He may have left the Soviet Union as a child, but I believe he carried the traditional Russian tendency to believe in an innately superior elite’ with him to his dying day.
Asimov had an ego the size of Texas…”Good Doctor”, indeed. He did have a way with words, though.
October 14, 2025 at 3:44 am
Tom Stockton
Henry,
I thought I knew Asimov fairly well, but I am not familiar with the “Zeroth Law”. When you have a moment or two, would you please enlighten me about this?
As I get older, I suspect that many of the things I learned when I was younger are not necessarily true — but it can be difficult to accept my newer knowledge of things I “thought were true”. I am learning several things from Mr. Muir AND the commentators, and want to know more. I appreciate learning from the experiences of other who may know things that I don’t — and am somewhat surprised to learn that there are the number of things that I thought were true, but are not necessarily so.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.
Except for the loon that joins us occasionally, who’s “name” I don’t remember at this moment — you, Sir or Madame, can go suck eggs.
Regards,
Tom Stockton
p.s. to eon — I would also like to know more about Mr. Asimov as well.
Good Asimov refresher. I had been thinking along the lines of:
– Keep your money in your front pocket.
– Never talk to ‘the Man’.
– Never do full-on crazy.
A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
This law was introduced to address scenarios where the well-being of humanity as a whole might conflict with the well-being of individual humans.
I think this would be best expressed by a line from the Star Trek TOS episode “I, Mudd”: “You will be happy…but controlled!”
You know: a wholesome, antiseptic galaxy that would be Purgatory for most of us!
“The zeroth law of thermodynamics states that if two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third system, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other. This law helps define temperature and justifies the use of thermometers.”
9 Comments
It wasn’t until Asimov invented and “justified” the “Zeroth Law” that I realized what an authoritarian elitist he was and always had been.
He may have left the Soviet Union as a child, but I believe he carried the traditional Russian tendency to believe in an innately superior elite’ with him to his dying day.
clear ether
eon
Asimov had an ego the size of Texas…”Good Doctor”, indeed. He did have a way with words, though.
Henry,
I thought I knew Asimov fairly well, but I am not familiar with the “Zeroth Law”. When you have a moment or two, would you please enlighten me about this?
As I get older, I suspect that many of the things I learned when I was younger are not necessarily true — but it can be difficult to accept my newer knowledge of things I “thought were true”. I am learning several things from Mr. Muir AND the commentators, and want to know more. I appreciate learning from the experiences of other who may know things that I don’t — and am somewhat surprised to learn that there are the number of things that I thought were true, but are not necessarily so.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.
Except for the loon that joins us occasionally, who’s “name” I don’t remember at this moment — you, Sir or Madame, can go suck eggs.
Regards,
Tom Stockton
p.s. to eon — I would also like to know more about Mr. Asimov as well.
Thank you.
Ironic isn’t it, that Jo may have to break the “law” in order to to enforce it?
Break what law? The First Law is “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”
Obeying orders of a human is the Second Law. She HAS to protect Mari.
Good Asimov refresher. I had been thinking along the lines of:
– Keep your money in your front pocket.
– Never talk to ‘the Man’.
– Never do full-on crazy.
A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.
This law was introduced to address scenarios where the well-being of humanity as a whole might conflict with the well-being of individual humans.
I think this would be best expressed by a line from the Star Trek TOS episode “I, Mudd”: “You will be happy…but controlled!”
You know: a wholesome, antiseptic galaxy that would be Purgatory for most of us!
Zar Belk!
“The zeroth law of thermodynamics states that if two systems are each in thermal equilibrium with a third system, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other. This law helps define temperature and justifies the use of thermometers.”
That’ll never happen in Texas…