A robot can be deIined as a programable, selI controlled device consisting oI electronic,

electrical, or mechanical units. The notion oI robots or robot-like automates can be traced
back to medieval times. Although people oI that era didn't have a term to describe what we
would eventually call a robot, they were nevertheless imagining mechanisms that could
perIorm human like tasks.
As early as 270 BC an ancient engineer named Ctesibus made organs and water clocks with
moveable Iigures. In medieval times, automatons, human-like Iigures run by hidden
mechanisms, were used to impress peasant worshipers in church into believing in a higher
power. The automatons, like the "Clock Jack", created the illusion oI selI-motion (moving
without assistance). The "Clock Jack" was a mechanical Iigure that could strike time on a
bell with its axe. This technology was virtually unheard oI in the 13th century.
By the 18th century, miniature automatons became more popular as toys Ior the very rich.
They were made to look and move like humans or small animals. Automatons like "The
Pretty Musician", built around 1890, were able to turn their head Irom side to side while
playing an instrument with their hands and keeping time with their Ieet. However, it is
literature where human kinds vivid imagination has oIten reIlected our Iascination with the
idea oI creating artiIicial liIe.
In 1921, Karel Capek, a czech playwright came up with an intelligent, artiIicially created
person, which he called "robot." The word "robot" is czech Ior worker, slave, servant or
Iorced labor and was gradually incorporated into the English language without being
translated. Karel's play was entitled "Rossum's Universal Robots." The theme oI the play
was robots controlling humans in society. Although he introduced the idea oI robots, Karl
Capek was skeptical about how much oI an impact robots could have. He rejected all
suggestions that a robot could ever replace a human being, or have Ieelings such as love or
rebellion.
While the concept oI a robot has been around Ior a very long time, it wasn't until the 1940's
that the modern day robot was born, with the arrival oI computers. The term robotics reIers to
the study and use oI robots; it came about in 1941 and was Iirst adopted by Issac Asimov, a
scientist and writer. One oI the Iirst robots Asimov wrote about was a robo-therapist. A
Massachusetts Institute oI Technology proIessor, Joseph Weizembaum, wrote the Eliza
program in 1966, a modern counterpart to Asimov's Iictional character. Weizenbaum
initially programed Eliza with 240 lines oI code to simulate a psychotherapist. The program
answered questions with questions.
Asimov created the Iour laws oI robot behavior, cyber laws all robots had to obey and a
Iundamental part oI positronic robotic engineering. The Isaac Asimov FAQ states, "Asimov
claimed that the laws were originated by John w. Campbell in a conversation they had on
December 23, 1940. Campbell in turn maintained that he picked them out oI Asimov's
stories and discussions, and that his role was merely to state them explicitly. The Iirst story to
explicitly state the three laws was "Runaround", which appeared in the March 1942 issue oI
"Astounding Science Fiction." Unlike the three laws, however, the Zeroth law is not a
Iundamental part oI positronic robotic engineering, is not a part oI all positronic robots, and,
in Iact, requires a very sophisticated robot to even accept it."
Law Zeroth: A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come
to harm.
Law One: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being
to come to harm, unless this would violate a higher order law.
Law Two: A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders
would conIlict with a higher order law.
Law Three: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not
conIlict with a higher order law.
An early example oI robot technology, Grey Walter's "Machina Speculatrix" oI the 1940's,
was recently restored to its working glory aIter being lost Ior some years. Walters "Machina"
were small robots that looked like turtles. The restored cyber turtles are Ireewheeling and
light-seeking creatures, propelled by two small electric motors. They roam in any direction
with sensor-contacts to avoid obstacles. A photoelectric cell mounted on the steering column
helps the turtles search and aim toward the light.
AIter the technology explosion during WWII, in 1956, a historic meeting occurs between
George C. Devol, a successIul inventor and entrepreneur, and engineer Joseph F.
Engelberger. Over cocktails the two discussed the writings oI Isaac Asimov. Together they
made a serious and commercially successIul eIIort to develop a real, working robot. They
persuaded Norman SchaIler oI Condec Corporation in Danbury that they had the basis oI a
commercial success.
Engelberger started a manuIacturing company "Univation", which stood Ior Universal
Automation, as so the Iirst commercial company to make robots was Iormed. Devol wrote
the necessary patents. Their Iirst robot was nicknamed the "Unimate." As a result oI these
events, Engelberger has been called the "Father oI Robotics." The Iirst Unimate was installed
at a General Motors plant to work with heated die-casting machines. In Iact, most Unimates
were sold to extract die-castings Irom die-casting machines and to perIorm spot welding on
auto bodies, both tasks being particularly hateIul jobs Ior people.
With the automobile industry in Iull expansion during the 1950's and 1060's, industrial
robots were employed to help Iactory operators. Industrial robots do not have the
imaginative, human-like appearance that we have been dreaming oI throughout the ages.
They are computer-controlled manipulators, like arms and hands, which can weld or spray
paint cars as they roll down an assembly line. In Iact, industrial robots are so unlike the
conception oI robots held in the past that you might not recognize one.
In 1963 the Iirst artiIicial robotic arm to be controlled by a computer was designed. "The
Rancho Arm" was designed as a tool Ior the handicapped. Its six joints gave it the Ilexibility
