It's one of Hollywood's great obsessions, this modern society shared harmoniously by man and machine.

From Rosie the maid in "The Jetsons" to the sundry of droids and drones in "Star Wars" to the "replicants" in "Blade Runner" to the adorable, adoptable Haley Joel Osment in "A.I.," Hollywood has long sought to fill the missing holes in our human psyches with infallible automatons. Granted, most movie robots aren't really infallible. They usually come with some little annoying technical glitch like, say, trying to kill off the human race.

WILL POWER
As "I, Robot," soared to No. 1 at the box office, Page 3 got the lowdown on the futuristic thriller straight from Will Smith. The actor talked about kicking robotic butt, rebuilding his beloved 76ers and (say it ain't so) crying on screen.

The things we love about robots are the same things we fear in them. They are driven by logic, not emotion, as they single-mindedly perform the specific tasks of their programming. They are steely-eyed and merciless, and they will remain in pursuit of their objective as long as the 10W-30 is still coursing through their hydraulic limbs. Or as our Terminator-hunting hero Kyle Reese says: "Listen. And understand. That Terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead." And they elected that thing governor of California.

Will Smith's "I, Robot" takes our fascination to the next level, theorizing that highly sophisticated robots would evolve, learn how to think, feel and dream. Nietzsche and Kierkegaard give it two existential thumbs up.

And it got Page 3 to thinking: How do we know there aren't already robots walking amongst us? And if they were, would they really be working as butlers and garbage men? Forget it. With their uncompromised focus, analytical nature and supreme physical abilities, we think robots are perfectly suited to be pro athletes. And if you've ever heard a Greg Maddux interview, you might suspect they already are.

The movies have shown us that you can't distinguish a really well made robot from a human. Some robots, like Sean Young in "Blade Runner," don't even know they're not human. Could you identify a robot if you had to? I mean, if you really, really had to?

Thankfully, we've already looked at the sports world and separated "real" from "robotic":

