Talk:The Last Question
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The ending is usually interpreted as the AC rebooting the universe, but i prefer the idea that it created a simulation within itself of the universe, a nested virtual reality for life to replay itself in. Mike Schiraldi 06:49, 23 January 2006 (UTC)
- That is my interpretation too. In the story the Cosmic AC prepares a "program" with all the data it gathered. To me, this is an Universe Simulation, and the AC then becomes God by runing this program. Stanislaw Lem also wrote a story that explicitly involved an "Universe Simulation", in this case by a mad computer that thougt it was God (unfortunately I don't remember the title). In more recent works, this "Godlike Computer" and "Universe Simulation" themes have apeared for example in the "Matrix" trilogy and in the Manga/Anime "Ah! My Goddess". The Synthetic God seems to be a product of this technological age...
I gotta say this is a very fine story and I thouroughally enjoyed it. Any reccomendations should be posted on my talk page. --TIB 04:40, Aug 5, 2004 (UTC)
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[edit] Copyright violation? (Linking to online mirrors)
I'm pretty sure that the text mirrors to which this article links are copyright violations, and the second one is broken anyway. Consequently, I'm moving the text here until someone convinces me otherwise.
Well that depends, how long does copyright last for where you are? Longer than 50 years? Sri Theo 22:17, 25 February 2006 (UTC)
- Usually copyright is life plus 70 years. Asimov died in 1992, so I think it's safe to say that the story will remain protected for a while yet. --Bonalaw 12:21, 26 February 2006 (UTC)
- In 1956, when the story was published, works were under copyright for 28 years with an optional renewal for a period of another 28 years. In 1978, the renewal period was extended to 47 years. The story in question would have come up for renewal in 1984, and was apparently renewed on January 5, 1984. In 1998, copyrights were extended another 20 years, which would put it under copyright until 2051. Gnosticdogma 19:53, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
- I would suggest that it would be wise not to link to any online versions of The Last Question until the copyright expires, so if anyone does ill delete it and place the link here -- KaiAdin 01:48, 13 May 2006 (UTC)
Honestly.... who gives a shit.
[edit] Mirrors
- Text
- Graphic
- http://ksacomics.com/last/question.htm (broken)
- http://www.multivax.com/images.html Copyright © Eclipse Books 1956, 1990
[edit] Possible plot flaw?
Kinda funny... I haven't read the story, although i do love Asimov, but if the Cosmic AC exists in hyperspace, then how can there be "nobody to report it to?" -- postglock 16:26, 24 October 2005 (UTC)
- how? everyone in the univese whould have been killed by heat deathJoeyjojo 00:51, 6 March 2006 (UTC)
Huh? I just meant that if the Cosmic AC exists in hyperspace, out of time, then the concept of there being "nobody to report it to" becomes obsolete. He could simply report the answer back to us (or our descendants) at a point in time when we existed. -postglock 06:10, 6 March 2006 (UTC)
- well maybe the comic AC was not out side of some sort of "hyperspace time" or didn't want to (or chouldn't) upset causality? but i don't know, like you i haven't read it.
Yeah, I suppose there could be implied or explicit laws to do with existing in hyperspace as far as this story is concerned. I suppose I just assumed that existing out of normal time suggests not being bound by the linear flow of it, but (as suggested) perhaps he is merely tied to some sort of meta-time from which he cannot escape... Hmmm... -postglock 05:36, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
chould be, it make you think but.. i'll see it i can find a copy -Joeyjojo 04:06, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
Well, if the Cosmic AC can't do that, then he isn't really much of a god, is he? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.51.244.148 (talk • contribs).
- True... but then this is opening up a whole other kettle of fish... :-) -postglock 08:27, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
I'm suprised to see that this short asimov story is known on the Web, although it's my favourite asimov's writing. But there's a huge problem in his story, that breaked my heart when i discovered it '-_- . Why don't WE know how to reverse entropy, multivac should've told us.
Humanity "dies" when the last person fuses with the cosmic ac when there is only the single star left. All the bodies are dead, all the minds have fused with cosmic ac. Some time after that, the Cosmic AC figures out the answer, and performs it. Macktheknifeau 23:26, 11 November 2006 (UTC)
- Well, I finally got around to reading the story, and I think the spoilers confused me. While computing the answer, the Cosmic AC is not exactly in "hyperspace," as this implies a "normal" space and time, to which it is outside ("hyper"). I've rewritten sections of the spoiler now... -postglock 04:21, 1 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Heat death vs. Cold death?
In the story, the last consciousness of Man fuses with the AC when the last star dies, ten trillion years from the beginning. Toward the end of the story, reference is made to most stars being fading white dwarfs, and that all the stars and galaxies 'snuffed out.' This sounds more to me like a cold death--a scenario where all the stars have turned into black dwarfs, the Universe has expanded so far that any free energy is dissipated, and there is no longer any hydrogen available to create new stars. The heat death scenario in any case would take far longer than 10 trillion years. Jsc1973 14:55, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] The Cosmic AC merged with Man
I added this bit in, as it is very important to the story IMO. Cheezmeister 03:24, 21 January 2007 (UTC)
