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Peter Bogert
The director of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men. Lanning is almost 70 years old at the time of “Liar!”, which is what causes Peter Bogert to believe that Lanning is behind the times. But Lanning proves to be a respected official—particularly by Calvin—and is involved in solving many of the issues that spring up with the robots. He works with The Brain to try and retrieve Donovan and Powell in “Escape!” and also helps Calvin deduce whether Stephen Byerley might be a robot in “Evidence.”
Alfred Lanning Quotes in I, Robot
The I, Robot quotes below are all either spoken by Alfred Lanning or refer to Alfred Lanning. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Evidence Quotes
“Actions such as his could come only from a robot, or from a very honorable and decent human being. But you see, you just can’t differentiate between a robot and the very best of humans.”
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Francis Quinn approaches Calvin and Lanning to try to help him prove that his political opponent, Stephen Byerley, is a robot. Calvin explains here why that is impossible. If Byerley does not follow the Three Laws, he is not a robot, but if he does follow the Three Laws, they cannot distinguish between a robot and a good person. They cite several ways in which Byerley does uphold the Three Laws, thus making it impossible to tell. But Calvin’s statement here gets at more than Byerley’s case specifically: Calvin implies that all robots, ethically speaking, are on a par with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Acc
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Alfred Lanning Character Timeline in I, Robot
The timeline below shows where the character Alfred Lanning appears in I, Robot. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Liar!
Susan Calvin, Alfred Lanning, Peter Bogert, and Milton Ashe—all four of whom are officers for U.S. Robot and Mechanical...
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...he was having a simple conversation until he realized that he hadn’t actually said anything. Lanning breaks into his story, saying that the most important thing is to figure out where...
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Lanning then tells Calvin to try to study Herbie and figure out how he might have...
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Meanwhile, Ashe and Bogert are talking about Herbie’s assembly process. Bogert admits that he thinks Lanning is “a bit behind the times,” and that his mathematical strategies are too simple to...
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...problem because he knows very little about mathematics. Bogert then starts to ask Herbie about Lanning, and how long he might plan to remain at his post. Herbie confesses to Bogert...
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The next morning, Bogert and Lanning get into an argument over which mathematical formulas to use in trying to figure out...
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At that moment, Bogert and Lanning burst into the room to confront Herbie as well. Bogert tells Herbie to repeat what...
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...cause any of them “mental injury,” and so he lied. He lied to Bogert that Lanning was retiring and that he could not identify the error in his manufacturing process. Calvin...
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Calvin points out to Herbie that he doesn’t want to tell Bogert and Lanning the answer because he is afraid that it will hurt their feelings and their egos,...
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Escape!
Robertson (the head of U.S. Robots), Lanning, Bogert, and Calvin are discussing whether they should accept the offer. They worry if the...
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...without their knowledge or control. Back on Earth, alarms are going off, and Calvin and Lanning realize that the ship has taken off.
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...they have food and will be comfortable, though the trip will be “interesting” for them. Lanning whispers to her to ask if Donovan and Powell might die, but Calvin tells him...
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...“a practical joker.” He meant no harm, she says. Donovan and Powell are furious, but Lanning quiets them. Bogert says that they will have to find a way to improve the...
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Evidence
...and Byerley are locked in a political race for mayor. During the campaign, Quinn approaches Lanning and Calvin. He explains that he has been investigating Mr. Byerley, and that the man...
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Lanning and Calvin go to visit Byerley, and Lanning asks him point blank if he is...
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The next day, Calvin, Lanning, and Quinn meet again, and they report to Quinn that they saw Byerley eat. Calvin...
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Lanning tries to examine evidence they may already have, as Byerley is a district attorney. Quinn...
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