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This article describes an encounter between servomechanism innovator, digital computing pioneer and creator of system dynamics, Jay Forrester, and Isaac Asimov, renowned author of science fiction (including "The Foundation Trilogy" and its fictional discipline of psychohistory) and works of popular science. Their lengthy exchange took place at a workshop in 1975 and four descriptions of it are extant. What emerges in passing is a possible link between Asimov's thinking and Forrester's work on "World Dynamics". Most notable, however, is that the encounter saw the two exchanging ideas on how to think about the future, how to bring about a desirable future, and quite what that desirable future should look like. The two had fundamental differences on key points. The paper explores the unusual interaction, drawing out the points of disagreement and agreement in the views of the two and how they applied these to thinking about the future. © 2022 The Authors. System Dynamics Review published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of System Dynamics Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popular science fiction series Foundation penned by Isaac Asimov explores the idea that the course of the future of societies is not only predictable but can be engineered as well. In Asimov’s fictional world, a multidisciplinary science called psychohistory combines mathematics, psychology, and history to predict future events. Nicolas Rashevsky, the father of mathematical biology, lent credibility to the existence of universal principles underpinning human cultural evolution using mathematical models. His vision remains to be fully realized, as our capacity to predict and even engineer is very fragmented. Two main obstacles are a misunderstanding of the role of mathematical models and the limitations of current datasets. Recent advances in complex systems research, computer-based simulations, and large-scale databases, are paving the way towards fully developing a mathematical theory of human history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an example of law and literature movement applicability as a phenomenon in legal sciences. It shows the links between law and literature based on the example of the features that are characteristic of literature and, at the same time, are important in the reflection of the philosophy of law and in current law-making practice. This approach is inspired by a cultural approach to legal theory and philosophy (cultural studies of law). The law and literature movement deals with diverse issues in the field of the integration of legal sciences with linguistics and literary theory. The law and literature movement is not novel in the Anglo-Saxon legal culture, as opposed to Polish law science where it is rather new and has recently been gaining in popularity. In this paper, I will try to answer the question of how the law and literature movement and research perspectives originating from this trend could be an inspiration for further use in legal philosophy. This reflection is inspired by some works in the science fiction (S-F) genre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very broadly speaking, beginning with the development of a social science-fictional mode, a number of postwar authors began exploring how forms of exceptionally accurate foresight might effect the development of a society. The social effects of the mobilization of extraordinary forms of prognostication were explored by numerous authors in the 1940s and 1950s, including Alfred Bester, Philip K. Dick, A.E. van Vogt, and Isaac Asimov. This became a significant, but theoretically and critically understudied, motif in sf during the 1960s and 1970s. Relative to the study of prognostication in history, this body of sf literature provides a unique perspective on the relationship between predictive methods and governance, offering a corpus of theoretical reflections on how the implementation of hypothetical, infallible (or nearly infallible) prognostic systems could affect different types of social order. In this essay, I will briefly explore the development of prognostication and precognition as sociallyembedded novums and investigate what these sources tell us about prognostication in history when viewed through the lens of Western metaphysics and the Western literary imagination. In doing so, I propose a binary taxonomy as a heuristic, organizing texts with prognostication or precognition as their central novum into two general modes: (1) positivist/techno-optimist and (2) romantic/techno-pessimist. The intellectual history of these tendencies in the literature is explored and compared through several exemplary texts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prerequisites for transhumanist visions can be identified on anthropological, social, scientific, and technological levels. But one cannot neglect science-fiction literature, which provides transhumanism with inspiration and literary imagery. This article focuses on three selected motifs in the well-known Foundation series by isaac asimov, which discusses in relation to ideas of transhumanism. in the first part, the article highlights the visionary and subversive character of these works and seeks similar traits in transhumanism. The second part discusses big data analysis, which is an important component of literary storytelling and which fuels the development of artificial intelligence, which, according to transhumanists, will lead to the creation of superintelligence. The third motif is the confrontation with beings that possess superhuman abilities, something both asimov's work and transhumanist visions deal with and which opens up questions about coexistence with those who are unlike us. Literary and transhumanist visions have multiple parallels and encourage deeper social, ethical, and anthropological analyses of important topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation of robots from “mechanical slaves” in science fiction to “robotic workers” on assembly lines was a multidecadal development embedded in the cultural and socioeconomic dynamics of technoliberalism. As an ideology and a material process, technoliberalism sought to obviate the need for political solutions to social problems through the use of science and technology. The technoscience emerging from this, rather than solving problems, reinscribed and reproduced the very social logics which created them and that technoliberalism was supposed to render obsolete. The robot is a quintessential example of this. But how exactly did robots become technoliberal machines? This chapter will provide a provisional answer by exploring the historical contours of how technoliberalism produced them and put them to work. First, it will briefly review the technoliberal imaginaries in science fiction that sublimated slavery as an institution and the social differences produced by racial capitalism into the form and function of the robot. Second, it will demonstrate how such imaginaries informed the technoliberal designs that transformed the robot of science fiction into the industrial robot of science fact. And finally, it will detail how these designs shaped the technoliberal realities of making robots labor on the assembly line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to examine the psychohistorical inferences with Seldon Plan, the renewal process and the reasons for its abandonment with reference to Isaac Asimov's Prelude to Foundation (1988). It also presents a comprehensive picture of the science fictional universe of Asimov; secondly, the catastrophic elements in this Foundation universe; and finally, identifies the prime-movers who initiate the renewal process. Asimov is emphasizing the creative potential of the new science of Cybernetics as the most likely instrument of human survival. At the same time, Asimov does not ignore the realities of the potential misuse of science and technology; a fact illustrated by the new science of psychology and that of mental powers. In the series, the Seldon Plan is made to stand as a witness for the possible subversion of even the best intensions and designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PREVIEW In this fifth and concluding installment of his comprehensive series on forecasting the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)--begun in Foresight's Fall 2017 issue--Spyros Makridakis turns his attention to the future, which in many respects already appears to be here. He assesses AI's ongoing influence on human culture and commerce by focusing on 10 technological trends that stand to have a profound impact on our lives. The effects of a few of these trends are already being felt in our day-to-day affairs, while others might seem to have sprung from the imaginations of the most audacious science-fiction writers. One thing appears certain: it is more true now than ever that, as Spyros noted at the outset of this series, the challenge will continue to be to predict forthcoming technologies without falling into the trap of shortsightedness, which has plagued so many of the previous forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the idea of an 'Atomic Priesthood,' a religious caste that would preserve and transmit the knowledge of nuclear waste management for future generations. In 1981, the US Department of Energy commissioned a 'Human Interference Task Force' (HITF) that would examine the possibilities of how to maintain the security of nuclear waste storage sites for 10,000 years, a period during which our civilization would likely perish, but the dangerous nature of nuclear waste would persist. One option that was discussed was the establishment of an 'atomic priesthood,' an idea that science fiction writers like Isaac Asimov and Arsen Darney had already toyed with. Reading the HITF report alongside sci-fi novels, my article will shed light on the question of how the sheer force of nuclear power (and the longevity of nuclear waste) lends itself to religious interpretations and how the idea of the atomic priesthood is connected with the utopian/dystopian aspects of nuclear power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism for the book "Foundation Series," by Isaac Asimov is presented. It discusses the transition of a female cyborg into accepted notions of feminity and her space in the masculine world of science fiction. It also cites the attributes of the protagonist in the story Dors Venabili and her intense portrayal of emotions including hate, love, possessiveness and jealousy.