ROBOT		NOT A ROBOT
Mariano Rivera How You Know He's A Robot: He's as automatic as they come, a Terminator in pinstripes averaging 40 saves per season since taking over the job in 1997 and on cusp of breaking into top-10 all-time saves list. Trims a baseball game to seven innings. Borrows game face from Easter Island statues with the cold eyes of a shark. There have been other dominant closers, but none as strictly business like. Technical Glitch: Can't erase memory of Luis Gonzalez's bloop single to lose '01 World Series.		Eric Gagne Why You Might Suspect Him: Was equally untouchable during record streak of 84 consecutive saves. Plus, those tinted wraparound rec-specs give him a futuristic look. How You Know He's Not: First of all, he's too emotional out there, all heart. Secondly, he says he learned English by watching "Who's the Boss?" on TV. And ain't no robot learnin' to talk good English from Tony Danza, OK?
Barry Bonds How You Know He's A Robot: He's a lot like RoboCop. He was just a man early in his career, but was rebuilt with robotics in a secret government lab upon moving to San Francisco. Has inhuman patience at the plate, surpassed only by his inhuman power. Technical Glitch: Somebody was absent the day personalities were downloaded. Oh, and, uh, I don't see no ring on that finger!		Sammy Sosa Why You Might Suspect Him: Like Bonds, didn't discover his true power until later in his career -- prompting suspicion of enhanced robotics. Nobody in history is as consistently powerful as Sosa, whose 380 homers from 1994-2001 were the most of any eight-year run in history. He's the only player ever with three 60-homer seasons and one of two (Mark McGwire) with four straight 50-HR seasons. How You Know He's Not: Robots use titanium and sophisticated aluminum alloys ... not cork.
Jerry Rice How You Know He's A Robot: Peel this guy's false back and you'll see two enormous Duracell batteries. The NFL's all-time leader receiver in terms of yards, catches and touchdowns. Has played every game in 18 of his 19 NFL seasons and his offseason workout regimen would put Schwarzenegger to shame. Oh, and by the way, hint, hint: He majored in electronics at Mississippi Valley State. Technical Glitch: His old Cabbage Patch Dance? Not good.		Brett Favre Why You Might Suspect Him: Has started 190 consecutive games (a record for QBs), including playoffs, while playing with reckless abandon. Seems to be impervious to the elements, as evidenced by his 29-0 record (35-1 including playoffs) at Lambeau when it's 34 degrees or below. How You Know He's Not: Joy. Whether he's getting muddy, getting in Warren Sapp's face or getting into the end zone, no cyborg could imitate that much pure glee to be playing football.
Derek Jeter How You Know He's A Robot: Since his rookie year in 1996, Jeter has hit between .291 and .349 and has not missed the postseason in eight years. He wears the term "all he does is win" like one of his tailor-made suits. Said manager Joe Torre: "It took me 30-something years to get to the World Series. He thinks it's an every-year occurrence. You look in his eyes, you see something special." Yes, you see the soft red glow of a 2.66 GHz Intel Pentium Processor. Technical Glitch: Jeter is a lot like the little "mecha" in "A.I." ... he knows he's a robot, but he desperately wants to be real. Gosh, we wish we had a dollar for every time somebody mistook a nice smile for charisma.		Alex Rodriguez Why You Might Suspect Him: He's got an MVP award, two Gold Gloves and the numbers to arouse suspicion, having led the AL in every major offensive category at least once in his career. He also has a rare gracefulness and smooth power to make him unique. Oh, and only a robot could be this dull of a quote, right? How You Know He's Not: A-Rod knows he's not a robot ... but he desperately wants to be one. Gosh, we wish we had a dollar for every time somebody mistook a nice smile for charisma.
Anna Kournikova How You Know She's A Robot: Who said the Russians were so far behind in technology? If you're going to build a Fem-bot, why not go all the way, right? Dr. Evil's Fem-bots shimmy to "These Boots were made for Walkin'." Anna's theme song is "This Bootie was made for Hawkin'." Technical Glitch: She couldn't play tennis. Oops.		Maria Sharapova Why You Might Suspect Her: Clearly, you think, she's Anna 2.0, with slightly less emphasis on the looks (but still easy on the eyes) and a big-time upgrade on the tennis. She's already eating her meals off the big Wimbledon plate. Russia got it right this time. How You Know She's Not: You gotta have lungs to grunt like that.
Tiger Woods How You Know He's A Robot: Forget the 0-for-9 you keep reading about, it's a minor virus, like when your PC mysteriously forgets how to cut-and-paste for a week. He'll re-boot one day and rattle off a string of major victories. His 8-for-22 that preceded the "slump" is as automatic as golf will ever be. Technical Glitch: Needs to stop playing all tense like Judge Smails and re-gain his Ty Webb Zen-like mystique.		Annika Sorenstam Why You Might Suspect Her: With Tiger temporarily in the tank, Annika is the most consistent golfer on the planet. Well, most consistently good golfer on the planet. This year alone: 10 starts, nine top-10 finishes ... four wins. Listen, batting .400 is probably the most magical mark in baseball. In golf, it's unheard of. How You Know She's Not: She would have at least made the cut at the Colonial. And a real robot would have at least terminated Vijay Singh.
Michael Jordan How You Know He's A Robot: If you've never heard of this old-timer, boy, did you miss out. They said "To Air was Inhuman" and they were right. No mere mortal could do the things MJ routinely did. In the end it added up to 10 scoring championships, five MVP awards, six NBA titles and the highest scoring average in history. And if you still didn't think he was mechanical, you should have seen him in "Space Jam." Technical Glitch: He could hit the 3, but he couldn't hit the deuce.		Kobe Bryant Why You Might Suspect Him: Can score 40 points at will and seems the most logical choice as Heir to the Air. Never gets flustered on the court and seems to be at his best when things are at their worst. How You Know He's Not: We actually thought he was ... until recently, when he acted all-too human.
Lance Armstrong How You Know He's A Robot: Winning the Tour de France six times (yeah, we're jumping ahead to Sunday)! Are you kidding?! Just finishing the Tour de France qualifies you as some kind of machine. Technical Glitch: He's on the bike eight hours a day, she's drinking beer at noon on Tuesday ... we give it six months.		Jenny Thompson Why You Might Suspect Her: At 31, she's headed to her record-tying fourth Olympic Games. Already the United States' most decorated female with 10 medals, Thompson put off med school to qualify in the 100-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle. Most swimmers have about two minutes of Olympic glory, but she's working on 14 years. How You Know She's Not: A robot would have figured out a way to win an individual gold by now. Thompson's eight golds all came in relay events.
Dominik Hasek How You Know He's A Robot: They don't call him The Dominator for nothin'. Six Vezina Trophies, two MVPs and a Stanley Cup, and he never cracked a smile. Technical Glitch: Strange habit of complete system shutdown at key moments.		Martin Brodeur Why You Might Suspect Him: You can pencil him in for 30 wins before the puck even drops, having posted a record nine straight seasons with at least 30. He's also picked up a Vezina and three rings along the way. How You Know He's Not: He defies the stereotype of the high-strung goalie, playing the game with laughter win or lose.
Mike Tyson How You Know He's A Robot: Well, he ain't human. Technical Glitch: Whaddya got?		Roy Jones Jr. Why You Might Suspect Him: Beats anybody at any weight, moving up and down in weight classes to collect belts. How You Know He's Not: He's actually a bit of a renaissance man. Lack of competition inside the ropes often leaves him bored and distracted. Fills his time by playing pro basketball, making albums, acting, and raising chickens and pit bulls.