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"Haha."

Isaac Asimov smiled and said, "This is really a coincidence. You were inspired by my "I, Robot" and wrote "Artificial Intelligence", and I drew inspiration from your "Artificial Intelligence" and came up with the "Zeroth Law" above the "Three Laws of Robotics."

"The Zeroth Law?!"

Fangyan, Mike and others couldn't help but be surprised.

Isaac Asimov said this in the final book in the Robot series, Robots and Empire, published last year.

In this book, he proposed the "Zeroth Law" which overrides the "Three Laws of Robotics", which is that robots must protect the overall interests of mankind from harm. The other three laws are only valid under this premise.

Just as they were seriously discussing artificial intelligence, Lin Qingxia noticed that more and more people were approaching and listening.

Isaac Asimov asked, "Fang, what do you think of the overall interests of mankind that I have proposed?"

"I personally believe that survival and development are the top priorities, whether it is human civilization, the animal world before humans, or even the entire universe," Fang Yan said. "The rise of artificial intelligence and robotics will undoubtedly threaten human survival and development."

"So what are the specific threats?"

Suddenly, an old and powerful voice came from the crowd. Lin Qingxia looked back and saw a bald old man wearing a plaid shirt.

Fangyan gave an example: "First, artificial intelligence, which was originally used to assist human civilization, has restricted human development, threatened human survival, and then replaced humans. As I wrote in "Artificial Intelligence", the reason why people resent and even want to kill robots is because artificial intelligence has replaced them, such as in their jobs. Secondly, artificial intelligence has begun to impersonate humans..."

Isaac Asimov's eyes lit up instantly, "What you mentioned are indeed related to the overall interests of mankind."

"So in response to these threats, I would like to derive four more rules based on the 'Three Laws of Robotics' you proposed."

Fangyan held up four fingers, "First, digital technology and artificial intelligence should assist humans, not replace them; second, artificial intelligence and bionic robots cannot impersonate humans; third... fourth, robots must clearly identify their creators, controllers, and owners."

"This fourth article corresponds to the first article. Its purpose is to confirm the master-servant relationship between robots and humans."

The bald old man said: "Prevent robots from becoming masters and dominating humans, or even threatening human survival and development."

"Who is this?"

Fang Yan was inevitably confused, but Mike was extremely excited. He whispered in Fang Yan's ear, "Teacher Fang, he is Heinlein! Robert Heinlein!"

Isaac Asimov smiled as he introduced Heinlein, Frederick Pohl, and other science fiction magazine editors.

"Nice to meet you."

Fangyan was greatly surprised. He did not expect that the person in front of him was Heinlein, one of the three giants of world science fiction. His most famous work was "Starship Troopers", which was adapted into the movie "Starship Troopers", but what he knew about him in his previous life was "Predestination".

It's a time-travel movie about a person who loves himself, sleeps with himself, and gives birth to himself. It's a movie that will shatter your worldview and shock you.

The original work of this movie is Heinlein's "You Zombies", which is just a short story of only 10,000 words.

"Robert."

Isaac Asimov looked at his old friend, "What do you think of the four principles Fang just proposed?"

With admiration in his eyes, Heinlein said that it would be entirely possible to combine Fangyan's four laws of robotics with his zeroth law and the three laws of robotics to form a new "Eight Laws of Artificial Intelligence" and publish them in journals such as Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.

Seeing Mike take a breath, Lin Qingxia didn't understand the pros and cons and couldn't help but ask.

Mike explained in a voice that only the two of them could hear that the sponsor of the Nebula Award is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, or "SFWA". According to the selection rules they set, any member of the Science Fiction Association of America is eligible to recommend works for the award.

The association then compiles a recommendation list, and after thousands of members vote, a final list is determined. After that, the association members conduct two rounds of voting to decide the final winner. But in fact, the association also has three juries, consisting of three to seven judges.

Not only do they have the right to disqualify some works that do not meet the requirements, they also have the right to add candidate works to the final list of all awards. In other words, the final list voted by the association members is screened by the jury, and the jury's votes carry a greater weight than those of the members.

The judges of these juries are basically editors and contracted writers from major science fiction and fantasy magazines or publishing houses in the United States.

