I was privileged to hear dr. Asimov lecture at the Hampton Colosseum in Hampton, Virginia in the early 1980s. While waiting for him to speak I approached him with one of his books and asked him for an autograph. While he was signing the book I told him that his The Last Question was my favorite science fiction short story. He said, "It's my favorite, too."
If you haven't heard it yet, there is a recording here on TH-cam of Asimov reading "The Last Question". It is great hearing it read by him. He narrates a quick intro in which he acknowledges this as being one of his favorite stories he has written. What an amazing story teller!
Robert Evans, if only you had been kind enough to post a link ;) :D I've just discovered Asimov audiobooks on yoochoob and I am a fan now ! :) .. I really liked this one for how far it went and I liked Nemesis too, glad I have so many more to discover !! :)
I read this when I was15, half a century ago. The first sci-fi story I ever read, it was contained in a paperback entitled "9 Tomorrows." I read it first because it was the shortest - 15 year-olds were just as impatient then as they are today. Thanks to Mr. Asimov I've never stopped contemplating the Big Questions. And I've come to see that the scientific and the spiritual are merely attempts, from different perspectives, to understand the universe. It's a universe that has produced, among many other wonders, this magnificent story.
This was also one of the first Sci-Fi books I ever read, also over 50 years ago when I was a teenager. This was the beginning of my love of Sci-Fi and science. The moment I read your words I could not only see the cover clearly in my mind’s eye, I could also relive the thrill of these wonderful stories. Asimov remains to this day my favorite and my love affair with science has never diminished, although I am still awaiting the arrival of my robot buddy with the “glowing red eyes”! Thanks for the memories.
Man I love that story! When you said the big questions I remembered Herbert Spencer's book First Principle where he talks about The Unknowable saying something like: "Our finite minds will never be able to fully understand the infinite universe. There will always be something unknowable to us." I think this is a good thing - if we reach a point when everything is explained life will be damn fucking boring :D
i also read this in "9 tomorrows"... the assertion i would like to state in regards the many people who "feel" that science and "religion" are co-equal endeavors of the human, is that- in the final analysis, science has shared conclusions. that is to say; for a idea or conjectured explanation for phenomenon to Be scientific, it must be an observable outcome to most people- repeat most people- the very personal nature of the intuitive, or spiritual conjecture is by its nature a singular one... so the consensual nature of the "nature" that the scientific mindset is trying to describe in part is needed to be touchable by "most of the people in the world" this does not seem to be the case for the interior states felt by the spiritual or religious person.
I'm 13, and I just heard this story for the first time a couple of days ago. I've never heard a story so great. But, I am worried that, having heard this, I will be disappointed by all other science fiction stories I will ever hear in the future.
Indeed. And that is the point of the story. The ending is a reference to Genesis: 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. In effect, AC (having absorbed the collective consciousness of humanity) becomes God and recreate mankind in its own (human) image.
Chat GPT says "Restoring the sun to its full youthfulness after it has died of old age is beyond our current scientific capabilities and understanding of the universe. The sun's lifecycle is governed by fundamental laws of physics, and rejuvenating it would require an unimaginable amount of energy and technology far beyond what we can conceive at present."
Back when I was a kid, I had a panic attack when I realized Isaac could only write so many stories.. and I, at that certain moment, had read the very last one!
Fun fact, the name "Multivac" is short for multi vacuum tubes. Back in 1956 when this story was originally published, the first primitive computers were run on vacuum tubes, each one the size of a fist, which later were replace with silicon based transistors. Who knows, maybe in a few 100 years, people won't understand the connection between the name Silicon Valley and the computer industry, because silicon based transistors got replaced with something more advanced.
Naaaa, the party’s almost over. Another hundred years, if we survive the oil wars we’ll be back to horse & cart. Asimov’s dreams will be nothing but painful reminders of wasted years.
+shamimul hoque I think it is something commonly referred to as a, "Plot twist." The point is, it's all a cycle. Whether the universe ends through the big heat or the big freeze, the only way to reverse entropy is to let it reach its maximum.
+Donald Finlayson I think it also interesting to note that even when AC had solved death of humans it still hadn't actually solved the death of the universe itself. It seemed that nothing could escape death, not even the universe, although maybe AC had survived the rebirth of the universe considering that by the end of the story it was made of neither energy nor matter and lived outside in hyperspace. Whether AC lived or not through the event wasn't defined.
When I first read this story, some years ago, I felt what litterature can do, and how books are powerful. Man, every time I remember the ending of The Last Question shivers go down my spine! Asimov was a damn good writer! I wish he could have had more time to live...
