Would lip-synching make humanoid robots less creepy?

android: An engineered device (usually a robot) that has been designed to look and behave like a human.

anthropomorphize:  (adj. anthropomorphic) To attribute human traits or behaviors to some animal or object.

engineering: The field of research that uses math and science to solve practical problems. Someone who works in this field is known as an engineer.

graphics: (in computing) Images or video displayed on a computer screen or other digital media.

high school: A designation for grades nine through 12 in the U.S. system of compulsory public education. High-school graduates may apply to colleges for further, advanced education.

humanoid: Something that appears human-like, but isn’t (perhaps a robot). It’s frequently a character in science fiction.

interface: (in computing) A term for the technology people use to interact with a computer to input data and instructions or to receive its outputs. Long ago, people input data and instructions using punched cards or by typing and receiving data onto a screen. More recently, interfaces can range from joysticks, headsticks and trackballs to voice commands, touch screens, haptic (skin-sensitive) sensations and holographic imagery.

machine learning: A technique in computer science that allows computers to learn from examples or experience. Machine learning is the basis of some forms of artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, a machine-learning system might compare X-rays of lung tissue in people with cancer and then compare these to whether and how long a patient survived after being given a particular treatment. In the future, that AI system might be able to look at a new patient’s lung scans and predict how well they will respond to a treatment.

mechanical engineer: Someone trained in a research field that uses physics to study motion and the properties of materials to design, build and/or test devices.

media: A term for the ways information is delivered and shared within a society. It encompasses not only the traditional media — newspapers, magazines, radio and television — but also digital outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp. The newer, digital media are sometimes referred to as social media. The singular form of this term is medium.

motor: A device that converts electricity into mechanical motion. (in biology) A term referring to movement.

muscle: A type of tissue used to produce movement by contracting its cells, known as muscle fibers. Muscle is rich in protein, which is why predatory species seek prey containing lots of this tissue.

neuroscientist: Someone who studies the structure or function of the brain and other parts of the nervous system.

psychologist: A scientist or mental-health professional who studies the mind, especially in relation to actions and behaviors. Some work with people. Others may conduct experiments with animals (usually rodents) to test how their minds respond to different stimuli and conditions.

risk: The chance or mathematical likelihood that some bad thing might happen. For instance, exposure to radiation poses a risk of cancer. Or the hazard — or peril — itself. (For instance: Among cancer risks that the people faced were radiation and drinking water tainted with arsenic.)

robot: A machine that can sense its environment, process information and respond with specific actions. Some robots can act without any human input, while others are guided by a human.

roboticist: Someone who designs or builds robots.

silicone: Heat-resistant substances that can be used in many different ways, including the rubber-like materials that provide a waterproof seal around windows and in aquariums. Some silicones serve as grease-like lubricants in cars and trucks. Most silicones, a type of molecule known as a polymer, are built around long chains of silicon and oxygen atoms.

social: (adj.) Relating to gatherings of people; a term for animals (or people) that prefer to exist in groups. (noun) A gathering of people, for instance those who belong to a club or other organization, for the purpose of enjoying each other’s company.

stimulus: (plural: stimuli) Something that prompts a response in a living organism or in a controlled environment (including a chemical or physical test system).

subtle: Adjective for something that may be important, but can be hard to see or describe. For instance, the first cellular changes that signal the start of a cancer may be only subtly different — as in small and hard to distinguish from nearby healthy tissues.

system: A network of parts that together work to achieve some function. For instance, the blood, vessels and heart are primary components of the human body’s circulatory system. Similarly, trains, platforms, tracks, roadway signals and overpasses are among the potential components of a nation’s railway system. System can even be applied to the processes or ideas that are part of some method or ordered set of procedures for getting a task done.

technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, or the devices, processes and systems that result from those efforts.

tune: (in engineering) Adjust to the right level.

Uncanny Valley: An unsettling feeling that something isn’t right, created by the depiction — usually in film or robotics — of a character that appears very human-like, but not totally so. That subtle mismatch can make it seem creepy.