Things, Ideas & People . . .

If you missed it, we found it fascinating, funny, and scary as hell all at once—the Humanoid Robot Olympics in China. We caught a newsreel about it on a CNBC show this week, and you can probably find more with a quick internet search.

The competitions included soccer, boxing, 400-meter races, and even a hotel maid service event.

Some trainers and programmers said the robots are actually easier to train than humans—their joints are stronger, they don’t get emotional, and they basically just do what they’re told...