oI a human arm.
Through the rest oI the 1960's several other breakthroughs which eIIected the robotic Iield
came to be. In 1965 "DENDRAL" was the Iirst expert system or program designed to
execute the accumulated knowledge oI subject experts. In 1968 the octopus-like tentacle arm was
developed by Marvin Minsky, Iollowed by the StanIord Arm in 1969, which was the
Iirst electrically powered, computer controlled robot arm.
In 1970, "Shakey" was introduced as the Iirst mobile robot controlled by artiIicial intelligence. It
was produced by SRI International and was capable oI navigating highly
structured indoor environments. The StanIord Cart was the Iirst to attempt natural outdoor
scenes in the late 1970's. In 1979 the StanIord Cart crossed a chair Iilled room without
human assistance. The cart had a TV camera mounted on a rail which took pictures Irom
multiple angles and relayed them to a computer. The computer analyzed the distance between
the cart and the obstacles.
From that time there has been a proliIeration oI work in autonomous driving machines that
cruise at highway speeds and navigate outdoor terrains in commercial applications. The
Automobile Industry created the demand Ior robotic technology. The beneIits to the industry
include improved management control and productivity and consistently high quality
products. Industrial robots can work night and day tirelessly on an assembly line without a
loss in perIormance. Consequently, they can greatly reduce the cost oI manuIactured goods.
As a result oI these industrial beneIits, countries that eIIectively use robots in their industries
will have an economic advantage on world market.
Robot technology has been around in human kinds vivid imagination since the dawn oI man.
People have dreamed oI machines with the capabilities oI a man and sometimes so much
more. It is only recently that we have begun to tap into these technologies, but the rapid rate
oI discovery leads me to believe that we are not Iar Irom the day when robots may walk
among us as commonly as people. The day when all dangerous or hated jobs are perIormed
by machines not people. The day when human kind will have reached its long strived Ior
goal oI creating total artiIicial intelligence.
ArtiIicial Intelligence takes the same concept and puts a diIIerent spin on it. In the Iilm, a robot
was created to replace a lost son. No matter how hard the computerized child tries to Iit into the
lives oI actual humans, the more he is rejected, because oI his lack oI understanding; his
understanding is limited to the ideal things that are supposed to happen when certain conditions
are met, like a computer. He cannot accept the Iuzziness, the uncertainties oI being a real human,
and real humans can never accept his ideality without sacriIicing their humanity built by
uncertainties. These two Iilms represent people exploring the possibility oI a real world
integrated with the virtual. Today, with the advancement oI technology, these dreams and ideas
are no longer just speculation, Ior we Iace the virtual world all the time through the media.
The virtual, computerized counterparts oI today`s media could never Iully portray the Iull and
complex nature oI the human soul. The Iull sentimental eIIect is lost when computer animations
try to express real people`s emotions, real people`s problems. The animation lacks the Iull
expression, Iull range oI emotion that each living individual has. Computer graphics may provide
a good supplement to today`s media; however, graphics cannot replace the human soul.
I see, on my television screen, Neo running across the deserted subway station. One quick glance
through his dark sunglasses reveals bright green code running up and down the walls, revealing
the truth about the computerized world. He takes a leap into the agent oI the matrix and comes
out victorious. He may have deIeated the computerized world, but a question still exists: do
people Iavor living in a superIicial, virtual, ideal world or do they want actual reality? It is Ior us
to decide.
A robotic hand can be designed in diIIerent ways. The most important is that there is a wrist,
Iingers, and a way to move an object. The wrist will give the twisting motion. The Iingers will be
able to grab an object. Some people use grippers. The grippers work like sicorrs. There are also
devices that act like sensory nerves. These devices are either light sensitive or switch activated.
That way a robot would be able to tell where a light source is coming Irom or when it was
running into a wall. The hardest part about making a robotic hand do something is to make the
open and closing motion with the Iingers. Humans have nerves and muscels that alow them to
retract and contract their Iingers. With a robot cables, motors, or pneumatic hydralics can be
used. Strong cables can be used to give easy and quiet movements. Motors used with diIIerent
gear ratios can make the Iingers stronger when gripping or Iaster. By determining how much
work would have to be done on the gear to make it spin would make the gear liIt an object with
Iorce. There are Iactors such as the torque, angular velocity and Iriction oI the gears or cable that
would have to be taken into consideration.
Robots are being used today in medicine. A robot can be so precise that it would be a great tool
Ior perIorming surgery with. Robots can do insisions that are so clean that a person would not be
able to see the cut Irom a distance aIter it healed. Doctors wouldn't have to Iear oI making the
wrong insision or cutting too Iar. A robot would be programmed to cut a certain depth and place.
Robots have been real helpIul in researching. They have helped doctors excel in new discoveries
and inIormation.
Robots are used in industrial Iactories. They help weld cars and parts together. Since their
percission is so accurate when it comes to welding it looks like a proIIesional did it. The nice
thing is that robots aren't bothered by the bright light or heat. So these machines can do more
work then humans can. The only thing required is the soItware.

