by 
Isaac Asimov
Prolific science fiction writer, professor of biochemistry at Boston University, and father of robotics, Isaac Asimov stands out as an individual of superior intelligence. A person of considerable ego who charms through his witty self-deprecating style: “I mean, I personally don’t want anyone around me who’s a genius; I can just barely stand myself.”
Isaac Asimov was born in Petrovichi, Smolensk Oblast, Russia.
Short stories include The Last Question, Night fall, The Bicentennial Man among others. Movies include I, Robot, Bicentennial Man, Nightfall, Probe, Gandahar.
Asimov was recognized by the 111th congress in 2010. The following passage appears in the text of the bill: “Whereas the second week in April each year is designated as National Robotics Week, recognized the accomplishments of Isaac Asimov, who immigrated to America, taught science, wrote science books for children and adults, first used the term robotics, developed the Three Laws of Robotics, and died in April, 1992.”
Asimov’s lectures on science were filled with humorous remarks that kept audiences in stitches. He was giving a talk at Newark College of Engineering in 1974 about the Future of Humanity in which he addressed the need for population control. The current number was just under 4 billion and he calculated that at the rate of a two percent increase worldwide, the population of the Earth was going to be seven billion* by the year 2000. “The death rate will go up, and we will die off through violence, through disease, through famine. The Earth’s population needs to be reduced.
“The only thing mankind has to decide is whether to let it be done in the old inhumane method that nature has always used, or to invent a new humane method of our own. That is the only choice that faces us; whether to lower the population catastrophically by a raised death rate, or to lower it humanely by a lowered birth rate. And we all make the choice. And I have a suspicion that we won’t make the right choice, which is the tragedy of humanity right now.
“But supposing we do? Supposing we imagine that we have entered the 21st century, and that we have survived? Then the question is: what kind of a world will we have survived into? What will the twenty-first century world be? If we survive, if there is a civilization, if there is a technology.
“Well, in the first place it’s going to be a low birth rate world, because the population will be too high at the beginning of the 21st century, and it may take a century to lower the population to some reasonable value.”
In his lecture he opines about the role of women and population control from a man’s point of view.
“But there are other things to remember. If we do have a very low birth rate, then what are we going to do with women?
“Seriously! When the germ theory finally came in and people learned how to arrange it so that women could have babies in reasonable safety, the world discovered to their surprise that women had a longer life expectancy than men. This had never been understood before, because throughout history women had, on the average, lived years and years less than men had. With all the dangers men faced, the hard work in the field, the hunting accidents, the killings in war, everything else, women died faster for one reason and one reason only: childbirth. Every woman had one baby after another until one of them killed her. Usually, it didn’t take long.
“Well then, why do women do this? Because they are carefully told that being a wife and mother is the most glorious thing in the world, the one thing they’re fit for, the most noble activity they can possibly have, and…and this is told to them until they believe it. And if they don’t believe it, there’s a lot of trouble made for them.
“But notice the difference: once you want women not to have children, you’re going to have to give them something else to do! It is absolutely impossible to tell a woman that she can’t have children, and at the same time that she can’t do anything else either except maybe wash an occasional dish. Because if you tell a woman that, she’ll figure out some way to have a baby!
“Well then, we are going to have to pretend…when I say “we”, I mean men…we’re going to have to pretend that women are people.
“And you know, pretending is a good thing because if you pretend long enough, you’ll forget you’re pretending you’ll begin to believe it.”
You think!?
According to Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov was the greatest explainer of the age. However, his words and wisdom are as relevant today as then, probably even more so.
A Graphoanalytic study of Asimov’s signature and handwriting reveals witty intellect, a deep understanding of human nature, and complete self-confidence.
The signature of Isaac Asimov penned at age 52 shows extreme rhythm and speed which allows him to produce comprehensive volumes in a short period of time. Interruptions are most unwelcome and to be avoided at all cost.
The way he forms the capital letter I indicates that there was a better relationship between him and his mother and rejection of the father figure.
Imagination is seen in the large loops of the capital letters as well as in the letters a and s. There are secrets within secrets to be protected until time of publication or disclosure. Or never.
His mind alters reality to suit his theories. Thus he mentally creates worlds, robots, space travel strategies that are literally out of this world, as exhibited in letters a in his script.
The i-dot is placed to the right over the v at the end of the name. He has not neglected this detail, however his mind is already racing into the future and that is where the point is being made.
The names are penned in a connected way which adds logic to abstract concepts and makes his theories utterly convincing. In addition, he believes himself to be right and competent. He can be self-deprecating and over-confident at the same time: “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.”
The handwritten comment My opinions are strong, but not necessarily authoritative. Please realize that was penned at age 45 and the message itself is representative of his unique character and personality.
The script reveals rhythm and speed, rigidity and resentment; traits that are all part of analytical mental processing and supportive of a statement he once made about not being a speed reader, but a speed understander.
The letter t gives evidence of high aspirations and excellent work ethic, combined with enthusiasm that cannot fail but excite and motivate students and others around him.
The tied knot at the end of words but and that represents persistence. In his own words: “You must keep sending work out. You must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you are working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success—but only if you persist.” A statement that continues to be standard advice to any writer of any genre.
Although a man of the last century, Isaac Asimov lamented on a subject very close to his heart that is relevant today more than ever:
“I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.”
Isaac Asimov died April 6, 1992 with AIDS that was traced back to a blood transfusion in 1983 when he underwent a surgical procedure. The doctors at the time were adamantly opposed to public disclosure of the illness. His wife later revealed this fact in a biographical book about Asimov called It’s Been a Good Life.
*Latest available number was 8,424,738,019 on December 31, 2013 according to Eduard Meier of Switzerland.
Skylar Khan lives on a vortex in Oracle. She is a Master Graphoanalyst and has been contributing articles to The Oracle Towne Crier about personality traits revealed through Handwriting Analysis. Her book “Handwriting Rocks” is informative and entertaining. For more information, please visit HandwritingAuthority.com
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