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Showing Original Post only (View all)The Origins of "Grok." [View all]
It occurs to me that not everyone knows where the word "Grok" comes from. It originally was used by Robert A. Heinlein in 1961 in his SciFi novel, Stranger in a Strange Land. Originally it had the meaning of "to understand something intuitively and deeply." The word sort of entered the everyday vocabulary of a lot of people who were taken by Heinlein's point of view. Over time, it sort of fell out of common usage. When Elon Musk used it as part of the name of his AI product, it was reintroduced into vocabulary, but with a somewhat different meaning. Personally, I feel like Musk doesn't grok Heinlein's concept very well.
Anyhow, if you're interested, you can learn more at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok
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I'd guess it was assigned reading. I was at the U in the mid 60s. A lot of profs thought Heinlein
erronis
Jul 18
#28
Heinlein became libertarian, even if he still had some compassion. The Wikipedia article has a section
muriel_volestrangler
Jul 18
#3
Thanks for the link. The writer is pretty balanced but is harsh on Heinlein's flaws, as he should be.
Bernardo de La Paz
Jul 18
#9
What was so wonderful about Asimov is that he wrote a wide variety of topics both in fiction and nonfiction.
HeartsCanHope
Jul 18
#20
My background is in library science. Asimov was able to reach his readers at their level.
HeartsCanHope
Jul 18
#26
I think what you're describing is the difference between science fiction, and science fantasy.
erronis
Jul 18
#31
I like your viewpoint. And as you said, it depends on where we are in our intellectual development.
erronis
Jul 18
#61
I rate it in the middle part of his works, above average. But he has lots better.
Bernardo de La Paz
Jul 18
#14
That sounds about right. I had scifi writers I liked a lot better than Heinlein.
MineralMan
Jul 18
#22
I think Heinlein is the most American of all SF writers and the best story teller too. Others are more lyrical
Bernardo de La Paz
Jul 18
#30
...and, Grok is powered by the largest AI supercomputer in the world, Colossus.
LudwigPastorius
Jul 18
#11
Musk has a childish (in good and bad senses) fascination with the Red Planet
Bernardo de La Paz
Jul 18
#19
Pournelle has politics many here do not like. He wrote good hard science SF but has PhD in Political Science. . . . . nt
Bernardo de La Paz
Jul 18
#32
He was very intelligent and could be very nice and helpful. But he tended to be wrong on politics,
highplainsdem
Jul 18
#57
"Uncensored version"? Do tell -- I read the first paperback as a teenager mid-60s. What's the history?
Hekate
Jul 18
#59
Huge Heinlein fan. Although his political leanings were obvious in his fiction early on The Moon is a Harsh Mistress etc
Noodleboy13
Jul 18
#36
My exposure to Heinlein is all through XMas gifts from my uncle. Who was head of polisci at creighton in omaha.
Noodleboy13
Jul 18
#70
I have a relative who's changed political views based on her husbands' views. Always struck me as
highplainsdem
Jul 18
#48
Musk has referenced other SF writers as well, and IMO never really understood them.
highplainsdem
Jul 18
#46