Robots are used Ior home entertainment and leasure. There are several home robot kits that
people buy. Some kits make the robot Iollow a line or trace a line. Other robot kits are made so
the robot can determine iI it is on the table or on the Iloor and how Iar to go beIore it runs into
the wall or oII the table. These robots have light sensors and switch sensors. There are some
robots that do house cleaning such as vacum the Iloor or serve other people. Pet robots mimic
actual pets which provide people with entertainment. These pet robots can bark, roll-over, sit,
and play with you.

The production and uses Ior robots have increased rapidly since 1970s. Robots have become
more and more popular. The size oI the robot has also changed. Compared to a robot made in
1970s or 80s, the robots now can be smaller and much more portable too. The way technology is
accelerating there could be a robot like the one in "The Bicentenial Man".
"Attack, Attack" the soldier typed into the computer as quickly as he could. He types every little
action he wants the robot to respond to, in this specialized computer made Ior the robot. He
directs the robot through the territory, through rocks and potholes, avoiding hidden land mines.
AIter spotting human Iigures on the screen, the robot inIorms the soldier oI enemies lurking
ahead.

This all started in the summer oI 2013, during the next World War (World War III). The United
States were concerned about Korea's nuclear powers that they were using against the United
States. During the years beIore this war had started, the U.S. military was working on creating a
robot, Iighting machine.

This robot was designed to Iight Ior the soldiers, which in return would allow the soldiers to be
saIe, and stay with their Iamilies instead oI Iighting on the Iront line. The training Ior soldiers
was much diIIerent lately, instead oI training them Ior combat and one-on-one Iighting, they
were trained using a computer. For hours on end they would learn the techniques oI the military
computers. These computers were what the robots ran oII, what controlled their brains and their
thinking. Every move was typed into the computer. It seemed so simple, but the soldiers still had
to go through intensive training. Just as soldiers, these robots would Iight the enemy; thereIore,
they needed a strategy and some idea oI what the capabilities oI the robot were.

The robot was tiny and had two tracks similar to a snowmobile. It had a protective shield above,
which blocked any sort oI weapon that would be Iired. Behind the shield, there was a camera
about the size oI a grown man's hand. This camera viewed all directions, in all lights. It had night
vision, radar detection, and other military used items. The great thing about these robots was the
Iact that it could distinguish between enemy and our military. While detecting all these diIIerent
commotions, it would detonate any land mines located ahead oI the robot.

It was the day, June 13, 2013, when the war seemed like it took a run Ior the better and a run Ior
the worst Ior Korea's army. Each soldier sat in Iront a screen ready Ior the war oI the United
States army, while Korea's army was also ready Ior the battle against our robots. A young man
named, Joe ages 18, and has been sitting patiently ready to trigger his robot. He has gone through
months oI training and knew how to work it, although he was still very tense with an extreme
nervous Ieeling. The man next to him was in the same shoes as Joe. Through months oI training,
Joe and his neighbor, become close buddies. His neighbor, Johnny, nickname Poomer. Do not
ask me why, because he reIused to tell me. Poomer had bright red hair with Ireckles all over his
Iace and ears. His hair was wildly combs, seemed as iI he tried to brush it but he did not know
Brave New World: Can Man Create Utopia?