...Reminds me of the shortest Sci-Fi tale: "...and so the assembled scientists switched on the largest computer ever constructed; it spanned at least half the galaxies in the known universe. Trembling, the chief scientist cleared his throat. "Your first test Oh computer, is to answer the oldest question" A deep rumbling voice that seemed to echo from nearby, and yet so far away intoned: " Computer Ready". "Then" stammered the scientist "P - Please tell us here, if there is indeed a God?" The computer voice rumbled again, "There is now". :0)
The first time I heard "The last question " , I was so blown away, I couldn't stop shivering, the hair on my arm's were standing straight, and who knows how many incarnations of matter there's been, why couldn't it roll on a conversation much like that, Incredible story, Incredible man.
0:00 - Alexander Adell and Bertram Lupov 6:50 - Jerrodd, Jerrodine, and Jerrodette I and II 12:15 - VJ-23X of Lameth and MQ-17J of Nicron 16:46 - Zee Prime and Dee Sub Wun 22:16 - Man and AC
i found the story sad. I didn't understand your troll comment but I stopped listening 2minutes before it ended. I didn't want to hear the sad ending of nothingness
@@lillyanneserrelio2187 No, it's a happy ending, because it isn't an ending, to the universe at least. The final fusion of the Cosmic AC fused with Mankind figures out how to reverse entropy and creates a new universe. It's uplifting.
"Zee Prime was roused out of his reverie upon coming across the wispy tendrils of another mind." By far my favorite line from any story I've ever read.
I had an extract from this given to me as an unseen passage for my English examination today. The story really stood out to me, and make me feel like I needed more, I love this
This story was required reading for one of my Astronomy classes in college. 9 years later I still share this story with friends and family who want a taste of the wonders of astronomy and the universe (I’m a space nerd). Thank you Dr Inseok Song for sharing this perspective enhancing story in your class!
A little known fact about Asimov, he was this close to setting the record for most books written by a single author, and he was averaging 25 books a year until his untimely death- he was 50 books short of the record and perished because he caught AIDS from a blood transfusion (a common problem back then.)
@@thatguynicky1979 accidentally. Even if we assume that there is some shadowy force causing convenient deaths in the background, Asimov was very much in favor of a hypothetical shadow government, provided it had good intentions, as shown by R. Daneel Olivaw, the eternals, etc. It's a repeated theme of his. He did tend to view humans are flawed but any shadowy organization like you imply would be much better served by co-opting his work as propaganda than by killing him off. It would be comparatively easy to convert the foundation and robots series into exactly the sort of books such an organization would want people to be reading.
Wow! Philosophy is beautiful and so are minds. Creativity is fascinating and contemplating all the different ways the world and humanity is connected to so many unfathomable things and ideas is extremely stimulating. This story was good, and the end was perfect...made me think...i was lost a little bit but then everything came together at the end.
aja thompson the end is the weakest aspect of this story, for it's a fairy tale ending. "and they were happy ever after" doesn't exist in the real world. In reality, we don't have a multivac. We don't even have AI. But the most intriguing aspect of this story is what boggled the mind of human beings for milenia: "What If there is no happy end, if any end at all". This story just changed the framing from "after death of man" to "after death of the universe".
If being "Happy" is a state of mind or better yet, a vibrational state and all things exist because of frequency and sequences of vibratory states, then indeed isn't it possible to live in perpetual happiness or at least obtain a happy ending? Concluding we understand the idea of connectivity to all things and exclude the falseness of isolation. If all energy stays in motion and is never destroyed then logically that energy is accessible and could potentially fuel whatever state of vibration we choose. mind you, I don't mean to become to fantastic in the extrapolation of this idea but...isn't it possible that for all the realities that do exist in peoples perceptions and the capacities that we do understand each human being to possess; isn't it possible not only to believe in an happy ending, but to live one as well? The question of death carries a different concern; fear of the non-quantifiable. Humankind is fine as long as the experience can be measured but when that phenomenon is 4th or 5th dimensional in nature, humankind tends to fear its own perceived limitations.
Great interpretation, dad! I read it a few times to understand, but it's a good perspective to acknowledge and try to comprehend especially when humanity doesn't even understand the the very things that are right in front of them and present undeniable opportunities to grow as a society and become more aware. Instead, because of fear, as you've said, we miss out on the very eye-opening moments that will lead us to the resolutions to the problems we face and the random, yet sincere questions we ask ourselves to make sense of the things we don't believe we have or will ever have the answers to.
+NujabesGaming It depends on your philosophy and perspective. From my own standpoint, the last words turn the story into a question: "Can God exist as something that can be physically defined?" (The answer given by the story being "yes") and invites a reader inclined towards further questioning "At what point do we determine that something is Divine?" (The story's answer being, "When it can bring the universe into being/When it can attain an infinite cycle.") I'll note though that those interpretations are very much based in my own personal philosophy. That said, quite a lot of Clarke's stories deal with the concept of Apotheosis in some way.
