Robots may cut down on infection and mean a consultant can see more patients, but wouldn't you rather meet the doctor than a machine?

I mean, I wouldn't pay more than a couple of quid to see me, and I'm me.

Medicine, which I wouldn't be without, has also been a force for... less good. For example, if you look at our mishandling of the immune system, using antibiotics in children and avoiding infection, we've certainly increased the risk of asthma.

It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.

I have better rapport with the patient, because I'm not reaching for things on the machine. Patients also like the ?high-tech' aspect and feel like they're really being scanned on a top-of-the-line system, which gives them even more confidence that they're getting a quality exam.

Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced [robots] wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality.