We are the descendants of these first truly modern humans. Researchers believe that the modern mind came into being when neural pathways in the brain became integrated, probably thanks to the evolution of language. Our cognitive evolution was bottom-up, not top-down. Mutated genes and language gave us consciousness and intelligence. Robotic evolution challenges this kludge-filled mental “software” of ours. The uncanny valley seems like the edge of a cognitive horizon, beyond which our primal fears kick in. So is this the end of robots as we have dreamt them? Are our primate brains unable to cope with mechanical doubles?