Yesterday, I had the unique honor of visiting the offices of the Boston Globe, the hometown paper here in Boston.  With my young charges, I got to tour the printing facility, the newsroom and the paper warehouse.  The tour guide was very clear that we are not to irritate the reporters.  Reporters are sensitive creatures that can be spooked by the slightest noise.  Their feeding and care is very specific.

But anyway, we’re not here to talk about them.  We’re here to talk about robots.  Yes.  Robots.

This robot in particular:

So you thought they were going to have faces and things like that, right?  Like the anthropomorphized robots like the ones on TV.  Those things above are remote activated robots that carry large rolls of paper that are used to print the Boston Globe.

Well, one our visit, one of these remote controlled monstrosities starting moving suddenly when my young charges were in their way.  I nearly got pinned against a wall.  The robot missed me by about half an inch.  I don’t mind saying that it was slightly scary.  But a good story.  Rather than a trip to the hospital.

The rest of the tour was really interesting.  I didn’t get to yell “stop the presses” but seeing the inner workings of a place that not a lot of people get to go to is always a huge thrill.

And now for some David Fincher-esque photos of the warehouse and printing press: