S07 → N400
The Spike of Fascinating & Unexpected
SPIKE 13
→ ROBOT.
(/RETROFUTURISM)
© 1. Holmes and Walston — Robby the Robot programmed to be Sherlock Holmes (1975) / 2. unknown — Lois January Talking to a Robot (1930s) / 3. Bettmann — Robot Helping Children Cross Street (1967) / 4. unknown — Angela Cartwright in Lost In Space (TV 1965 – 68) / 5. Westinghouse Electric Corporation — Sparko, the robot dog that could bark, sit, and beg (1940) / 6. Clayton Bailey — ON/OFF, The Wonder Robot (1976) / 7. Fritz Lang — Metropolis (1927) / 8. Everett Collection Inc — The Adventures of Superman, 'The Runaway Robot' (1953) / 9. Columbo — 'Mind over Mayhem' (1974) / 10. Sherwood “Woody” Fuehrer — Gismo the Peaceful (1956) / 11. Antoni Gual Segura/Radio Vilafranca del Penedès — El Chispas (1950s) / 12. Harry May/Mullard Valve Company — Alpha, the most perfect robot in the World (1932) / 13. Doctor Who — Dalek on location at Beachfields Quarry in Redhill, England / 'Frontier in Space' (1973).
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The word “robot” comes from the Czech word “robota”, which means “forced labour” or “drudgery.” It was first introduced by Czech playwright Karel Čapek in his 1920 play “R.U.R.” (Rossum’s Universal Robots). In the play, robots are artificial beings created to serve humans but eventually rebel against their creators. The term quickly gained popularity and became widely used to describe autonomous mechanical beings in science fiction and eventually in real-world contexts.
Retrofuturism is an interesting concept to connect with robots. It is a creative movement that reflects how people in the past envisioned the future. It often combines old-fashioned styles with futuristic technology, showcasing a blend of vintage aesthetics and advanced technological concepts. In retrofuturism, robots often appear as imagined in the early 20th century, embodying the sleek, shiny, and sometimes anthropomorphic designs that reflect the optimistic and imaginative visions of the future from that era. The concept of a robot butler or servant, commonly depicted in retrofuturistic art and media, can trace its roots back to even earlier speculative fiction. One of the earliest examples is the mechanical servant from “Metropolis,” a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction film directed by Fritz Lang. The robot, named Maria, was one of the first depictions of a humanoid robot in cinema and had a major influence on the design and conceptualization of robots in subsequent science fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a renowned science fiction writer, introduced later the Three Laws of Robotics in his 1942 short story “Runaround.” These laws were designed to govern the behaviour of robots and ensure they act safely and ethically. The Three Laws of Robotics are:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
These laws have become a fundamental concept in science fiction and have been explored, questioned, and expanded upon in various works by Asimov and other authors.
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