"Asimov, Isaac - Robot City - Robots and Aliens 06 - Humanity - Jerry Oltion (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

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 CONTENTS

Introduction by Isaac Asimov
1. Homecoming 1
2. The Law of the Jungle 24
3. Hide and Seek 45
4. Emotion in Motion 69
5. Human Nature 87
6. A Meeting of Minds 104
7. The T'hud of One Dropped Shoe124
8. The Other Shoe Drops 142
9. Ile Final Accounting 160
Data Bank 179
 ROBOTS AND EVOLUTION
BY ISAAC ASIMOV

In general, there are two types of change that take place in the Universe:
catastrophic and evolutionary.
A catastrophic change is characterized by a large alteration of conditions
in a short period of time. An evolutionary change is characterized by slow
alterations of conditions over a long period of time.
Clearly, catastrophic change is more dramatic, but if we observe the
Universe around us, it is equally clear that evolutionary change is the
rule.
A star shines for anywhere from many millions to many billions of years,
slowly evolving, until it reaches a point where (if it is large enough)
there is an overbalancing, so to speak, and, in the space of a few minutes
or a few hours, it explodes as a supernova and collapses. Catastrophe! But,
thereafter, it exists as a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole, and
returns to prolonged evolutionary change.
Again, a huge cloud of dust and gas slowly circling and condensing
undergoes evolutionary change, until its center reaches the level of
temperature and pressure where nuclear fusion can begin. There is then