Isaac Asimov
1920–1992
Boston; Newton
Isaac Asimov joined the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine in 1949 and taught biochemistry. He also became a remarkably productive writer of science fiction and books explaining science, history, and other subjects. His robot stories invited readers to imagine rules for machines that could make decisions. The Foundation stories explored large changes across an imagined future society. Asimov eventually devoted most of his time to writing while keeping his university connection. His Massachusetts years show how teaching science and inventing fictional worlds can both begin with curiosity and carefully framed questions.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How could this person’s words change the way a reader thinks?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Isaac Asimov mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
How can a science fiction story explore a question before the technology in that story actually exists?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: c250.columbia.edu ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?