• It's coming true - "The Bicentennial Man"

    From a425couple@a425couple@hotmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written,alt.fan.heinlein on Wed Apr 16 20:13:19 2025
    From Newsgroup: alt.fan.heinlein

    In about 1976, "The Bicentennial Man" is a novelette in the Robot series
    by American writer Isaac Asimov.

    more at
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bicentennial_Man

    In 1995 Robert Silverberg assisted to turn it into a full novel.

    from
    https://www.amazon.com/Positronic-Man-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0553561219

    The Positronic Man rCo December 1, 1995
    by Isaac Asimov (Author), Robert Silverberg (Author)
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (120) 4.1 on Goodreads
    In a twenty-first century Earth where the development of the positronic
    brain has revolutionized the way of life, beloved household robot
    "Andrew" struggles with his unusual capacity for emotion and dreams of becoming human.

    The story formed the basis of the 1999 film Bicentennial Man, starring
    Robin Williams.

    The wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bicentennial_Man
    says "In terms of setting, this novelette spans a time period of 200
    years. ----, Susan Calvin was born in the year 1982 and died at the age
    of 82, either in 2064 or 2065. This suggests that the earliest events of
    the story took place somewhere between the 2050s and early 2060s.

    Well, for once, ahead of schedule we have a human shaped robot
    to assist us in our homes!

    In Sunday April 13th, Seattle Times "Invasion of the home humanoid robots".
    or
    The New York Times
    "Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots"
    12 days ago
    By Loren Elliott & Cade Metz
    "Silicon Valley / Startup aims to have latest robot in homes
    by the end of the year." It opens doors, talks, shakes hands
    and works in the kitchen.



    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Paul S Person@psperson@old.netcom.invalid to rec.arts.sf.written,alt.fan.heinlein on Thu Apr 17 08:55:42 2025
    From Newsgroup: alt.fan.heinlein

    On Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:13:19 -0700, a425couple
    <a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:
    In about 1976, "The Bicentennial Man" is a novelette in the Robot series
    by American writer Isaac Asimov.

    more at
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bicentennial_Man

    In 1995 Robert Silverberg assisted to turn it into a full novel.

    from
    https://www.amazon.com/Positronic-Man-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0553561219

    The Positronic Man u December 1, 1995
    by Isaac Asimov (Author), Robert Silverberg (Author)
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (120) 4.1 on Goodreads
    In a twenty-first century Earth where the development of the positronic >brain has revolutionized the way of life, beloved household robot
    "Andrew" struggles with his unusual capacity for emotion and dreams of >becoming human.

    The story formed the basis of the 1999 film Bicentennial Man, starring
    Robin Williams.

    The wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bicentennial_Man
    says "In terms of setting, this novelette spans a time period of 200
    years. ----, Susan Calvin was born in the year 1982 and died at the age
    of 82, either in 2064 or 2065. This suggests that the earliest events of
    the story took place somewhere between the 2050s and early 2060s.

    Well, for once, ahead of schedule we have a human shaped robot
    to assist us in our homes!

    In Sunday April 13th, Seattle Times "Invasion of the home humanoid robots". >or
    The New York Times
    "Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots"
    12 days ago
    By Loren Elliott & Cade Metz
    "Silicon Valley / Startup aims to have latest robot in homes
    by the end of the year." It opens doors, talks, shakes hands
    and works in the kitchen.
    But does it terrify its owners with an overwhelming explanation of the
    Three Laws?
    This Bing search:<https://www.bing.com/search?q=humanoid+robot+for+home&form=ANSPH1&refig=c4c570351a3e40cca8eff9f49ef7644d&pc=U531&pq=home+humanoid+robot&pqlth=19&assgl=23&sgcn=humanoid+robot+for+home&qs=RI&sgtpv=RI&smvpcn=0&swbcn=4&sctcn=0&sc=4-19&sp=1&ghc=0&cvid=c4c570351a3e40cca8eff9f49ef7644d&clckatsg=1&hsmssg=0>
    brings up a page with images and costs of various home robots. Whether
    any of them are what the newspapers noted above have discovered is
    unknown.
    Possibly behind a paywall (turning down the offer to pay, I was told
    this was the first of 4 free articles, but whether that is per-session
    or until I remove all cookies is unknown) is this <https://www.bing.com/search?q=humanoid+robot+for+home&form=ANSPH1&refig=c4c570351a3e40cca8eff9f49ef7644d&pc=U531&pq=home+humanoid+robot&pqlth=19&assgl=23&sgcn=humanoid+robot+for+home&qs=RI&sgtpv=RI&smvpcn=0&swbcn=4&sctcn=0&sc=4-19&sp=1&ghc=0&cvid=c4c570351a3e40cca8eff9f49ef7644d&clckatsg=1&hsmssg=0>
    It starts:
    "By 2026, we should have humanoid robots in private homes helping with
    laundry, vacuuming, and the dishes, at least in beta testing, says
    Peter Diamandis."
    This may or may not be what the newspapers are regurgitating.
    I have one thing to say to this: better others homes than mine!
    I mean, how many movies about AI robots do you have to watch before
    you realize that this is a /very/ bad idea for real world use.
    --
    "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
    Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
    Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"
    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From scott@scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) to rec.arts.sf.written,alt.fan.heinlein on Thu Apr 17 16:10:42 2025
    From Newsgroup: alt.fan.heinlein

    Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> writes:
    On Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:13:19 -0700, a425couple
    <a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

    In about 1976, "The Bicentennial Man" is a novelette in the Robot series= >=20
    by American writer Isaac Asimov.

    more at
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bicentennial_Man

    In 1995 Robert Silverberg assisted to turn it into a full novel.

    from
    https://www.amazon.com/Positronic-Man-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0553561219

    The Positronic Man =96 December 1, 1995
    by Isaac Asimov (Author), Robert Silverberg (Author)
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (120) 4.1 on Goodreads
    In a twenty-first century Earth where the development of the positronic=20 >>brain has revolutionized the way of life, beloved household robot=20 >>"Andrew" struggles with his unusual capacity for emotion and dreams of=20 >>becoming human.

    The story formed the basis of the 1999 film Bicentennial Man, starring=20 >>Robin Williams.

    The wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bicentennial_Man
    says "In terms of setting, this novelette spans a time period of 200=20 >>years. ----, Susan Calvin was born in the year 1982 and died at the age=20 >>of 82, either in 2064 or 2065. This suggests that the earliest events of= >=20
    the story took place somewhere between the 2050s and early 2060s.

    Well, for once, ahead of schedule we have a human shaped robot
    to assist us in our homes!

    In Sunday April 13th, Seattle Times "Invasion of the home humanoid = >robots".
    or
    The New York Times
    "Invasion of the Home Humanoid Robots"
    12 days ago
    By Loren Elliott & Cade Metz
    "Silicon Valley / Startup aims to have latest robot in homes
    by the end of the year." It opens doors, talks, shakes hands
    and works in the kitchen.

    But does it terrify its owners with an overwhelming explanation of the
    Three Laws?

    Flexible Frank, Protean Pete and Drafting Dan from _The Door Into Summer_ preceeded
    _The Bicentennial Man_. RAH's robots were widely used in 2000 in the book.

    --- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2