Chapter 17 | Page 8b: Emotion-Reading Technology Backfires

Dr. Muskiday’s experiment translates feelings into light, speech, and… puppies?

Dr. Muskiday tries to turn feelings into data. His emotion-reading technology translates emotions into glowing clouds. As the experiment spirals, it becomes clear that understanding emotions is much messier than measuring them.

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Part of me loved drawing Dave’s characters. The other part loved knowing how very uncomfortable Dave is with this kind of humor. It would be absolutely HORRIBLE if you clicked this link and pledged, so he’d have to see this URL in his Kickstarter stats for the next 30 days: https://go.evil-inc.net/Double-D

Transcript

Panel 1
Holo-Clone Miss Match: Oh, Musky! I’m so PROUD of you!
Dr. Muskiday: You are?

Panel 2
Holo-Clone Miss Match: Sure! And I’ll prove it to you.
(She sprays Dr. Muskiday’s “Project: SMILE” mist onto her chest with a “Pft Pft Pft.”)

Panel 3
Holo-Clone Miss Match: That’s odd. I’m definitely experiencing a twenty-five percent increase in admiration.
(He looks at her as she stands confidently in front of him.)

Panel 4
Dr. Muskiday: (sighs) I know. I wrote your approval algorithm.
(He buries his head in his hands.)

Panel 5
Computer (stylized): Disappointment detected. Initiating emotional buoyancy protocols.
(She stands looking at the dejected Muskiday.)

Panel 6
Computer (stylized): Activating file: hold_and_squeeze_those_big_puppies.exe
(She touches her lips in contemplation.)

Panel 7

(Two holographic dogs appear — Oso the Pug and Digby the Dachshund from the ‘Sheldon’ comic strip— to a now overjoyed Muskiday, who grabs and cuddles them gleefully.)

Holo-Clone Miss Match: Well… I AM proud of you!