i,Robot (Pg. 136 to pg. 205)

Summary:

"Little Lost Robot" opens up by Spooner inquiring some of the history of robotics from Dr. Calvin. He justifies himself for wanting to know by talking about how there was only one mind-reading robot ever developed, that Space-Stations were obsolete, and that robot mining was taken for granted. We find out from Dr. Calvin that interstellar travel was not a simple feat and that until they had been trying until they invented the brain. Dr. Calvin's direct connection with interstellar research was in 2029, when a robot was lost. Drs. Calvin and Bogert, respectively Head Psychologist and Mathematical Director of United States Robot & Mechanical Men Corporation, were summoned by Dr. Kallner. Dr. Kallner had lost a robot and needed 'expert' help. Dr. Calvin almost embarrassed Dr. Kallner by asking what difference does a single robot make and why it had not yet been located. In self-defense, Dr. Kallner replies by saying that it had been located 'in a manner of speaking.' A cargo vessel was carrying 62 robots and now there were 63, a 'prodigal' robot was among the others, and it could not be identified.

Quote:

"The psychologist stared at him. 'Peter, don't you know realize what all this is about? Can't you understand what the removal of the First Law means? It isn't just a matter of secrecy" (Asimov 144).

Reaction: 

I picked this quote because removal of the first law would mean havoc. The first law is that they mustn't harm a human being. But what happens when the first and second law conflict. The second law is that they must obey human orders. The whole notion came about because of the Hyperatomic Drive. The etherist physicists want robots that won't interfere with them, that means bending the first rule. Peter says that he knows what that would mean, and the word he uses is 'instability.' Later on, a robot, number 28 gets interrogated. He was asked if he was in the Radiation Room of building two, and he answers yes. He was then asked if there a man who was dying in there, the answer was again, yes. He then had to justify himself for as to why he took no action to help the man. The reason was that the man had asked for the robot to not help. Because the robot had to follow rule number two, this violated rule number one.