Barometer | 25 January 2018

Redundant robots

Fabio, a robot assistant in an Edinburgh grocery store, was retired after scaring customers. We worry about artificial intelligence destroying jobs, but sometimes it’s the robot that gets the P45:
Elektra, a 7ft-tall robot with a brain formed of 48 electrical relays, was displayed at the World’s Fair in New York in 1939. He could talk, respond to voice commands and smoke a cigarette. He ended up in a California amusement park.
K9, a robot helping security staff in San Francisco’s Mission District, was taken out of service after it was accused of discriminating against homeless people.
Steve, a security ‘roboguard’ in Washington DC, suffered an ignominious end by tumbling into a fountain last July.

Follow the leaders

Ukip may have a fifth change of leader in less than three years (counting Nigel Farage’s term in late 2016). How long did other parties take to get through as many?

Gloom with a view

Moscow had only six minutes of sunshine in December, compared with an average of 18. This was six minutes longer than London in December 1890, when no sunshine was recorded at all. Nasa says an average 67 per cent of the Earth is under cloud at any one time. Yet only a handful of places have fewer than 1,000 hours of sunshine a year:

Expensive tastes

Four Japanese tourists complained to police after their restaurant meal of fish, steak and water cost £243 per head in Venice. Places where they could eat for a little more per head: