In Aug. 16 1964 Isaac Asimov published an article for the New York world fair with his predictions for 2014; the title was Visit to the world fair of 2014.

The article was printed in the New York Times but as 2014 was 50 years away it drew little attention and the people who read the ​article took it as if it ​just ​was another fiction from his prolific mind.

In 1969 in a publisher’s conference​​ in New York Isaac Asimov was helping promote one of his new books. It was just a few months after the first moon landing and many people were excited to get his new book.  The line of people waiting for him to sign the first edition was unbelievably long.

I hate lines of any kind and to get Asimov’ signed first edition I would have to wait in two lines. The first line was to purchase the book and the second line was for the signing. I did not do either. I continued to wander between the various books and publishers and later went to the men’s room. While doing my thing I noticed that the man standing next to me was Isaac Asimov himself.  The man looked pompous and overwhelmed by his own importance.

Without hesitation and without looking towards him I said “Mr. Asimov do you believe that your prophecy in 1964 at the world fair will come true in 2014?

Did you attend my lecture?” he asked very surprised.

“No sir,” I said,​ I have read your article.

“You have an accent, Where are you from?”

I am from Israel and I am a flight engineer for El Al,​the Israeli air line.

At that time we were already washing our hands and Mr. Asimov was already speaking to me in Yiddish

“I am sorry sir I don’t speak Yiddish,” I told him.

Our hands were now dry and I offered him my hand saying “May I introduce myself officially”?

While shaking my hand he said, “You are something else​ -​ let’s have a drink.”

We talked about space flights and of course about the moon landing and the future of computers and automatic flights. At one moment he looked at me and provocatively asked: “Aren’t you afraid that a robot will take your place in the cockpit?”.

I looked back at him and asked “Do you mean that a robot with a head and hands and legs will sit on my seat put on safety belts and fly the plane?”

“Yes.”

​”No I am not afraid. As long as those airplanes exist I’ll fly them and not a robot. In future planes, here will be no seats for pilots  no belts no windshield and no wipers not even a cockpit. And I sir will become a happily retired person.

And one more question Mr. Asimov, why do you, in your books make the robots look human. Intelligent boxes will do the job as good as human robots.”

“I know that Mr. Cohen. Frankly, it makes a better story.”

Hagai Cohen

My blog

http://hagaijacobcohen.blogspot.com