From Ben Haller
The watchful eye of Kismet the bug-eyed robot apparently disposes people toward acts of generosity and altruism (19 March, p 12). The explanation offered is that “being seen to be generous might mean an increased chance of receiving gifts in future or less chance of punishment”.
I have an alternative hypothesis. Kismet is a very strange-looking beastie, and its image probably makes people a bit nervous and xenophobic. Those emotions may encourage people to forge alliances and form social groups so as to band together against the perceived threat Kismet poses.
From Eric Jones
The first thing that strikes me about Kismet is its cuteness. It looks helpless and elicits sympathy rather than greed or fear – more Bambi than Big Brother. Shouldn’t the researchers run their experiment with a number of different images? I suggest Darth Vader and Marilyn Monroe.
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