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"in 1974 I experienced an invasion of my mind by a transcendentally rational mind, as if I had been insane all my life and suddenly I had become sane."
- Philip K. Dick
 |
| Three Laws of Robotics (Rules of Robotics) | ||
| The original formulation of Asimov's laws of robotics. |
In the story, a robot is seen to be acting peculiarly in a very dangerous place - the surface of Mercury.
| Powell's radio voice was tense in Donovan's ear: "Now, look, let's start with the three fundamental Rules of Robotics - the three rules that are built most deeply into a robot's positronic brain." In the darkness, his gloved fingers ticked off each point.
"We have: One, a robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." "Right!" "Two," continued Powell, "a robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law." "Right!" "And three, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws." |
| Technovelgy from Runaround,
by Isaac Asimov. Published by Street and Smith in 1942 Additional resources -
|
The explanation for the robot's odd behavior is found in the conflicts between the orders it has been given, and the laws that govern its behavior.
"The conflict between the various rules is ironed out by the different positronic potentials in the brain. We'll say that a robot is walking into danger and knows it. The automatic potential that Rule 3 sets up turns him back. But suppose you order him to walk into that danger. In that case, Rule 2 sets up a counterpotential higher than the previous one and the robot follows orders at the risk of existence..."
So with this robot, Rule 2 drives him forward and Rule 3 drives him back; the robot stays on the locus of points of potential equilibrium. In other words, it gives you the runaround.
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Additional
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More Ideas
and Technology from Runaround
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and Technology by Isaac Asimov
Tech news articles related to Runaround
Tech news articles related to works by Isaac Asimov
Three Laws of Robotics (Rules of Robotics)-related
news articles:
- Laws Of Robotics Rewritten for Health Care
- Video! Chess Robot Breaks Opponent's Finger In Match
| Mika The Robot-Boss |
| Sensitive, Soft Robot Skin |
| Finger Sensors For Robot Hands |
| A Vacuum With An Arm - Engineers Create Heinlein's Hired Girl Robot |
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'And are all the people willing to be governed by a machine?'
'It's an old model,' Rawlins said. 'I'm not sure what to do.'
'the robot-boss was busy at the lip of the new lode instructing and egging the men on to greater speed...'
'He rode the bike with an intense lack of physical grace...'
