The new ad from Honda stars a cross between Mr Soft and a stormtrooper with sciatica. The robot struts (limps) his stuff among his dusty predecessors in a museum, and that chap from Lake Wobegon tells us that Honda are about "Onwards, upwards - anyway but backwards. Tapping progress on the shoulder and saying 'More forwards please'." 

It's a nice turn of phrase, but it rings my alarm bells. It reminds us how easy it is to fall into the trap of seeing science-in-society in a linear way. According to this view, there is an accelerator and a brake. It is the job of policy to decide speed of progress through innovation and regulation.

The upstream engagement argument, fleshed out here, here and here, is that we also have a steering wheel. We need to recognise that society can and should signpost the direction of progress. Honda, who have been busy building hybrid cars as well as robots, should realise this. Looking at this video, I know what I'd brag about.

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