Lesson 17:Pancakes

Grandma Neila paused, and her tone of voicechanged. “Now I wonder why we did that. Even if weweren’t going to use them, we should have kept them forthe memories.”As Grandma spoke, a plan started brewing in Ari’smind. “Recipes,” Ari said. “I’ve heard of them. And I thinkI know where to find them…”The two humans were not the only ones interested inthe conversation. A smart-helper robot was listening in.The talk about homemade food set off alarms inside thenutrient condenser. Its collective memory chip flashed aninternal alert:Noncondensed food can have a dangeroushypnotic effect on people and changetheir behavior in impractical ways, evenbringing back primitive practices likesitting down with family members andeating long, leisurely meals together.The nutrient condenser had deduced that Ari wasplotting to prepare real food—pancakes, to be specific.Cooking impulses are counterproductiveand dangerous. The family could developa taste for real food and fail to renewmy lease.The condenser’s circuits glowed with stress. It wouldhave felt desperate if it had been human.7