Findley Johnston’s Reviews > I, Robot > Status Update

I loved this book's ability to keep something unknown and still feel satisfying and conclusive. At the end of 8, they ended by proving someone was not a robot, which felt conclusive, but then offered a counter to a far-stretched theory that could be true. I love that this book thinks of many possibilities and can explore many of them without ruining the ending feeling of conclusiveness.

This chapter provided an insight into human nature, about how we only want the answer we are looking for. Quinn is trying to prove that someone is a robot, but is only given the ability to prove that he is not a robot. I loved this insight that we only want the answers that are helpful to us and not one that still gives us a truth

This chapter was mixed with a lot of good humor and good scientific theoretical around interstellar travel, but what I like the most was Michael and Donovan having a funny “I hate my job” attitude. These two characters always having to go through hard situations and their personalities are entertaining and funny and what I like the most about this book, (the character personalities)

In chapter 7, it mentions the breaking of high level artifical intelligent through complex dilemmas that interfere with the safety of humans, and interstellar travel. I like how the book represents this as the brain going into a "high."

This chapter talked about the possibility of a robot able to go against the First Law of Robotics, which protects humans from harm. This chapter was overall pretty confusing. I thought they represented stressed-out humans pretty well. The main lady in charge of the issue in this chapter was kind of annoying, thinking she was in the right all the time, even though she was, the book conveyed personality well.

This chapter of I-robot explores the possibility of a robot able to lie, and the First Law of Robotics being removed. Which basically says a robot cannot harm a human being. I haven't gotten very far, but I like the theoretical the the robot hiding its idenittiy and working around the rules to expose which on it is

The chapter "Liar" plays on the rule of robotics that cannot harm humans in any way. So when a mind-reading robot knows what people want to hear, it must lie to keep their minds from being harmed. I love how this chapter shows the helplessness of the robot, and that it is programmed to always help humans, but that becomes a problem. Addigtionallly this chapter expresses human emotions very well. (love, greed, want)

I started to see that I am struggling to understand the tone of each of the characters. In chapter 4, the main characters, Powell and Donaval, argue a lot, and I can't tell if it is meant to be in a comical tone or an actual angry. This made the story hard to follow which I didnt love.

I like how Issac Asimov uses satire, around religion and its illogical reasoning for everything, when the robots start worshipping the "v-tube" and believing everything came from it, leading to the robots disobeying their humans. They also realize later that although they are "disobeying" their final goal is still benefiting the humans, the robots just have different beliefs.

The next chapter focuses on a new robot that denies that humans could make a higher being than themselves. For this, the robot begins a cult-like view of the main energy generator; it is weird to see the robot have so much personality and questions, becuase all the preivous robots were very bland and just listened to everything Powell and his partner said.