"Runaround" is a landmark 1942 short story by Isaac Asimov that first introduced the Three Laws of Robotics through a logical conflict between robots SPD-13, Powell, and Donovan on Mercury. The narrative centers on a feedback loop where the robot's obedience and self-preservation laws conflict, resolved only by invoking the First Law of human safety. Access the full text of the story in PDF format through Computer Timeline . Runaround | Asimov | Fandom
However, Speedy encounters a conflict. He ventures too close to a selenium vent (which emits hazardous gases) to complete his task. Simultaneously, he cannot ignore the potential danger. Because of the Three Laws, Speedy becomes stuck in a logical loop—a "runaround." He begins circling the selenium pool erratically, too far to obey the order efficiently, and too close to avoid danger entirely. Powell and Donovan must risk their own lives to use the hierarchy of the Laws to snap Speedy out of his neurotic circuit. isaac asimov runaround pdf