The article discusses the theme of technology and robotics in "I, Robot," a series of short stories by Isaac Asimov. Information is presented on characters in the stories. It explores the ability of Asimov to combine the world of fantasy with the world of reality and his success in making the characters real in a setting for science fiction which is usually contrary to known reality.

The article critiques science fictions "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka, "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov, and "The Machine Stops" by E. M. Forster. Particular focus is given to the crucial roles played by mundane boundaries which direct the biological and social lives of the characters in the stories. Kafka's fiction offers studies bodily and spatial situation, Asimov's tale tells about biosocial conditions, and Forster's story describes a society living underground in a complex system.

Selections from a series of interviews I conducted with Forest J Ackerman in the last six months of his life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes science-fiction novelizations from a specific narratological angle, namely the literary description. It has been argued that novelizations contain a small amount of description, which is remarkable considering the emphasis on visuality characteristic of sf cinema. The essay highlights a few striking features of descriptions in novelizations, with examples taken from the novelizations of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), "The Terminator" (1984), "The X-Files: Fight the Future" (1998), and "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" (2008). Isaac Asimov's "Fantastic Voyage" (1966) is presented as the main case study, for description plays a central role in this novel, not only formally but also thematically. Passages from Asimov's novelization are positioned against relevant scenes from the film, with a focus not only on the difference between the two media but also the discrepancy between media within the sf genre. Finally, the article attempts to open up the discussion, arguing for contextual and medium-specific factors in the disproportion between the abundant visuality of film and the descriptive content of novelizations, and calling for more attention to the vital cognitive side to adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sublime is a contradictory notion in Asimov's Foundation series. Several of Asimov's characters seem to go through experiences that resemble the sublime, but those experiences are always explained away by other characters that see the same elements as rationally accountable. The series seems to generate a sense of wonder not by evoking an experience of the sublime but by undercutting it and showing how enlightened rationality can comprehend and control the course of humanity. This article traces Asimov's characters' responses to the sublime experience and discusses how its frequent debunking can be seen as a sign of overt rationalism in his work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development of the concept of robotics. It mentions the author's discovery of a figure of a robot made in 1925, and also gives an overview of Karel Čapek's play "R.U.R." or "Rossum's Universal Robots." It also discusses the origins of the creation of artificial beings in literature, such as the Golem and Frankenstein's monster. Further, it notes the robot's emergence in popular culture, emphasizing the space opera "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," and Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics.

