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| short stories by isaac asimov | |
| 1956 short stories | |
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This particular story deals with the development of a computer called Multivac and its relationship with be reversed?" In each case the computer finds itself unable to reply due to "insufficient data for a meaningful answer". In the last scenes, the god-like descendants of humanity watch the universe finally approach the state of heat death and ask the Cosmic AC, Multivac's descendant, the question one last time. Cosmic AC is still unable to answer, but continues to ponder the question; it exists in a Hyperspace outside of normal space and time. Eventually the Cosmic AC discovers the answer, but has nobody to report it to. It therefore decides to implement the answer and reverse entropy, creating the universe anew; the story ends with AC's pronouncement, "'LET THERE BE LIGHT!' And there was light—" This climactic ending combines religion, philosophy, and science all together in the last two lines of the story. In the page above the ending, it is stated that "All other questions had been answered, and until this last question was answered also, AC might not release his consciousness." That AC would do so after having recreated the universe reflects the philosophy of Deism , the idea that God created the world and then withdrew from it. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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