start? The only answer is to divert our entire force immediately, now , into a crash program of robotics research, and the first problem is to find the humanoids. Call it an exercise in robotics, if you will, or call it the prevention of the death of fifteen million men, women and children.”
Lynn shook his head, helplessly, “You can’t . You’d be playing into their hands. They want us lured into the one blind alley while they’re free to advance in all other directions.”
Jeffreys said, impatiently, “That’s your guess. Breckenridge has made his suggestion through channels and the government has approved, and we will begin with an all-Science conference.”
“All-Science?”
Breckenridge said, “We have listed every important scientist of every branch of natural science. They’ll all be at Cheyenne. There will be only one point on the agenda: How to advance robotics. The major specific subheading under that will be: How to develop a receiving device for the electromagnetic fields of the cerebral cortex that will be sufficiently delicate to distinguish between a protoplasmic human brain and a positronic humanoid brain.”