In science-fiction literature and film, human beings simultaneously feel fear and allure in the presence of intelligent machines, an experience that approximates the numinous experience as described in 1917 by Rudolph Otto. Otto believed that two chief elements characterize the numinous experience: the mysterium tremendum and the fascinans. Briefly, the mysterium tremendum is the fear of God's wholly other nature and the fascinans is the allure of God's saving grace. Science-fiction representations of robots and artificially intelligent computers follow this logic of threatening otherness and soteriological promise. Science fiction offers empirical support for Anne Foerst's claim that human beings experience fear and fascination in the presence of advanced robots from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AI Lab. The human reaction to intelligent machines shows that human beings in many respects have elevated those machines to divine status. This machine apotheosis, an interesting cultural event for the history of religions, may—despite Foerst's rosy interpretation—threaten traditional Christian theologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ways in which the Robot Novels of Isaac Asimov provide a useful case study for important posthuman legal considerations. In advocating an understanding of law and justice that focuses on the spirit of justice as opposed to formalistic considerations, Asimov demonstrates the challenges that artificial intelligence or robots may pose to the posthuman legal system. It analyzes the legal concerns raised in each of the Robot Novels: The Caves of Steel (1954), The Naked Sun (1956), The Robots of Dawn (1983) and Robots and Empire (1985), and suggests that Asimov's portrayal of posthuman justice emphasizes the necessity of formulating "law" that is underpinned by a notion of the fundamental kinship of "intelligent" beings rather than a nominal equality within what is fundamentally a slave society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the dynamic of decline in four examples of epic science fiction including Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" trilogy, Arthur C. Clarke's novels "Against the Fall of Night" and "The City and the Stars," Frank Herbert's "Dune" and Michael Moorcock's "Elric" cycle. The concept of dynamic of decline pertains to a situation where over time a vital and strong state experience decadence, stagnation and internal decay and eventual ruin. Texts on empires, imperialism and colonialism are used to provide the framework.

The article discusses robot utilitarianism, an ethical machine theory, and the moral responsibilities involved in creating ethical robots as portrayed in the film "I, Robot." Robot's supreme intelligence, Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence (VIKI), was featured in the film. VIKI develops an interpretation of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics. The first law states that a robot does not harm human beings. The second law emphasizes that a robot must obey orders from humans. And the third law requires robots to protect its own existence.

This paper addresses some of the connections between Isaac Asimov&'s future history and utilitarian moral theory. Utilitarianism has long been plagued by a set of practical problems that render the act of calculating utilities problematic. Because one of the central themes of Asimov's future history is a utilitarian drive toward the greatest good for humanity, these same calculation problems create a hurdle for Asimov. I argue here that several of the major developments in Asimov's future history can be read as a series of attempts to produce a better solution to utilitarian calculation problems.

Focuses on Isaac Asimov's science fiction "The Bicentennial Man." Film adaptation of the novel; Story of the novel; Linkage between Asimov and "Star Trek"; Similarities between "The Bicentennial Man" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Traces the origins of Isaac Asimov's invented science of psychohistory in his science fiction series about the Galactic Empire. Possibility of mathematician Winwood Reade's influence through the writings of H.G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle; Reade's ideas in his book `The Martyrdom of Man'; Asimov's interest in the works of Doyle and Wells.

The article presents a discussion on the ideas of Arthur C. Clarke which are contained in his works. The article implies that his essays, stories and novels revolve around his perceptions about future possibilities, human history, and ambitions of science fiction. It also mentions Isaac Asimov and the literature and creativity behind every work in the field of science fiction.

The article presents a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke. This writer died at his house in Sri Lanka wherein he spent most of his remaining years reminiscing on his career. It is implied that Clarke can be leveled with Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein in terms of contributions given to the field of science-fiction. The article explains why he is regarded as one of the giants of that field.

The article reflects on a short story "Runaround" by Isaac Asimov which discusses three laws of robotics. Topics discussed inlcude interpretation of science, depiction of the character Powell and Donovan as agents fro the U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men Inc., and experimentation by the Professor Alan Winfield heads the Robotics Laboratory at the University of the West of England, Bristol, regarding ethical programming.

The author discusses how the author Isaac Asimov in an essay about science fiction reflected that it has been common to reflect robots as dangerous devices that destroyed their creators and formulated the laws of robotics. He mentions how artificial intelligence (AI) was used for the first time in 1955 proposal for study on using computers. He also mentions concerns of legal and ethical issues regarding decisions made by autonomous systems.

Science fiction author Isaac Asimov is as famous for the laws of robotics he created in his stories as he is for the stories themselves. Jeremy Holt MBCS of Clark Holt Commercial Solicitors looks at whether these laws are practical as robots become a reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on development of Robotic systems in science and technology. Topics discussed include laws based on Robotics by U.S writer, Isaac Asimov, overview on "I, Robot" science fiction movie based on robots and prospects for application of robots in medical science and technological industry.