Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was a popular author, best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. Born in Russia, he moved with his family to New York City when he was three years old. Asimov studied at Columbia University in New York and taught biochemistry (the chemistry of life) at Boston University. He also wrote over 400 books, including science fiction stories and books of essays on topics in science. Asimov was known for his ability to make complicated subjects easy for nonscientists to understand. One of Asimov's most popular and influential books is the novel I Robot (1950).