Gyro's helper, does it know that it exists?

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

OLIVIER to OLAF SOLSTRAND, 23-04-2001:

>> HOW was Little Helper invented?

> Geoffrey Blum wrote something about Helper in GG album 6 of the 
> CBL in Color ("A Glance at Gyro's Helper"):
> 
> "Did Gyro invent Helper? In Barks' tales the subject never arises.
> Yet when Gyro attempts to constryct other mecahnical men he
> comes up with much clunkier, more limited creations. The implicit
> sophistication of  Helper's design and programming would seem
> to be far beyond what Gyro is capable of in this area. Given this, one
> might wonder if  maybe Helper just showed up on Gyro's doorstep,
> an electromechanical foundling of  unknown origin that the inventor
> welcomed into his home."

Very interesting! I've always *assumed* that Gyro's little helper was 
Gyro's invention, but after reading this information I now doubt it.

The helper debuted in the singing cats story (US 15) and it works on 
batteries, which can even be recharged by lightning without destroying 
the little helper itself (US 47). 

In one story, "Milktime Melodies" (OS 1047), the helper is shown being able
to replace its own lightbulb head, which might suggest that the lightbulb
has no other function than just being a lightbulb. It is used as such in
"Firefly Tracker" (US 27). In "Milktime Melodies", Gyro discusses the 
helper with Grandma, who objects to Gyro's (in her eyes) cruel plan of 
removing the helper's lightbulb in order to demagnetize it.

The helper is so advanced that it seems to have "consciousness". 
In "Krankenstein Gyro" (US 26), the helper is shown *dreaming* of a 
female helper (which seems to suggest that the helper itself is 
intended as a male). 

I don't know the definition of "consciousness". Animals appear to have 
dreams, but do they have "consciousness" according to that definition?
In recent news I've heard that investigation has learnt that dolphins
seem to recognize themselves when looking into a mirror and that this
could be a proof of dolphins having "consciousness".

Some stories show the helper as having thoughts. In "Man Versus Machine"
(US 47), the helper even seems to get emotional about not being able 
to help Gyro suffering in the desert.

The helper sometimes has independent adventures within Gyro's stories, 
like the gold find machine story (US 18), which seems to suggest that
the helper is capable of making choices of its own. 

Do these examples make the helper fit within the definition of
"consciousness"?  Are there other Barks stories which might "prove" it
(or the contrary)? 


In this email I've used the word "consciousness" between quotations, 
because I don't think that we as humans will be able to *really* prove 
the existance/meaning of true consciousness. (Maybe creatures with true 
consciousness do not intentionally destroy the surface of the planet they
live on, for example?) 

Maybe we're all just *dreaming* that we live on Earth, while in fact
we're living somewhere else instead? :-)


Best wishes,

--- Daniel