Why Boston Dynamics' New Robot Scares the Crap out of Us

The latest video by robot developer Boston Dynamics, which seems to always coincide with a rise of Terminator references, has elicited a wide range of strong emotional reactions. The new robot, Handle (because it will be handling objects), brings forth a sense of awe for its speed, agility, strength, and ability to jump. At the same time, the machine's impressiveness brings forward deep-seated fears of robots-gone-wild. "This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot."-Boston Raibert was right in his prediction that Handle would be viewed as nightmare-inducing, with a flurry of comments online expressing a certain level of anxiety. New @BostonDynamics Handle #robot is a parkour master; I'm delighted & horrified in equal measure.