cherdt's journal

humans imitating automata imitating humans. fascinating.

What it made me wonder is, what is the history of humans imitating human-imitating automata? Surely this has existed since the first automaton, possibly since the first inkling of an automaton. So what about the history of such in literature, art, performance? Just searching now for automata I am reminded of the great inventor, al-Jazari: a name I have not run across in years! His fantastical inventions pre-date Da Vinci's by at least 250 years.