Brave New World, a novel by Aldous Huxley, was published during the time, socialism and
dictatorship were the key concepts oI the day. These governments believed that having total
power would engender a perIect society. Karl Marx (Bernard Marx), and Nikolai Lenin (Linina),
are two men who decide to pursue this concept. Through examples oI these characters, it is
demonstrated that a government that completely controls a nation will Iail. Many oI the ideas
that the governments thought would contribute to success were the cause oI their Iailure.
Although technological advances, sexual promiscuity, and conIormity contribute to the success
oI a Utopian society, these aspects are also the reason Ior downIall.

Throughout the novel, Huxley uses Bernard Marx, a young man who is 'deIormed by the
government (Huxley, page #) to underline the idea that a Utopian Society cannot exist. The
advancement oI technology has enabled this 'Utopian Society to create human liIe. Although
the entire society is based on technology, it remains supervised by humans. No matter how
'advanced this technology may be, iI humans are directing it, mistakes will be made 'They say
somebody made a mistake when he was still in the bottle... and put alcohol into his blood-
surrogate. That`s why he`s so stunted (Huxley, 46).

The outcome oI what happened to Bernard Iorced him to see that mistakes were one reason a
Utopian Society could not exist. The Character Bernard Marx is an example oI human
imperIection, not because he was reIerred to as deIormed, but because the person who created
him messed up. Individuals were decanted according to speciIication. Any deviation was
evidently the result oI some mistake, a mistake made by a human. These technological
developments weren`t advanced enough to create such a perIect society. Bernard was an example
oI this undesired reality. He was deemed an outcast due to his imperIection. Being an outcast,
however, allowed him to see the world diIIerently. He was able to realize how everything was
being manipulated and he was able to discern that it was wrong.

Bernard noticed the manipulation oI Lenina. Lenina wanted to have sex with just one person, but
she wasn`t allowed. 'Everyone belongs to everyone else (page #) was one oI the world state`s
mottoes. Sexual promiscuity eliminates emotional tension. By eliminating tension and anxiety
the World State was able to better control its citizens. Bernard sees that when Lenina is Iorced to
have sex with many men, she is hurt. The Iact that there is no escaping emotions and sexual
promiscuity may eliminate the tension Ior what is occurring now, could aIIect people greatly.

Being labeled deIormed as well as being an outcast, Bernard Ielt emotional stress. He was one oI
the Iew who did not conIorm. Conditioning did not make Bernard accept liIe as the government
presented it. He was not satisIied with his liIe and produced a Ieeling oI happiness.

The World State views conIormity as an essential aspect oI achieving a perIect place. Yet, there
will always be someone who strays Irom conIormity or is diIIerent Irom the prescribed
standards. Bernard is a demonstration that a perIect society cannot be created, because he is a
Iault oI the society.

According to Bernard`s example, iI one person is able to hold on to individuality, many other
people will as well. Everyone that belonged to the perIect society was conditioned, told what to
do, and stripped oI Ireedom. The deprivation oI Ireedom served as the barrier to humanity. A
perIect society or utopia is impossible to obtain. Nothing is perIect especially iI humanity is
involved. The World State was trying to create a world oI robots, oI people programmed to have
no opinion and no mind oI their own. Naturally, human beings will have instinct and emotions.
Humanity and perIection cannot coexist with each other.

The intellectual roots oI AI, and the concept oI intelligent machines, may be Iound in Greek
mythology. Intelligent artiIacts appear in literature since then, with real (and Iraudulent)
mechanical devices actually demonstrating behaviour with some degree oI intelligence. AIter
modern computers became available Iollowing World War II, it has become possible to create
programs that perIorm diIIicult intellectual tasks. Even more importantly, general purpose
methods and tools have been created that allow similar tasks to be perIormed.

Knowledge Processing -- From File Servers to Knowledge Servers. By Edward Feigenbaum.

"This chapter Irom Ray Kurzweil's The Age oI Intelligent Machines (published in 1990)
addresses the history and development oI AI, and where it was headed, circa 1990." Excerpt:
"Like all creators, scientists and technologists must dream, must put Iorth a vision, or else they
relegate their work to almost pointless incrementalism. ... The early dreaming included dreams
about intelligent behavior at very high levels oI competence. Turing speculated on wide-ranging
conversations between people and machines and on chess playing programs. Later Newell and
Simon wrote about champion-level chess programs and began their work toward that end.
Samuel (checker playing), Gelernter (geometry-theorem proving), and others shared the dream.
At StanIord, Lederberg and I chose reasoning in science as our task and began work with
Buchanan and Djerassi on building a program that would elucidate chemical structure at a high
level oI competence: the DENDRAL program."

