Issac Asimov A Quick Quiz

Answer this quiz and find out some fascinating details about Issac Asimov. If you do not know the answers, just guess them. Do not google. Do not ask your parents. This is just a fun exercise.

1. Issac Asimov was born in: a. India b. Singapore c. Russia d. New York

2. When Asimov was 3 years old, his family migrated to: a. India b. Singapore c. Russia d. New York

3. His family owned a …………………………… in which they also sold newspapers, magazines and pulp literature. This provided young Asimov a place to read and he fell in love with words. a. grocery store b. coffee shop c. book stall d. candy store

4. When he grew old, he did his graduation and pursued his doctorate in: a. Literature b. Biology c. Robotics d. Chemistry

5. Which of the following is not true of Asimov? a. He joined army and worked as a chemist. b. He worked as a professor of Biochemistry. c. He began his own robotics company. d. He wrote science fiction.

6. Issac Asimov began writing at the age of: a. 11 years b. 18 years c. 30 years d. 40 years

7. Asimov’s most successful literary output dates between 1941- 1953, during which he published his famous novelette, ………………… that was voted the best science fiction story of all time in 1964. a. Dusk B. Nightfall c. Twilight d.Daybreak

8. Which of the statements is not true? Asimov wrote: a. Science fiction b. Bible translation c. History books. d. Chemistry books

9. His collection of robotic stories is titled: a. Robotic Empire b. I Robot c. Galactic Empire d. Interstellar

10. One of the following is not the Big 3 of Science Fiction: a. Ray Bradbury b. Arthur Clark C. Robert A Heinlein d. Issac Asimov Check your answers now:

Coming up in next lesson: The Fun They Had by Issac Asimov.

The world as we know it has changed in the blink of an eye. Schools across the world have suspended physical classrooms and shifted to online classes which are becoming extremely popular during this time of social isolation. I have chosen the following story because it is relevant to our current situation. The story is about a school in the future: a computer.

Most early computers were extremely limited in versatility and speed, so it’s fairly remarkable that Asimov was able to imagine highly individualized, intelligent machines that are miniaturized, yet able to hold an infinite amount of information. In 1946, the University of Pennsylvania announced the development of the ENIAC computer that was able to calculate in 30 seconds a problem that would take a human 20 hours to solve. The press nicknamed the computer the “Giant Brain,” and it exhilarated not only scientists, but also the imagination and curiosity of the general public, sparking debate to the future possibilities and powers of computers.

“The Fun They Had” speaks directly to these debates and the rising power of computers and the questions of technological progress that were prevalent in the early 1950s and still are today.