May 31, 2021

iTeacher


iTeacher
Who better to teach robotics than a robot themselves?  Photo by Alex Knight via Unsplash

Those worried about robots taking  their jobs may have cause for concern, because the first Russian robotic teacher recently began working in a kindergarten in the northern city of Novy Urengoy

Russian company Promobot designed the machine to be able to interact with children and help them to learn more about the basics of robotics in the classroom. Like any good pedagogue, the robot not only knows how to talk to its pupils, but it can also play games with them. 

The company sees robotics and technology playing an even larger role in the world that these children will help to build, and wants to use their resources to educate and prepare for the next generation of innovators. The ability to easily communicate with a robot might be a vital skill for them in the not-so-distant future. And it's probably easier than virtual classes.

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The Little Humpbacked Horse
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The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Life Stories
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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

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