We wrap up the Will Smith arc with I, Robot. Highlights: we discuss the movie’s relation to the short stories, note the movie’s perfect blend of Smith one-liners and hardcore sci-fi, crack on Susan Calvin’s wardrobe, wonder how bad it would be if we had robot employees that would actually follow stupid corporate policies like holler greeting, gush over Smith’s workout regimen, speculate on what effect true humaniform robots would have on commerce and jobs, titter at Asimo busting his ass, state our fear of very capable robots over intelligent robots, take on the concept of exponentially-accelerating technology, remind listeners that all asses look good on a bike, and discuss the new Trek trailer. Next week’s fun Thanksgiving break flick: The Big Lebowski.
And now I’m going to lay around a do nothing for two days. This cold is killing me. 
Rest up and feel better. I have to go take a listen now.
Reading for #128: Rolling Stone’s recent multi-part “Decade of the Dude: How The Big Lebowski Became a Cult Sensation.” Links to all of them here:
Chuck, situations like this, NyQuil and Alka Seltzer PM are your friend. And chicken soup. Hang in there.
Aww I’m sorry your sick buddy!!
Hate to say this, but I’ve been sick all week.
Must be going around. I guess I got the minor version, which is good because I don’t have time for it right now… Still, the nasal cavities feel pretty heavy right now… TMI?
There was some discussion in this podcast about the origins of robots in literature. The first work to deal with robots pre-dates Asimov’s writings; it was R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), a play written by the Czech dramatist Karel Capek in 1920. R.U.R. was the first literary work to use the word “Robot,” which was invented by Karel’s brother, Josef, and was derived from the Czech word for “laborer.” Interestingly, Rossum is related to the Czech word “Rozum,” which means “to reason.”
While Rossum’s Robots are more of a chemical creation than an electronic one (similar to the Golem mythology,) the Robots are depicted as artificial lifeforms that gradually gain sentience and rebel against their masters, as the Robots are meant, in part, to symbolize suppressed, revolting workers.
R.U.R. addresses many of the same issues that more recent sci-fi works explore (utopian/dystopian societies, otherness, sociopolitical issues, etc.,) and it certainly influenced many of sci-fi’s most notable authors and film makers, not the least of whom was Asimov - a self-professed admirer of Capek’s play.
For what it is worth, I highly recommend it. The play is relatively short (only three acts) and quite a good read.
This has all happened before, this will all happen again.
Me four. Aches and Phil-type nasal issues over here. Lots of fluids and frak partying seem to work. Be well everybody!
Carapace - [kar-uh-peys]
Looks like you got it right. I too have seen it written many times and never pronounced.
Near the beginning of the cast I Sean touched on what Television Without Pity called the first rule of science fiction- “If you give something a brain, it will try to kill you.”
I personally hate movies that use the author’s name and the title of a book without the story. I am one of those who wish they called the movie something else. It did have the flavor of many of the Asimov books and I enjoyed the movie. The long story line that goes over all of Asimov books is hard to toss into one movie and may confuse those who only have read a few books. The movie did a good job in keeping to the worlds of Asimov, I just wish they did not use the misleading title. Ok so I am a bit of an Asimov fan. 
I think the I Robot novel was the first to have the Three Laws of Robotics in it (1940s). Now what would the world be like if we had to follow rule one.
1940
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
1985 The rules were changed to these.
-
A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
-
A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, unless this would violate the Zeroth Law of Robotics.
-
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the Zeroth or First Law.
3.A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the Zeroth, First, or Second Law.
Doesn’t the #0 law just make you want to go run out and read some more of his books.
What is the LAW?
no spill blood…
WHAT IS THE LAW?!
NO SPILL BLOOD!
Who makes the rules?
someone else…
WHO MAKES THE RULES?!
SOMEONE ELSE!
I’m not all the way through the podcast yet, but over the first hour I was wondering when they were going to get to Data. He does seem to be one example of AI in scifi that does not end up being malevolent. However, he clearly does fall into the “I want to be human” storyline. In fact Riker refers to him as Pinocchio in his very first scene in The Encounter at Far Point. ST was never known for its subtlety with respect to its literary references.
It drove me crazy so I had to look it up. “Brainstorm” was the name of the Christopher Walken movie I was trying to remember.
Good flick btw. Worth digging up if you can find a copy
Sean,
The reference to the crabs with the Samuri face on their carapace? It is from an episode of Cosmos. Carl Sagan was talking about how gradual changes can create different characteristice in animals.
On a related note, IBM recently got a contract from DARPA to create a thinking computer, modeled on how neurons work.
Yeah! Cosmos Crabs! We should do a Cosmos rewatch! Or at least a Carl Sagan episode!
Also, the tin man was a pretty sweet robot that wanted to be human.
ya nearly killed me with that one, sweets
really, I laughed so hard I choked
Here is what they look like.
I knew Mr. Sagan talked about them but you folks were faster than I about posting.