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Mysteries of vernacular: Robot - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

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In 1920, Czech writer Karel Čapek wrote a play about human-like machines, thereby inventing the term robot from the Central European word for forced labor. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel explain how the science fiction staple earned its name.

Do you think Karel Čapek made the right choice when he named the machines in his play roboti instead of labori?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Jessica Oreck
  • Producer Rachael Teel

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