I, Robot Science Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Story title.paragraph)

Quote #1

In 2008, she obtained her Ph.D. and joined United States Robots as a "Robopsychologist," becoming the first great practitioner of a new science. (Introduction.8)

Robopsychology (which doesn't exist, at least not yet) is probably the most important science in this book, and we might remember that Calvin is not the first robopsychologist—but she is the "first great practitioner." Which helps remind us that she's almost always right in these stories.

Quote #2

"But something might go wrong. Some— some—" Mrs. Weston was a bit hazy about the insides of a robot, "some little jigger will come loose and the awful thing will go berserk and— and—" (Robbie.77)

Here's Asimov's hint to us that we shouldn't worry about what Mrs. Weston worries about. Notice that Asimov interrupts Mrs. Weston's speech to remind us that she doesn't know what she's talking about. He really wants us to not be on her side here.

Quote #3

"It's just a case of remembering that oxalic acid on heating decomposes into carbon dioxide, water, and good old carbon monoxide. College chem, you know." (Runaround.168)

This doesn't help Powell and Donovan in the long run. They may know college chemistry, but the science that's really important here is robotics and Powell notes that he's "not a robot specialist" (Runaround.152). Well, that last part doesn't seem entirely true to us, but it's a good reminder that the science that matters here is robotics.