The Amazon forest burns next to the city of Mandaquiri, November 28, 2009. The world’s biggest rainforest is suffering from seasonal drought.   REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

Ben Cahoon (86) and Avon Cobourne (6) of the Montreal Alouettes celebrate with the Gray Cup after beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 97th CFL Grey Cup in Calgary, Alberta, November 29, 2009.     REUTERS/Todd Korol

A red ribbon hangs in advance of World AIDS Day on the front of the White House in Washington, November 29, 2009. World AIDS Day will be commemorated on December 1.  REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Click here for the full Editor’s choice slideshow and click here for further showcases of Reuters photography.

A handout photo released by NASA shows a close-up view of a water bubble floating freely on the middeck of space shuttle Atlantis shows a refracted image of astronaut Leland Melvin November 24, 2009.  REUTERS/NASA Handout

Mahouts train for a light and sound show for UNESCO World Heritage Week in Ayutthaya province, 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok, November 26, 2009.  REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) holds hands with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade at the presidential palace in Senegal’s capital Dakar November 26, 2009. Ahmadinejad arrived in Dakar during his last leg of an international tour of Latin America and Africa. REUTERS/Emilie Regnier

A Croatian ballet dancer smokes in a theatre cafe during a break in rehearsals for a new ballet show, in Zagreb November 26, 2009. The authorities imposed a ban on smoking in public in May this year but had to abolish it after widespread protests this summer.  REUTERS/Nikola Solic

Click here for the full Editor’s choice slideshow and click here for further showcases of Reuters photography.

An Israeli police officer leans on a bus next to a dummy during a drill simulating a bomb attack near the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City November 25, 2009. Some 300 policemen, firefighters and rescue workers took part in a routine drill on Wednesday to help increase preparedness for emergency situations in civilian areas. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Former servicemen cry as they say goodbye to their fellow soldiers following the end of their army service term at a railway station in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province November 25, 2009. REUTERS/China Daily

Horses are pictured during the Sicab International Pre Horse Fair show in the Andalusian capital of Seville November 25, 2009. The show runs till November 28 and is dedicated exclusively to Spanish thoroughbreds. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo

Jose Maria Di Bello (R) and his partner Alex Freyre kiss at a hotel bar after an interview with Reuters in Buenos Aires November 25, 2009. Freyre and Di Bello, Latin America’s first same-sex couple to be granted a marriage license, hope their wedding will pave the way for other homosexual couples in Argentina to marry. The couple are HIV positive and plan to marry on December 1 on World Aids Day.  REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

Fear not the fiery robot apocalypse of the Terminator movies. Fear the cute machines exhibited at the International Robot Exhibition 2009 because they will destroy mankind by being better spouses.

Flash forward 20 years: People start marrying robots, the population plummets. There’s no need for Skynet’s gun-toting Terminators, because there’s no one to shoot at and Craig’s List personals read like an automotive parts catalogue: “Likes: hydraulic muscles and the smell of WD40. Dislikes: Clingy A-I personalities and 'bots that need to recharge every 10 minutes".

Reason to fear robots #1: Robots cook better than you do

Robot-maker Toyoriki’s “Okonomiyaki robot” has 15 motorised joints to precisely mix the batter for savory Japanese pancakes, then pour it onto a hot griddle and cheerfully entertain while you wait to be served by reading the latest news out loud and singing songs.

Reason to fear robots #2: Robots are better listeners

According to researchers, Paro, a seal-like robot, was developed to provide the relaxation and speedy patient recovery seen in animal-assisted therapy in places such as hospitals and nursing homes where animals aren’t allowed. The therapeutic robot has soft white artificial fur and a behavior generation system that mimics a real animal.

Reason to fear robots #3: Robots are never too lazy to recycle

Eager’s “D+ropop” eco-friendly robot’s soft outer case is made of corrugated cardboard while it’s inner structure is metal. The maker says the humanoid will become popular as a new form of advertising media -- just don’t leave it in the rain.

Photo credits: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon