The Growing Friendship as Depicted in Asimov's I, Robot

Examining human nature is fascinating to me because I gain insight into everyday actions and decisions: who we like, what we eat, and how we behave. A minute and previously unnoticed detail can make a huge impact on our lives and future, making this field crucial for success and happiness. After watching a psychology lecture on YouTube and discussing it online with a friend in China, I realized how much human behavior and technology intersect and impact each other and so decided to teach myself Python. I was invigorated by the combination of mental discipline, interdisciplinary collaborations, innovative approaches and creative thinking that computer science requires. My first result, “Hello World!” is a line of code, but it’s also a universal greeting that exemplifies how intertwined humans and technology are. As I developed interests in both of these fields, I started to understand that my search for a career has ended and I had a new goal: to live a purposeful life full of discoveries and explorations without boundaries. Learning about Psychology has enhanced my daily actions and relationships with peers and family members by making me more open, collaborative, empathetic and adventurous.

Cornell offers exceptional opportunities to satisfy my curiosity about exploring human psychology and development and discovering unpredictable connections among various disciplines. I’m excited to combine my studies in computer science and psychology by attending CS 4754, where I’ll work on a project to design an interactive robot and gain new understandings in cognitive science and its relation to robots. Ever since I read Isaac Asimov’s book “I, Robot,” I’ve been fascinated by the possibility of robots as “friends” and their interaction with humanity. Researchers are exploring how robots can work in a very human way, to help autistic children, for example, improve their social skills. Having an opportunity to share my ideas with and learn from professor Ross A. Knepper is inspiring and motivating because he is trying to create “clever” robots that would be adaptable and have characteristics similar to those of humans. He works in a multidisciplinary field with contributions from computer science, robotics, design, artificial intelligence and psychology, the areas which interest me the most. Whether I take PSYC 2750 and PSYC 3200 or CS 3220, or MATH 1120, after engaging professor led lectures and class discussions, I’ll be able to deepen my knowledge and consider new perspectives by gathering with friends in Amit Bhatia Libe café in the Olin Library and share my impressions and views.

While I began researching Cornell’s innovative CIS academic options to combine computer science, information science, and statistics, initially I thought that it was science fiction - like a work from Isaac Asimov or Philip K. Dick. But after absorbing all materials about this program, I realized that it was true and was so inspired because I know that it can open new, exciting horizons for me and humanity. The Computing And Informational Science degree at Cornell University offers a unique opportunity to acquire a wide set of skills and knowledge that will be easily applicable to the real world. The atmosphere at CIS, in which every person believes that they have a responsibility to effect change and influence others to explore their passions, would encourage me to further discover my interests. I love CIS’s broad learning approach, free and open inquiry attitude, and a diverse mix of people who have interests from robotics to medicine. I strongly believe that many of the problems our world faces today.