| RTD2, who actually liked to call himself "Artie De True" | | | | the same conversation without batting an eye. They |
| after the humor circuit had been added to his metallic | | | | often elect the least intellectually able to run countries. |
| cranium, stopped by the computer lab on his way to | | | | They pay large sums of money for frivolous pursuits |
| work at the Infinite Robotics Factory. | | | | and small amounts for serious enterprises." |
| His friend, Random Bytes, a new flat screen, | | | | "Can you explain to me what is going on, then?" |
| completely automated psychological responsive unit | | | | "Yes. You see, human beings really are very smart. |
| was not busy and had time to see him. | | | | But they don't know it." |
| "How can I help you?" asked RB as soon as Artie had | | | | "Another paradox?" |
| hit the blue 'on' button. (Incidentally, RB hated the | | | | "Yes." |
| electronic echo in his voice, but there was little he could | | | | "Well, what is going on? Is it a malfunction in their |
| do about it. The malfunction arose because of his | | | | circuits?" |
| boring television-style design.) | | | | "Although the average human brain is only about three |
| "I think I'm having a malfunction since the new | | | | pounds it has enough brain cells, neural pathways, and |
| QuickQuips chips has been added to my | | | | redundant circuits to run a galaxy." |
| electroneurology." | | | | "How come?" |
| "Can you tell me more?" | | | | "They are massive parallel computers." |
| "When I tell humans that they are 'as dumb as they | | | | "What systems are parallel?" |
| look,' they appear to not see it as funny. I thought it | | | | "There are three systems. The super-conscious |
| was original wit, since I reprogrammed the joke that | | | | system allows them to get non-local information. This is |
| said, 'I'm not as dumb as I look.'" | | | | referred to as psychic information. The conscious |
| "How do they react?" | | | | system allows them to get local information. This is |
| "They appear offended and react strongly. Some are | | | | referred to as applied knowledge. Finally, the |
| hurt and others attack me." | | | | sub-conscious system allows them to coordinate all |
| "Do you think it's true?" | | | | levels of information, both local and non-local. This is |
| "I don't know." | | | | referred to as panmensia, or total recall." |
| "Why do you say it?" | | | | "That is pretty impressive. Of course, it leaves me |
| "Well sometimes they really are pretty dumb. They | | | | even more confused. How can so much equipment do |
| can't multiply or divide rapidly. Logical syllogisms baffle | | | | so little?" |
| them. And when I offer them more than two choices, | | | | "There are also subsystems. In the conscious system |
| they freeze up." | | | | alone, there are three possible information routines. |
| "Why does this confuse you?" | | | | One is logical information processing. Another is |
| "Since they made me, I figure they ought to be more | | | | creative information processing. And a third is a |
| intelligent. How can an unintelligent creator make an | | | | synergy between the two, called holistic thinking." |
| intelligent robot?" | | | | "Unbelievable! What do I have going for me?" |
| "Do you also have the Oxymoron chip?" | | | | "You have a unisystem with one information routine. In |
| "Yes, that was part of my previous upgrade. Do you | | | | comparison to a human being you have only a |
| think it might be running interference waves with my | | | | conscious system that is capable of logical |
| new QuickQuips chip?" | | | | processing." |
| "It is not relevant. Humans are able to entertain many | | | | "I don't get why I appear to be smarter!" |
| paradoxical ideas and still function fairly well. | | | | "It's because you use the little that you have, dummy! |
| Sometimes they are able to contradict themselves in | | | | |