The Phoenixian you're pretty much inserting story where there is none. Any of these thoughts were not incited by the intent of the story, but by your own interpretation.
My son just told me about this book, I am 59 and I can’t wait to get further into this. Just got to them asking Multivac the question…. Insufficient data. I’m hooked already. 💜
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Not sure what that is but it would make sense that somebody would have said it in a similar way, it's just what I've taken from life so far
I understand that scientific empiricism and skepticism usually wipes away the abrahamic God, but for me science's infinite promise, technological determinism, and the concept of life as negatively entropic stand as bulwarks of my sense of spirituality and God. It is no coincidence that Asimov, Clarke, and other great science fiction writers write about stories like the Last Question involving human transcendence to Godhood and then call such stories their favorites.
I enjoy the fact that the ending makes you wonder if it's our beginning or a new one. Did we have a similar beginning? This short story is amazing because it could be our start or another.
holly creap... as a fan of Isaac Asimov I decided to read all his stories. I haven't accomplished such a thing yet, but i think i can already say that this one is the one that blew my mind like any other.
our high school proffesor told us that and even though i had no interest in learning formulae in physics, that little saying amused me so very much and it still does 3 years later
In the Spring of 1969 I worked for a while in my High School Library. I remember coming across the section with Asimov's books in it and thought "That guy sure has written a lot of books ..." .
In 1980 - David Letterman asked Asimov - "221 books? What type of schedule do you put in, to write that many books?" Asimov Asimov answered, "I get up in the morning, sit down and write. When i finish writing, i go back to bed." th-cam.com/video/365kJOsFd3w/w-d-xo.html``
This is, in my opinion, the greatest short story ever written. Only Asimov could start a story with two drunken computer techs and end it by creating God himself.
It sounds like Keith Szarabajka to me. He's one of those actors you go, "oh yeah, that guy!" When you see his pic. I know he read Dean Koontz "Seize the Night" and "Fear Nothing" good books. Makes me want to get a black lab and name it Orson. Anyway. Give a listen and tell me if you think I'm right
@@Treedboxcom that would explain the switch to an english accent - gotta compliment him on his american accent - i thought he was american but he switched too easily into a brit
Yea but it 2065 it was teletype and when humans were casually populating star system it was a printout on to some film only after that did the smartphone like device described. It's a great story but not a prophecy.
The Vernal Equinox of 2030 marks the beginning of the 3rd, 1000-year Day of Heaven since Jesus taught us, ALL Men are Brothers. And we have been told SOONER! 09/23/26 is exactly 3.5 years sooner. It's the autumn equinox of the US' and the Illuminati's 250th year -- a Jubilee year. There's an Epochal Eclipse April 8th 2024. Exercise FAITH, to get in shape for the Awakening.
@@humboldthammer yeah, yeah, and what are you going to claim once that day passes and nothing of significance happens? Just hold onto your faith blindly and say that the next religious prediction must be the one? There have been many "epochal" predictions for hundreds of years by the religious leaders of old and none of them came true. They just keep pushing the apocalypse further and further into the future. The Earth won't last forever and neither will our star, but that has nothing to do with the supernatural or any godlike entity. It's just physics in action. Nobody knows why or how the universe came into being and the ones to have the correct answer is least of all anyone who adheres to religious teachings for they are not lead by knowledge, but by faith. There is no proper knowing with blind belief.
@@TheSkullConfernece Verily, you are wrong about me. I did not arrive at this place on faith alone, much less blind faith. What else might you be wrong about? I simply report what is right before my eyes. I seek no followers, sell no books nor DVDs. Perhaps your argument is with the FAKE EWES on Trump's religious council -- or the Prosperity Doctrine preachers who tell you to send them $1000 and be rewarded ten-fold in this lifetime. It was NOT me who claimed that Trump was Chosen by God. Have you been paying attention? As for 'knowing', I suspect that I already know more than you ever will. Seriously. Faith does not stand in the way of reason and study. There is very little that I have not already looked up and examined for myself. And I go way back to hours in the library -- long before the Internet.
@@humboldthammer lmfao! Trump?? What?! How about Pope's, ministers, pastors, priests, religious writers, dead sea scrolls, etc. Never did I think anyone from a political administration had the best evidence and no one does, but least the politicians 🤣. No you don't have evidence because if you did, we wouldn't be arguing. If someone prays to be safe and they survive, say, a car crash or so.ethkng, that doesn't prove anything. If the Bible predicts a catastrophe and one happens, that doesn't prove anything because natural disasters are the nature of living on a planet with weather and a molten core. If you have some euphoric feeling or a vision of some sort with some religious significance, that doesn't prove anything except that you're delusional. Any evidence you do have can hardly be called evidence at all. You have nothing but your faith and if you required evidence, then you'd be going against the holy teachings because that's their main message! The Bible says to walk by faith, not by sight. The Bible says many times over to not question, especially mentioned when Satan tempts Jesus to test god's power. Faith is a virtue in Christianity and questioning or seeking evidence isn't. You don't even know the point of your own holy book. Trusting your feelings or vague "signs" in the world IS blindly believing. You are so confused about your whole identity, it's rather sad. If you can demonstrate something supernatural, I would care a little bit, but no one has and you certainly won't be able to, so that's fine. Just keep wishing upon a star or walking in a delusion because that's all that religion and God is. A delusion, no more real than the tooth fairy, Hercules, or Santa Clause. 👋😂
If you enjoyed this check out Isaac Asimov - The Last Answer. I don't thing its on TH-cam like this, but it is free short story easily found with a Google search.