As a result, the higher the status and the more famous the science fiction magazine is, the greater the say it has in the Nebula Awards. For example, the awards for Best Novella, Best Short Novella and Best Short Story have long been monopolized by the two giants, Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and Analog.

For example, Orson Card, the author of "Ender's Game", has been contributing to top science fiction magazines such as "Similarity" since his debut in 1977. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award and Hugo Award for short stories five times, which led to his sensational success with "Ender's Game".

“Is that also the case for the Hugo Awards he was nominated for?”

Lin Qingxia stared at Fang Yan.

“That’s still different from the Nebula Award.”

Mike listed them all: "The voters of the Hugo Award will refer to the winners of other science fiction awards in the world in the previous year and the current year. In addition to the Nebula Award, there are also the Arthur Clarke Award, the Campbell Award, the Locus Award, the Prometheus Award..."

Lin Qingxia suddenly realized, "Isn't it like the weather vane and outpost of Oscar?"

Mike nodded. The British Academy Film Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, the major union awards and the thirteen Film Critics Association Awards are to the Oscars what the Nebula Award, the Arthur Clarke Award, the Campbell Award, the Locus Award and the Prometheus Award are to the Hugo Awards. They are all indicators of the major awards.

"Works like Ender's Game and Professor Fang's Artificial Intelligence have received many nominations or awards."

"That's right..."

Lin Qingxia looked at Fang Yan and saw that he was chatting and laughing with Isaac Asimov and Heinlein, discussing the impact of science fiction on artificial intelligence, until the Nebula Awards opened, when the director of the New York Hall of Science came on stage as a special guest to give a speech, and he talked a lot.

After the opening remarks, the award ceremony was officially announced to begin.

The first award is a heavyweight award, the Nebula Science Fiction Award, which symbolizes lifetime achievement, and was awarded to Arthur Clarke.

Even though Arthur Clarke was absent due to illness, the applause was still as overwhelming as the tide, because it was well-deserved and convincing.

Unlike a certain TGA, where "Black Myth: Wukong" has a high probability of winning the game of the year, "Final Fantasy 7" is also very good, and the Elden Ring: Golden Tree DLC is also okay. Damn, what the hell is "Astro Robot"?

"Clap clap clap."

Fangyan, like everyone else present, stood up and applauded to show his respect.

Jason Epstein put down his hands, sat down, and whispered, "Fang, who do you think will win the Nebula Award for Best Novel this year?"

Fangyan had already scanned the list of nominees and said, "It should be the second part of Ender's Game, The Speaker for the Dead." "You also think that Ender's Game will win the Nebula Award again!" Jason Epstein was surprised.

Fang Yan narrowed his eyes and said, "Not only that, I think Ender's Game will also be the winner of the Hugo Award tomorrow."

Jason Epstein's eyes flickered. "Your speculation is not without reason. Since the establishment of the Nebula Award in 1965, any work that won the Nebula Award in the previous year has a high chance of winning the Hugo Award in the next year. But don't be discouraged. Artificial Intelligence may not have no chance."

Fang Yan said, "Thank you. I know that Random House has made a lot of efforts for Artificial Intelligence in the Nebula Award and Hugo Award."

“We really did try our best.”

Jason Epstein spread his hands: "But I hope you can understand that Random House's main influence is not in the science fiction literature award."

Fangyan cast a meaningful look at him, "For example, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize..."

“And the Nobel Prize in Literature.”

Jason Epstein raised his glass with a Versailles look on his face. "If your Farewell My Concubine wins the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award this year, you will be the first Oriental writer to win the three major book awards. I personally think you are eligible to be on the candidate list."

"Lend your auspicious words."

Fangyan clinked glasses with him and took a sip of wine.

As the Nebula Awards for Best Short Story and Short Novella were announced one after another, Mike couldn't help but ask curiously:
"If Ender's Game Part 2 wins this year's Nebula Award, doesn't that mean it will also win the next Hugo Award?"

"That may not be the case." Jason Epstein's eyes flickered.

"Is it really that?" Fang Yan raised his eyebrows.

Jason Epstein said: "In the history of American science fiction, no one has ever won both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award twice in a row."

