Talk:Isaac Asimov/Archive 7

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Topics from 2010

Photograph

Given that Asimov is so well known for his wild sideburns, as opposed to his earlier scientist picture, shouldn't the profile picture be one of him later in life with those sideburns.--RossF18 (talk) 06:18, 19 January 2010 (UTC)

I had the same thought on seeing the picture. --Steve Stair (talk) 16:28, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

I too have wondered about this, see below. Debresser (talk) 20:37, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Three Laws of Robotics

Hi

Having had the article Three Laws of Robotics delisted from FA I am trying to start a little initiative to get it back up to FAC status.

Please can anyone who has a specific interest go to Work required and look at the problems listed and comment on any ideas they may have in the section Addressing the problems below it.

Any responses please place in the relevant section after the Proposed solution header

Thanks Chaosdruid (talk) 02:52, 3 August 2010 (UTC)

Dewey Decimal System

There seems to be some debate about the categories of the Dewey decimal system that Asimov is published in. According to the article, he is published in 9 of 10. This statement permeates many websites I have searched, and they all reference (including this page) www.asimovonline.com. The problem is that that site doesn't state that fact. It states that he is published in categories 200, 400, 500, 600, and 700, and it specifically states that he is not published in Philosophy (100). I have yet to find an actual list of publications in 300, 800, and 900, although I don't doubt that these writings exist. My qualm with the statement is that the reference isn't accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.227.130.30 (talk) 04:15, 8 August 2010 (UTC)

Does a library book in an OPAC count as a reference? If so, I have a source about him writing the foreword to a book in the 100s: http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb2213878. --BDD (talk) 23:00, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

If the reference does not say it then delete it. However Asimov states the same fact in his memoir I Asimov. Richard75 (talk) 20:21, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

Views

"The same memoir states his belief that Hell is "the drooling dream of a sadist" crudely affixed to an all-merciful God; if even human governments were willing to curtail cruel and unusual punishments, wondered Asimov, why would punishment in the afterlife not be restricted to a limited term?"

Cf. Talmud (Mishnah Eduyot, chap. 2, end): "The judgment of the wicked in Gehenna is twelve months," and an alternate opinion there, which further limits same to less than two months.

Toddcs (talk) 02:56, 8 October 2010 (UTC)

The Talmud is irrelevant here. -- 98.108.206.28 (talk) 01:46, 4 October 2011 (UTC)

Isaac Asimov#Views

I see no call for this: "He did, however, continue to identify himself as Jewish in the ethnic sense…" No source says that he continued to identify himself as "Jewish in the ethnic sense…" That is an elaboration not supported by sources. His words need no embellishment as they speak for themselves when he is quoted as saying, "I attend no services and follow no ritual and have never undergone that curious puberty rite, the bar mitzvah. It doesn't matter. I am Jewish." Bus stop (talk) 04:00, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

That's your opinion. I provided accurate compromise wording and you reverted that as well. You appear to simply be edit warring for the sake of edit warring. Yworo (talk) 04:06, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yworo—this is uncalled for. And this is uncalled for. He did not identify himself in any of those ways. Find a source to support your unsourced elaborations or leave them out. Bus stop (talk) 04:16, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

His words confirming the description are right in front of your face. Yworo (talk) 04:20, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

In any case, I didn't write the first diff you show, but I agree with it. Nothing is uncalled for, because he said it both implicitly and explicitly. Your bald assertion that "He did not identify himself in any of those ways" is demonstrably false. You are getting rather uncivil and tendentious and you should stop that. Yworo (talk) 04:37, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yworo—thank you for providing that source. In the infobox it reads "Ethnicity: Jewish". Do you find sources referring to Asimov's "ethnicity" as being Jewish? Bus stop (talk) 05:04, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yes, he says "I am Jewish". Your literalness is incorrect and tendentious applications of your own personal rules. "Jewish" is an ethnic and religious term. If someone says they are Jewish, they mean one or the other or both. Asimov's statements are quite clear on the matter. Do you have a source that contradicts this? Yworo (talk) 05:07, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yworo—I have seen no source to support that Asimov's "ethnicity" is Jewish. Do you know of a source asserting that Asimov's "ethnicity" is Jewish, as the infobox asserts? Bus stop (talk) 05:36, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yup, sources state that his parents were "Russian Jews". I see Russian has been left out of the infobox, I'll add it. A source doesn't have to use the word "ethnicity" to make an assertion about it. Yworo (talk) 05:42, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Yworo—you are asserting that Jewish is an ethnicity for Asimov. You cannot do that unless a source supports that Jewish is an ethnicity for Asimov, or that is original research. You are adding material. WP:BURDEN says: "The burden of evidence lies with the editor who adds or restores material." What source supports that "Jewish", for Asimov, is an "ethnicity"?

Combining Russian with Jewish does not satisfy the requirement for a source to support that Asimov's ethnicity is Jewish. Bus stop (talk) 06:00, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Have you read the article on ethnic group lately? Perhaps you should. "An ethnic group (or ethnicity) is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture (often including a shared religion) and an ideology that stresses common ancestry". When Asimov says "I am Jewish" he was expressing an ethnic identification. When a source says he was "of Russian Jewish origin", it is making a statement about ethnicity. The source does not have to use the word to clearly convey the concept. Asimov isn't living. We don't have to have self-identification here... but we do. You are being tendentious. Are you sure you really want to continue to harass me about this? Yworo (talk) 08:15, 8 December 2010 (UTC)

Critical Survey of Long Fiction, Volume 1 by Carl Rollyson, p. 112: "Asimov was not religious but was proud of his Jewish ethnic heritage." ← George ^talk 10:11, 8 December 2010 (UTC)