: "Computers and Thought is indeed a treasure. Some oI the papers are as important today Ior
their Iundamental ideas as they were in the late 1950s and early 1960s when they were written.
Others are interesting as early milestones oI Iields that have expanded and changed dramatically.
AIew are interesting in that they represent work that simply did not go anywhere. Some oI the
papers describe key work that is not typically taught any more, but is 'buried' deeply in the
conceptual structure oI AI?a heritage that needs to be honored and preserved. ... Today?s young
AI researcher can not easily imagine the excitement oI the early years oI AI, Irom which the
papers oI this volume are drawn." You can see which papers were included by viewing the
Contents page.
Bzzz! Bzzz!" The alarm went oII, and Susan Calvin rolled over. It was 6:30
in the morning, and RoboTimer had done its job admirably, waking her up to the
second oI the time that it had been Iactory-programmed. UnIortunately, it hadn't
been set to the correct date, and when it announced "Saturday, December 14th!
Good morning!" in a load cheery tone, she groaned out load with the realization
that it was Saturday, and aIter that aIIair with the hyperdrive motor, she
wanted to sleep in, since it she had just come back to earth. "I hate this
stupid robot!" she yelled out loud, then suddenly closed her mouth. For Susan
Calvin had just remembered that her pact with the satans, as she thought oI them,
known to the robotics world as the team oI Powell and Donovan. She stretched,
rolled out oI bed, and went downstairs, wrapping a robe around her as she went,
to get some coIIee. "Well, since I'm already up, I might as well take a look at
the rest oI those Rasssjemani-Quazaric-Smith Equations and see why they were
causing all those robots to go psycho," she thought. "Good thing that U.S.
Robots and Mechanical Men hushed up that little incident, I'd be out oI a job iI
the whole world, the xenophobic and primally-IearIul lot oI them, knew about
that!" As she got out and buttered her toast, she mulled the day ahead oI her in
her mind. Weekends were never truly weekends Ior Susan Calvin, as she was Iorced
to work Ior most oI the weekend, with her only respite being Sunday, which she
was allowed to come in an hour late Ior. However, she usually Iound herselI
working late into the night on Sundays, out oI an artiIicially induced guilt
that she knew was not real, but could do nothing to correct. AIter being driven
to work (working Ior the company that produced every MechTaxi in existence did
have some perks aIter all), greeting the doorman, and going up to her oIIice,
Susan Calvin was ready to look at those equations! She only needed a small
period oI time to warm up, and the wakeup-breakIast-come to work routine
suIIiced. Almost as soon as she had sat down to work, the Founder oI U.S. Robots
came in and said, "I need to speak with you, Calvin. There's been more reports
in across the nation oI those psycho robots, all oI them with positronic brains
built using the Rasssjemani-Quazaric-Smith Equations. We will be ruined, and
drawn and quartered by the masses iI we don't start hushing this up again and
Iix that problem!" Susan smiled at him, with an evil glint in her eye. "Junk the
equations. They are obviously unstable. Why do you bother me with this? I am not
even a Iull-time mathematician! Have completely new equations written up, not
those kludges that the robots have been running on since the late nineties
Utopia can be deIined as a place immune Irom inhumane treatment and absent oI the hardships
oI society , where the population is blindIolded Irom Iear, anxiety, and general negative aspects
oI human nature. A utopia can be generalized as that perIect society. This is one type oI a drastic
society. There is another, more appalling type oI society, that oI a dystopia. A Dystopia is nor a
Iairyland or the promised-land like the utopia is, it looks at the chaos, anarchy, rebellion and
disorder oI a society. As we compare these two opposite society types, there are two books that
are the poster child oI utopia and dystopia. Those two books are Kurt Vonnegut's "Player Piano",
and Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange". In Kurt Vonnegut's "Player Piano" we Iollow
the hero Paul Protues through his utopian society. Where in his society they have just recovered
Irom a ten year war and now has been built up and ran completely by machines. Furthermore a
super computer always controls the populations actions, it acts as a shepherd leading the sheep.
However where there are sheep there is always a ever lurking black sheep, Paul is that oI a black
sheep. Through his journey in this utopian society we Iollow his rebellion against the super
computer and machines. As Paul progresses in his society it becomes less and less oI a utopia on
more and more oI a Iorce Ied, totally governed society where there is little Ireewill. As we Iollow
his expedition we can see the changing society Irom a utopia to what Paul perceives as a
dystopia. In Anthony Burgess's "A Clockwork Orange" we observe the antagonist Alex in his
blatant dystopia society. Where in his society they have high criminal activity and Iew police.
We Iollow Alex and his "droogs" as they acts like Vikings, raping, pillaging, and burning. Alex
has no respect Ior law and order he rebels in part one oI the novel . However Alex is eventually
caught by the police and put in jail. In jail he is tricked to being rehabilitated to becoming a
productive member oI society. AIter this Iorced rehabilitation Alex is then to perceive society as
a utopian society and stop being so violent. He has lost his own Ireewill and his identity. When
ever Alex thinks oI violent images he then gets sick to his stomach. When Alex is released back
into society he is no longer the victimized but rather the victim oI society. Alex becomes
unhappy and has no choice in what he does. In Iurther examination we can see in both novels
that when there is a dystopia society there is Ireewill, no one to rule you, however the more you
move towards a utopian society you become the ruled and Ireewill is compromised severely. In
both
Asimov's Iirst published story was in 1939 it was entitled "Marooned OII Vesta". This story was
Ieatured in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction. The astounding publisher oI this magazine
was John W. Campbell Jr. He and Asimov had a close relationship and it was this that gave
Asimov his beginning oI a prosperous career. Asimov wrote mainly science Iiction stories about
robots. His themes oI his stories were mainly based around his ideas that robots were rational
programmable beings and Iriendly towards humans (Bloom, 251).

