1 Passage Developing Robot Brains

Scientists have been working on how to build robot brains that develop in the same way as human brains. In the past, scientists have tried to copy human brains exactly. The trouble is, there is still so much that scientists do not know about how human brains work. But a group of scientists at Michigan State University have developed a new plan. They are using nature as an example to follow for robots. We know that things change and adapt in nature. These scientists want to make robots that can change and adapt, too. The robots would learn to do tasks over time. The goal is to have robots with brains that develop like human brains do, over many years. One task this team of scientists worked on was to get robots to enter and exit a room. This action is easy for humans to complete, but not for robots. The scientists used a math equation to program the robots on this task. They created a program where the robots had to work on the task in connection with other robots. The robots watched each other and took on special roles for the task. This made them more successful. Then, the robot brains that worked the best on a task were the models used for future brains. This is very much like what happens in nature. A characteristic that works well for an animal gets passed on to its babies. Overall, this group of scientists thinks that following what happens in nature is the key to creating robots that can think like humans. The robot brains will start young, like humans. Robots will learn and explore for many years. Then they will develop higher intelligence and understanding. This is very much like how human brains develop!

2 Passage

Problem Solving with Peanuts and Sweet Potatoes

For years, farmers in Alabama grew cotton and nothing else. As a result, farmers had damaged fields that could no longer cultivate crops. The fields broke down from planting the same thing year after year. Then, in 1914, a pest called a boll weevil destroyed crops. The solution to this problem came from George Washington Carver, an African-American scientist and inventor. He discovered that the soil in Alabama grew peanuts and sweet potatoes well. Carver suggested that farmers grow peanuts and sweet potatoes to help the soil. This plan worked. Farms began producing peanuts and sweet potatoes. However, not many people bought these foods. Farmers struggled to earn a living. Carver responded to this situation with more research. He wanted farmers to keep planting these crops. He experimented and made products from peanuts and sweet potatoes. Carver made 300 other things from peanuts, such as flour, milk, ink, and dye. He made about 100 products from sweet potatoes, including glue and ink. By 1940, peanuts became the second leading crop to make money in the South. Carver changed how cotton was grown and made many other crops important to the South.