Once considered some kind of crazy sci-fi conjecture — you know, like phones where callers can actually see each other! — artificial intelligence is now less a matter of “if” than “when.” As that day nears, the idea of mechanical helpers only gets more tantalizing. Here to explore kids’ natural fascination with robots since the days of steampunk Iron Giants and Robby the Robot is Adventure Science Center’s new interactive 2,500-square-foot exhibit. Budding engineers can take turns escaping the watchful eye of a motion sensor, making a machine follow simple commands, creating wacky electronically altered voices, and building a better ’bot. Visitors today will also get to attend special “Making Stuff” activities in honor of Engineering Day.
— Jim Ridley