Number Five Is Alive!

So did anyone know Japan is hosting the 2005 World Expo? And what is the difference between the Expo and the World's Fair? Didn't you think the last of these took place in Knoxville, Tennessee, some twenty years ago?

But as the Post's Anthony Faiola reports, this latest Exposition is worth seeing--especially Japan's showcase of futuristic technology, including driverless cars and the ultimate in virtual reality. The most fascinating (or disturbing) of these innovations is the humanoid robot. "Toyota's tin man," writes Faiola, "had not only an artifial heart of wired circuitry but also artificial lips, lungs and moveable fingers, which allowed him to accompany a human string orchestra on the trumpet." Apparently robots in Japan already serve as "receptionists, night watchmen and tour guides." No word yet if there are any robots in the office of protocol.