Fangyan understood his hidden meaning, "Records are meant to be broken."

Not long after that, the list of winners of the Nebula Award for Best Novel was announced.

Sure enough, it is the sequel to "Ender's Game", "The Speaker for the Dead"!
Mike's eyes were filled with envy as he watched Isaac Asimov personally present the award to Orson Card:
"It really is Ender's Game."

"After all, this year's unprecedented World Science Fiction Convention is held in the United States."

Jason Epstein said: "Then why can't American science fiction break the record? Besides, whether it's the quality, sales, popularity, or the honor of the author, even if Ender's Game really wins the title again, I'm afraid not many people will think it's unworthy of the title."

Fang Yan couldn't help but laugh: "That's true, Ender's Game really deserves the title."

With the Best Novel Award, the Nebula Awards are coming to an end.

However, Orson Card left the stage, and Isaac Asimov, the award presenter, remained on the stage:

"Most of our current science fiction works have been focusing on themes such as robots, digital technology, and artificial intelligence. Just before the Nebula Awards, I had the honor of having a conversation with Robert, Boll, and Fang, the author of Artificial Intelligence, a science fiction writer from China."

“Based on the ‘Three Laws of Robotics’, we developed the very interesting ‘Eight Laws’.”

"I will write about the details in the next issue of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, so I won't reveal them here in advance."

As soon as this was said, the surrounding science fiction writers, magazine editors, and association members all turned their attention to dialects.

Even Orson Card, who had just won the Nebula Award for the second consecutive year, suddenly felt that the trophy in his hand was no longer so attractive.

After all, there are many opportunities to win the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award, but there is only one chance to co-write "The Laws of Robotics" with Isaac Asimov! This is an opportunity that many science fiction writers dream of, but it happened to fall on Fangyan!
"In addition to the topic of 'artificial intelligence' itself, Robert, Boll and others feel that aliens are gradually being neglected in current science fiction writing, so we hope to include 'aliens' and 'Fermi Paradox' as topics at tomorrow's Hugo Awards event."

Hearing Isaac Asimov's words, Lin Qingxia asked in a low voice.

"What is the Fermi Paradox?"

"The 'Fermi Paradox' is a question once asked by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi."

Fangyan explained: "If there are extraterrestrial civilizations that were able to travel between stars millions and tens of millions of years before humans, then why haven't human civilization discovered any signs of their existence so far? If there are aliens, where are they?"

Mike added: "The core argument of the Fermi paradox is, where are the aliens and the extraterrestrial civilizations they create?"

Lin Qingxia half-jokingly asked, "Could it be that the aliens are hiding?"

"This is an answer to the Fermi Paradox, called the 'lurker theory.'"

Fangyan said that this theory holds that aliens have already arrived on Earth, but are hiding from humans.

But there are many different opinions about why the aliens are hiding. For example, according to environmental protection theory, it is to preserve the natural survival state of humans. Another example is that the aliens want to protect the original ecology of humans for the purpose of observing and studying humans...

"An answer? So there are other theories?"

Lin Qingxia was very surprised.

"Of course, such as the theory of low birth rate and low life expectancy."

Mike explained: "They think that the conditions for the natural generation of complex life in the universe are very harsh. The environmental conditions that meet the survival of complex life are very scarce. Complex life has no natural urgency to evolve into intelligent creatures. And even if they are intelligent species, they may not necessarily climb to the same level of science and technology as humans and become a technological civilization. Therefore, intelligent civilizations naturally have a very low birth rate."

"Based on this theory, a more extreme 'single seedling theory' is derived."

Fang Yan said: "That is to say, humans are the only intelligent civilization in the universe so far."

Mike said: "This theory is too unreliable. The 'communication barrier theory' that I believe in is much more reasonable and well-founded. Extraterrestrial civilizations definitely exist, but the technical means for ultra-long-distance communication in the universe have not yet been mastered by humans, so until now, we have not been able to receive messages from alien civilizations..."

“That sounds reasonable.”

Lin Qingxia supported her chin with one hand and looked at Fang Yan, "What about you? What theory do you believe in?"

Fangyan smiled mysteriously, "Well, I'll tell you about this tomorrow when the Hugo Awards are held..." (End of this chapter)