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Reading 1:”Strange Behavior”
After landing on the planet Gamma, humans initially confuse the sophisticated Gammese Robots for real Gammas. Once they understand the difference, the humans remain confused by the way the Gammas treat their robots—as if the robots were their equals, as if the robots had minds. After they quiz the Gammas about this, the humans—already convinced that machines can’t have minds—conclude that the Gammas don’t have minds either. The Gammas have a sophisticated culture that includes art, music, literature, and religion. The question becomes, What attitude should you take toward a creature which acts like it has a mind but does not?
Reading 2. “Life After Life.”
Charlie swallows a fishbone, blacks out, wakes up, and tries to reassure his family he is all right. However, they can’t hear him, and he sees a body just like his lying still on the floor. Charlie realizes that he has survived death as a disembodied soul. No God appears, and Charlie seems to be left to his own devices. He can observe the world in the normal way but can’t interact with it. Getting bored just observing things and being hugely disappointed by his family’s reaction to his death, Charlie tries to contact other souls. He succeeds but the other souls whom he can hear but not see or touch end up being disappointing companions. He wonders what the hell he’s supposed to do with himself.