The Tale Of The Little Robot

In a land far far away there was a scientist. This scientist was very curious. He nearly knew everything about every thing in the universe. But there was one question he couldn't answer himself. So he built a computer. It wasn't small or pretty, but that did not bother the scientist. The computer should only be able to do one thing. He should answer the question the scientist could not. The when the computer was started, he asked it: "What is the sense of life?" The computer made no sound but several lights started flickering. The scientist was patient, so he waited.
Time passed by and the scientist still waited.
Even more time passed until the computer gave an answer. A small piece of paper slit out of it somewhere. The scientist read: "Too many variables. More input needed."
And then the scientist thought of a way to get all the information he needed.
Finally he had a plan. He built a robot. When the robot was activated, the scientist said: "Go outside. Go wherever your journey may take you. Find the information my computer needs to end its calculation."
The robot understood the scientist for it has robotic ears.
The robot saw its sourroundings for it had robotic eyes.
The robot walked away for it had robotic limbs.
The robot knew its order for it had a robotic brain.
The robot felt nothing for there is no robotic heart.

The first person the robot met was a business man. "What is the sense of life?" asked the robot. The man answered fast: "Waht a stupid question is this? Of course, life ist about making money. Money is the most important thing in life!" "Why?" asked the robot, because that answer did not seem to be logical. "Why? Supid robot, because... Oh, I've lost already that much time? I have to go now." the business man said as his cell phone started ringing. He hasted away. What a useless person, the robot thought. His answers did not make any sense. Only living beings had been able to invent the concept of money. How should the ancestors of the inventors could have lifed if their sense in life was not yet invented?

The second person the little robot met was a mother with her baby. The baby goggled at the robot and the robot just stared back. The robot was good a staring. It did nothing else, because it had no eyelids. The mother looked at her baby looking at the robot. She smiled and started playing with her child. Her face was full of love and joy. "What is the sense of life?" he asked the mother. The mother thought a while and then answered: "The joy of having children." The robot was not satisfied and went away. It knew every living being produced offsprings, but especially humans were proud to have a choice. And as far as the robot knew, humans were the ones who kept asking for the sense in life. The scientist had no children, many people chose not to have a baby, too. The robot looked around. He saw many people without a child and most of them seemed to be happy. "That cannot be the answer.", the robot decided and walked on.

The next person the robot met was a nun. "What is the sense of life?" it asked. The nun smiled at him and said: "The meaning of life is to serve God." "Why?" asked the robot. "Because God created the humans, the animal, the plants and everything there is in this world. He loves us and we shall be grateful."
The robot thought about it. It contradictet he knowledge of the world he already possessed. And the answer did not satisfy it. the scientist built the robot. The robot served him. But it was not grateful the scientist had created it. It could not feel anything. The robot knew why it had no emotions. It was a construct based on logic. emotions weren't logical. They would only lead to fatal errors. "What does God want from the humans?" the robot asked the nun. "We shall worship him and lead a live he appreciates." she answered. "Then I have to find God and ask him about the sense of life." the robot thought. "Where do I find God?" he asked. "God is found within ourselves.", said the nun.
"That does not make sense", the robot jugded and went away.

The next persons the robot met was a group of teenagers. They were laughing and joking a lot. "what is the sense of life?" the robot asked them. "What do I know?" "I don't care" "Having fun!" they replied. The robot picked "Having fun" and analysed it. Fun was an emotion caused by hormons, especially endorphines. The robot knew that. Was the sense of life having a certain amount of chemicals insode ones brain? Humans had found a variety of ways to achieve this. But some of them, like drugs, destroyed the user. Had self-destruction to be part of the sense of life? "That does not make sense" the robot said and walked away.

The next person the robot met was an inventor. "What is the sense of life?" it asked. "To create something magnificent!", the man shouted. "Why?" the robot asked. "Because, if you create something new, something outrageous, something amazing, something unbelieveable beautiful, your name will be remembered forever." "But noone remebers the inventor of fire or the inventor of the wheel." , the robot thought. "That does not make sense", it concluded and went off.

[Here are some parts of the journey missing. Do you know them?]

The last person the robot met was an old man. The man was so old, he had a long white beard he wore as a hat and a coat. "What is the sense of life?" he asked. The man looked at the robot for a long time that seems to be an eternity. Finally he said: "All you have done and haven't." Then the old man walked on. "That does not make sense." the robot said. "I have met so many people and yet none of them had a clear answer. Maybe no one has it. I will go home and tell the computer of my experience." it thought and went back home.

The little robot went to the computer and shared all its experience with it. The computer remained silent, but the lights were flickering. then a small piece of paper came out of the computer. The robot stood next to it and both machines waited for the scientist to see their result. But he never came. Neither the computer nor the robot had noticed that the scientist had died while the robot was away.

On the piece of paper was a small note. It said :
"The sense you give it"