Others - like the formidable Jim Lafferty of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force - quite rightly, object to the idea of nestling within minutes of our seat of government an institution that is so problematic, to say the least, from a security point of view.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Welcome to Faisal County

Calculating the density of an object 340m kilometres (210m miles) from earth is no easy task.

ECONOMIST: Asteroids

For example, if it drops an object, it "knows" it has to get another one before trying to finish the task.

BBC: Baxter the robot