reasonable that 'humanoid' would be the obvious default, with just enough cosmetic touches to avoid the Uncanny Valley without spending so much money to make her indistinguishable from actual humans. Enough people were apparently freaked out by "AIs in the military" that going full Terminator-style 'human tissue over metal endoskeleton' would have caused even more problems aside from the obvious ethical ones.

Otherwise... It's QC. Bubbles identifies as female so she was given feminine features (or possibly even had a say in her own appearance?) and military-grade tech gets released to the public when the authorities decide they don't need it any more, a la Pintsize and the Vespa Avenger's combat-bot. Just roll with it.

[Eldan]

Yeah, I seem to remember that. They made Bubbles humanoid so she could integrate into a squad of human soldiers.

[Lapak]

I think the most likely in-universe explanation is that the factory that makes robot erogenous zones is located in a state whose senator was on the budget committee.

Nonsense. Dr. Stein of S.T.E. Industries assures me that any resemblance to human erogenous zones is purely coincidental.

(Linked comic is literally about the concept and is thus suggestive, but contains no actual nudity.)

[Eurus]

Obviously trying to read too much into what's probably just a stylistic choice feels silly, but I get the feeling Bubbles has, by far, the most expensive chassis of any QC robot we've seen so far because it's a weird experimental military body. There might be really high-end civilian robot bodies that are equally natural looking, we just haven't seen anyone wearing them.

[Mith]

Crack theory: Bubbles breasts are dual function to both have a more "feminine human" appearance and also contain extra material for repairing "tissue" damage. Heck, let's extend that out to any bit of "padding" that isn't explicitly functional.

[John Cribati]

So it’s, like, extra myomer that just sits there?

[Mith]

So it’s, like, extra myomer that just sits there?

Basically. You would probably need some form of nanotech transport to at least facilitate myomer transport and depositing.

The extra myomer could be argued to be what smoothes over the joins under a "skin" layer in better detail than the standard AI chassis.

[Radar]

Basically. You would probably need some form of nanotech transport to at least facilitate myomer transport and depositing.

The extra myomer could be argued to be what smoothes over the joins under a "skin" layer in better detail than the standard AI chassis.

That extra volume under the skin could also be some form of shock absorbing layer.

[Taevyr]

It's an odd thing to realize, but it actually took me a few seconds to realize the guy in the last panel is Marten. Good that he gets some screentime (paneltime?) again.

[Max_Killjoy]

Brun, you're going to accidentally make all the robots overheat.

[Morquard]

What? May is Sam's assistant? When did that happen?

[Gez]

What? May is Sam's assistant? When did that happen?

A while ago: https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4131

Start from here for context: https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=4122

[Morquard]

Thanks for the link. I had kinda remembered a bit, and was looking through the archive and read though some stuff... and stopped at 4118 thinking I was in the wrong part of the comic to just find it...