(1) Robots are no longer just the stuff of science fiction: increasingly intelligent and humanlike, they interact with people in new and surprising ways. (2) However, advancements in robotic engineering provoke a number of questions. (3) Will people one day view robots not as machines but as peers? (4) Can people form attachments with robots, and is it wise to do so? (5) As recent cases show, people already tend to form emotional bonds with robots and allow robots to sway their behavior.

(6) Perhaps not surprisingly, when they resemble humans or animals, people readily bond with robots. (7) Researchers believe that robot pets provide valuable companionship for their human owners and can even lessen loneliness and depression. (8) For instance, people became so attached to the Sony Aibo, a robotic dog with playful expressions and movements, that they mourned their mechanical pets after Sony discontinued the Aibo series and closed its repair center. (9) As one owner explained, the robots were not mere toys, but important members of [his] family.

(10) People have also shown a willingness to listen to and obey robots. (11) In one study, test subjects did a bunch of things with a humanlike robot called Nao. (12) At the end, when the person was supposed to turn off the robot, Nao begged for its life, claiming to be afraid of the dark. (13) Many subjects did not turn Nao off or were unsure whether to do so. (14) Some reported being taken aback by Naos pleas; others felt pity. (15) Children are incredibly gullible when it comes to robots, as a recent study demonstrates. (16) In the experiment, each child sat at a table with three robots and had to state which of three lines matched another line in length. (17) The robots"while the children were able to do the task correctly when they were absent"unanimously gave an incorrect answer first. (18) Although set up as an easy vision test, the study measured conformity to peer pressure. (19) Seeing the robots give the same wrong answer, the children agreed with the wrong answer 75 percent of the time.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of sentence 8 (reproduced below), adjusting the punctuation as needed.

"For instance, people became so attached to the Sony Aibo, a robotic dog with playful expressions and movements, that they mourned their mechanical pets after Sony discontinued the Aibo series and closed its repair center."

Should the writer keep or delete the underlined text?
A - Keep it, because it addresses information that is essential to the audiences understanding of the history of Sonys robotics division.
B - Keep it, because it advances the writers purpose of showing the appeal the Aibo had to its owners.
C - Keep it, because it provides the audience with an example of the Aibos resemblance to human beings.
D - Delete it, because it introduces details about robot pets that are not relevant to the writers main idea in the paragraph.
E - Delete it, because it contradicts a claim the writer makes earlier in the passage about advancements in robotic engineering.