> whether people would prefer robot pets or real ones.
> - Ciaran.

I think as long as it was kept in the abstract form of robodogs versus biodogs, a marked preference for biodogs would prevail. However, I think that if it got down to a specific *my* dog (whether robo or bio) versus another dog of the other dog, the preference for *my* dog would be nearly universal.

Affection is formed (almost?) entirely by familiarity and time. People easily feel the same affection for anything from other people to countries to buildings to tools. A robodog may seem weird and unnatural, but just give it a week. As long as the robodog had some spark of individuality, a friendship would form in addition to the affection. After a few years, I'll bet a robodog owner would be deeply attached to the critter even if the owner was convinced it really felt nothing for him in return. Furthermore, if the robodog got run over and destroyed and the owner was offered an identical robodog, I suspect the owner would usually decline because the new dog just isn't the one that was his before.

Ga"An entire post of speculation"be