Interesting….

I can see its merits, but one aspect of zoos that Kate Darling could have highlighted is that their conservation work often includes rescue services and the breeding of rare and endangered species.

I was never happy about "show-biz" aquaria whose primary attraction and purpose was merely setting animals up as entertainments, like pet dogs begging for a tit-bit; but I think that is waning in favour of displays that do not insult the creatures and patronise the spectators.

One problem perhaps shown by such performing marine-mammals, is all those people who profess to love animals, yet inadvently mis-treat them by projecting human traits onto them.

I saw this only yesterday, exemplified by yet another jogger with dog-lead clipped to her belt. Though the dog was a labrador capable of a canine lope at human jog speed, it is still enforced, unnatural behaviour. I suspect its owner would say" Fido loves it!" Errr, how do you know? How do you know a dolphin in a fairly small pool enjoys leaping about to entertain a crowd of gawping humans? Just as unnatural as the constant barking of some other local dog for hours on end – probably owned because it's the Thing To Do, but left alone for long periods by owners who cannot see the animal is probably terrified by the long, enforced isolation. Unlike our own species, most vocal animals normally call only when they need; in this dog's case, probably desperately trying to find its own "pack" .

So enter the Robot Dolphin….

Only would this bring another consequence, that of divorcing people still further from the natural world, and making it harder for them to appreciate the realities of that world?

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On the purely human angle, we have heard for years people waffling about "robots" replacing our work, assuming that being our "new normal" work "we all" do at home, needing only a computer.

Such sweeping generalising, promoted by so-called "lifestyle journalists" in metrocentric glossy magazines, is obviously absurd, yet it seems to catch on; perhaps because so much paid work is just routine drudgery. Not just screwing cars together on assembly-lines (much of that now automated anyway), or sweeping floors, but very likely for most of those even in the ivory towers of Canary Wharf, too.

'

'Tis the Year 2060, the venue, the New Wembley Stadium Experience, in all its recyclable bio-concrete glory designed by AI and grown by robots controlled from its owners' office in the new Chinese capital, Harbin. The PA bursts into life:

" Ladies and Gentlemen! Will you all give a rousing greeting to the new music sensation of the century! Not holograms, not avatars, but all the way from Stockholm, a real live troupe of real live singers with real backing band… 'The New Abba' ! "

Surely by 2060 the attendance will be group artificial reality from home with any 'new abba ' performance live from their homes and the footballers remote working with game controllers in case the dears sprain an ankle.

Pgk