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"Modern science fiction is the only form of literature that consistently considers the nature of the changes that face us, the possible consequences, and the possible solutions."
- Isaac Asimov
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| Electronic Bard | ||
| A computing machine that is able to write original poetry. |
In his inimitable way, Trurl does his best to bring his new machine up to scratch as a poet. He "bypassed half the logic circuits and made the emotive more electromotive," "intensified the semantic fields and attached a strength of character component," "installed a philosophical throttle," "jacked the semanticity up all the way, plugged in an alternating ryhme generator," and finally, in a burst of inspiration, he tossed out all the logic circuits and replaced them with "self-regulating egocentripital narcissistors."
| Trurl let the machine warm up first, kept the power low, ran up the metal stairs several times to take readings ) the machine was like the engine of a giant steamer, galleried, with rows of rivets, dials and valves on every tier) - till, finally satisfied all the decimal places were where they ought to be, he said yes, it was ready now...
Now that the potentiometers indicated the machine's lyrical capacitance was charged to the maximum, and Trurl, so nerous his hands were shaking, threw the master switch. A voice, slightly husky but remarkably vibrant and bewitching, said: "Phlogisticosh. Rhomothriglyph. Floof." "Am I missing something?" said Klapaucius, calmly watching a panic-stricken Trurl struggling at the controls... Trurl stuck his head out of a trapdoor on the third story and yelled, "Now try it!" The electronic bard shuddered from stem to stern... |
| From The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age,
by Stanislaw Lem. Published by Unknown in 1965 Additional resources -
|
For more on this topic, take a look at the entry for the verse transcriber from J.G. Ballard's short story collection The Vermillion Sands.
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Tech news articles related to The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age
Tech news articles related to works by Stanislaw Lem
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- The Infinite Adventure Machine Generates Fairy Tale Plots
- 'STANDUP' Computer Comedian
- The Poet Is A Computer
| A Bayesian Approach to Safe Imitation Learning For AIs and Robots |
| Our GodBot, Who Art In Cyberspace |
| Will Robots Be Moral If We Raise Them Like Our Children? |
| Rule Of Humans By Software Not Transparent |
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Then some unknown race had chanced upon the dreamers and decided to "help them out."
'Improving man by bringing him close to Nature, while they combine the sensations of coasting with the interest of seeing the country well...'
Um, how about that pension for the humans who serve as the models for robot behavior?
'...used as surrogates in intense dependency cases.'
'Across the ground something small and metallic came, flashing in the dull sunlight of midday.'
