"Hi, " I said extending my hand, whereupon Jerry Lee withdrew his like a snake'd bit it.

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Some of the language I read reeked of snake oil, and the devices and apps often assessed my stress level inconsistently.

WSJ: Keep Calm and Carry a Gizmo

Eventually, what we'd like to do is if they see a pipe or a very narrow gap they say, okay my body is too big, it will change to become a snake to go through it.

CNN: Robotics discovers its soft side

So discovering a snake slithering around the bottom of our raft was not exactly my idea of a fun excursion.

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"When my parents were my age, their parents were dead and they were having fun white-water rafting down the Snake River and here I sit -- two houses down, " said Jones.

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