Asimov's stories are mainly based around science Iiction. He was a very intelligent man and this
showed through in his stories. They were very technologically advanced. Asimov was Iascinated
with robots. He wrote mainly oI their adventures. All oI his stories shared a main theme. This
theme was derived Irom the 3 laws oI robotics as Asimov had Iormed them. They are:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to
harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conIlict
with the Iirst law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conIlict with the
Iirst or second laws. (Magill, 877)

These laws are apparent in all oI Asimov's stories about robots. The plots oI his stories used
these laws and tested them. In many oI his stories he compares robots to humans, and illustrates
humans' Iear oI machines.

Religion is a main inIluence Ior Asimov's stories. Asimov was an atheist. He believed in nothing
at all. In Iact he considered religion harmIul to people. " I would not be satisIied to have my kids
choose to be religious without trying to argue them out oI it, just as I would not be satisIied to
have them decide to smoke regularly or engage in any other practice I consider detrimental to
mind or body"(qtd. In Brummond, 3). So Asimov really did not like religion. He had proclaimed
many times that he had no Iaith but more oIten than not in stories religion was present. In one oI
his most Iamous stories the entire story is based around the Christianity story. This story has a
negative outlook Ior at the end destruction is apparent and that resembles how Christians Iear
hell. In most oI Asimov's stories iI religion is present but it is not to gloriIy it (Brummond, 1).

Another inIluence to Asimov's stories was two oI the societies to which he belonged. One
society The Wodehouse Society Asimov used the butler Jeeves in many oI his stories. This
character played a major part oI Asimov's Black Widower stories also the Wodehouse society
gained recognition in his Azazel stories. The other group, which Asimov belonged to, that
inIluenced his writing was the Trap Door Spiders. This was an all male group that met one
Friday per month. Many oI the characters in the Black Widower stories were based on members
oI this group. The groups that Asimov belonged to were inIluential to his works and can be seen
today (Seiler, 10).

Asimov had many inIluences on his career. Many oI them were ones he picked up during his liIe
through experiences. He was a hardworking man and learned responsibility Irom his early job
with his Iamily. He lived and Iought in World War 2. This was also another inIluence to his
work. His personal knowledge and love Ior writing are one oI the main reasons Asimov wrote
such wonderIul stories.

Many oI Asimov's stories were very inIluential in his time and still are today. At the time oI their
publications science Iiction was not very popular. The stories Asimov was writing were much
diIIerent Iorm the popular stories during that era. However Asimov helped to gain science Iiction
acceptance. Asimov wrote diIIerent subject matter and it was his manner oI writing that made
him popular. When he began writing about robots they were viewed as negative, because many
people misunderstood them and they seemed impractical. Asimov had to overcome many
prejudices to make his stories popular (Allen, 24)