Mysticism and Machines

E.R. Truitt revisits John Cohen’s 1963 article on the history of automata and the quest to recreate humanity.

A scene from Karel Čapek's 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), showing three robots.John Cohen's 1963 essay, Automata in Myth and Science, tantalisingly introduces some of the beguiling objects and strange stories that appear, just a few years later, in his monograph Human Robots in Myth and Science (1966).

To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.

Buy Online Access  Buy Print & Archive Subscription

If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.

Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.