2 Computer Science test

Algorithm

• A step-by-step set of instructions used to solve a problem or complete a task. Think of it like a recipe for a computer program.

Binary

A system of representing information using only two symbols, usually 0 and 1. This is the fundamental language computers use.

Bit

• A single unit of information, a 0 or 1, in binary.

Byte

A group of eight bits, used to represent a single character or number.

Bug

• An error in a program that causes it to malfunction or behave unexpectedly.

Debugging

The process of finding and fixing errors (bugs) in a program

Code

• The instructions written in a programming language that a computer follows.

Command

• A specific instruction given to a computer.

Conditional

• A statement that allows a program to make decisions based on whether a certain condition is true or false. For example, "if the light is red, then stop".

Data

• Raw facts, numbers, or characters that a computer stores and processes.

Decomposition

• Breaking down a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts.

Function

A self-contained block of code that performs a specific task. Think of it like a mini-program within a larger program.

Input

• Data or instructions given to a computer.

Loop

• A programming construct that repeats a set of instructions multiple times.

Output

•  Information or results produced by a computer.

Packets

•  A packet is a small amount of data that includes information on where it is coming from, where it is going to, as well as the data, or content it is transferring. A packet is usually sent over a network, such as the internet.

Program

• A set of instructions that a computer executes to accomplish a specific objective.

Variable

A named storage location in a program used to hold data that can change.

Automaton (pl. Automata)

A self-operating mechanical machine designed to follow a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to predetermined instructions.

Robota

• The Czech word meaning "forced labor," "servitude," or "compulsory drudgery," which serves as the etymological root of the word robot.

Unimate

• The world's first industrial robotic arm, installed at a General Motors die-casting plant in 1961.

Father of Robotics

• The title given to entrepreneur Joseph Engelberger, who partnered with inventor George Devol to found Unimation, the world's first robotics manufacturing company.

Roblock

• In Asimov's universe, a catastrophic, fatal logic loop that freezes a robot's positronic brain when faced with equal, conflicting imperatives (e.g., trying to obey a command that causes harm).

Cobot (Collaborative Robot)

• A robot specifically designed to work alongside human operators in a shared workspace without safety cages, utilizing power and force feedback sensors.

AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot)

 A mobile robot that uses sensors, cameras, and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology to navigate environments dynamically without floor tracks or magnetic lines.

SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)

• A technology enabling robots to construct a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously keeping track of their location within it.

300 BC (Ancient Greece & China)

• Early mechanical clockwork, water clocks, and automated strike mechanisms emerge.

1495 (Leonardo da Vinci)

• Designs an anatomical "Mechanical Knight" capable of sitting, waving its arms, and moving its jaw.

1804 (Jacquard Loom)

• Joseph Marie Jacquard invents a punch-card system to control textile weaving looms, establishing the foundational principle of programmable automation.

1920 (Karel Čapek)

• Czech playwright introduces the word "robot" in his sci-fi play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), based on a suggestion from his brother Josef Čapek.

1942 (Isaac Asimov)

 Formulates the Three Laws of Robotics in his short story Runaround to explore ethical machine governance and logic paradoxes.

1950 (Alan Turing)

• The father of computer science and AI proposes theoretical computing models and tests for machine intelligence (The Turing Test), connecting logical software to physical mechanics.

1954–1961 (Devol & Engelberger)

• George Devol patents "Programmed Article Transfer." He partnered with Joseph Engelberger in 1956 to found Unimation. In 1961, the Unimate 1900 series was deployed at a GM plant in Trenton, NJ, taking over hazardous die-casting tasks.

1966 (Shakey the Robot)

• Built at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Shakey becomes the first mobile robot to combine artificial intelligence, TV vision, and path-planning reasoning.

2002–Present

Consumer adoption explodes (over 50 million robot floor vacuums sold globally); logistics adopts 750,000+ AMRs in Amazon-style fulfillment facilities.

First Law

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Second Law

 A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Third Law

A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Zeroth Law

• A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm."

Priority

• The Zeroth Law supersedes all other laws (it comes before the First Law).

Why it became necessary

• As robots began managing global ecosystems, economies, and planetary infrastructure, protecting an individual human could lead to the destruction of thousands or millions. The Zeroth Law shifted robotic logic from individual protection to species-level survival.  Closes the loop hole that could be exploited.

Literary Device

• Asimov did not create the laws as a perfect blueprint, but as a narrative engine to show that rigid, rule-based systems inevitably fail due to edge cases and unexpected anomalies.

Modern AI Alignment

• Modern AI safety researchers use Asimov's work to study value alignment, literalism vs. intent, and reward hacking (when an AI follows rules literally to the detriment of human intent).