Analysis of Asimov's Story on Human Creative Mind and Machine Dominance

What the story teaches about being human

1. What does the story teach you about what it means to be a human being?
The story teaches that human beings possess a creative mind. If the creativity is nourished to the highest possible extent, a human mind, human brain can create, invent as well as modify machines like robot which are more intelligent that human beings. However, human being are emotional as well as egoistic. More specifically, they tend to dominate their own creation without admitting the fact that they are able to invent machines possessing more knowledge as well as intelligence as compared to mankind (Asimov).

2. What does it teach us about the deeper meaning of our existence?
The story teaches us the existence of human being is the sole reason behind the magnificent innovation fostered by creative minds of human beings. This in turn, capable of producing or creating very powerful machines, which can surpass the boundaries of knowledge and intelligence of human beings, and make human beings dependent on the machines created by themselves (Asimov).

3. What do Susan Calvin’s actions in the different part of the story reveal about the workings of human mind?
Susan and Calvin’s actions in different parts of the story reveals that human mind cannot accept the truth that, those who are guided or created through the efforts of a human being can, for instance, often a child who are literally born from within a human body, can acquire more knowledge as well as wisdom as compared to the creator of the child or parents. This reflected, through the action of Susan Calvin of not admitting her flaws, especially when the flaws are identified by the ‘machine’. Also the domination casted upon the creation of a human mind, pain of being defeated felt by human mind over the human creation reflected when tears dropped from Susan’s eyes while saying-“ “I don’t want to know what he thinks,….Keep quiet.” (Asimov).

4. Since Herbie is a human creation, its action reflects human behavior. What do his particular action reveal about human mind and ways of thinking?
At the the time of reading three books , Herbie acted like a human being, and pulled a chair to another side of a table. After that, like a studious as well as meritorious student, he started studying all the three books, in a systematic manner. The above mentioned actioned of Herbie reflected many things about human, mind nature as well as ways of thinking. The mind of a common man prefers a comfortable position when he needs to study anything carefully, such as sitting on a chair and keeping the book on the table. As the human perceptions, or way of thinking this position of reading a book enhances the concentration of a person while studying. A human mind thinks that , use of chair and table at the time of studying help to retain the focus as compared to studying on sofa or bed. Again, a human mind generally thinks that, in order to go through several reading materials or books, a specific discipline or system needs to be followed. Such thinking as well as perception of human mind is revealed through the action of Herbie (Asimov).

5. How do Boggert, Lanning and Ashe’s action also contribute to the understanding of human behaviour and ways of thinking?
Dr. Alfred Lanning, whom was the inventor of a robot empowered with a voice, contributes largely with the human behavior as well as thinking. Prior to this invention, we used to think that, only a human being can comprehend as well as understand the response of another human being with the use of brain. Also we, the humans used to consider that, only human brain can understand the logics of the words said, instruction provided by another human being. But, the invention of a robot equipped with all possible logic as well as responses of human instructions, along with the facility of speaking transformed, the above mentioned human behavior as well as the ways of thinking. The contribution encompasses, the invention of a robot which has the capacity to analyze as well as comprehend human instruction with logic. Human behavior are encrypted with codes or programming language associated with robotics and stored within the software chip, along with three hip of providing response in a voice similar to human voice (Asimov).