Cool story, bro lol. No but seriously, this is just pure brilliance. Best short story ever. They NEED to make some sort of movie out of this, maybe like The Fountain!
The closest I have seen to a multimedia interpretation of this used to be offered by a planetarium in Salt Lake City, Utah that is sadly no longer in existence… it’s structure was purchased by a jewelry store…
we read this mind blowing short story in Chemistry class, that was the best class ever, it blew my mind and bored most of my classmates, thanks so much William for coming all the way from BioChem course in USA to high school chemistry Thailand, even now it is amazing most of the people in the chemistry department in my university has not read the story and does not understand how the laws of Thermodynamics leads to end of human existence... even though they have doctorate from abroad...
This was the first Asimov story I ever encountered. It would be years before I would give any of his works a chance, but his name stuck around for me because of this story, and a passing familiarity with the laws of robotics. I never realized how much I'd fall in love with the universe he crafted through Foundation, Robots, and even the so-so Galactic Empire series. Reading these series has given me a more fundamental understanding of science fiction as a genre, and a greater appreciation for other works of sci fi that I love like Dune, 40k, Star Wars, and even something more modern like Westworld
I was drunk as piss at about 2am back in 2011 and a random aquantaince randomly messaged me this short story and it had me enthralled the whole time. I still come back to listen/read it a couple times a year ever since
I loved this story.Its one of my favorites. The end was quite humorous, as the galactic Ac ,a machine made by man at the start, did something people once blamed gods and, primal elemental beings for. I don't mean that the end itself was funny but the results after. I mean think about the author. Isaac probably got allot of hassle for that from the religious for that ending. XD
I knew this story for about 12 years know. But it took me till today to realize: In a billion years mankind still uses imperial system. And: in Asimov's universe no extraterrestrial life seems to exist.
"John Campbell [the editor of Astounding Stories from 1937 until his death in 1971 - Asimov's ambition was to sell stories to Campbell and his magazine] believed in the supremacy of human beings over other sentient species. Asimov wrote a few short stories about other sentient species in his early career, but Campbell insisted that the humans in these stories always have something that made them better than the other sentient species. Asimov didn't agree with this: he thought humans would sometimes be equal to, or possibly even inferior to, other species. Also, Campbell's opinion that humans should be better than other species was an extrapolation of Campbell's opinion that some types of human were better than other types of human... and Asimov wasn't going to support racism even metaphorically. So, Asimov gave up writing stories about aliens and focused mostly on stories about humans. This is how he came to invent the humans-only galaxy (Asimov was the first science fiction writer to use this type of background for science fiction stories): to avoid conflicts with Campbell about humans being inherently superior to any aliens they might meet." www.reddit.com/r/asimov/wiki/alienstories
I have a copy of this on my PS3, it's pretty trippy. I was listening to it one time (while baked). I had it on the 'earth from space' screensaver, when it got to the part when then the last man watches the last star die and asks the question for the last time; the visual was the earth being eclipsed an then a blank screen.
@somdebg OMAC! The Last Question is my absolute favourite piece of fiction ever, and now I learn there is a sequel?!? Even if only 'sort of'. I've just found that it is available online as well! I'm going to read the hell out of that after I've finished this vid. Thanks!
Aw man.. *Now* , of course, it's "hip" to be into Asimov, but that wasn't always the case. When I was reading an average of one science fiction paperback per day, back in my younger days in the 60's, telling someone you were an Asimov fan drew a glazed look and a "huh" from almost everyone you met. It was only when you brought up the young "up and comers" (at the time) such as Larry Niven or Harlan Ellison that they perked up. In fact, Isaac always seemed tto be passed over for the really cool Scifi awards, which astonished me because already at that time the "three laws of robotics " were gaining acceptance in every field. And, yet, nobody mastered the short story in the science fiction field like he did.. most likely due to the influence of his mentor John Campbell, back in the old pulp magazine days. Although I read the Foundation and Robot series several times, it's the shorts that are really amazing. This one is one of his best. Good narration too. Thanks for posting it!
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I was privileged to hear dr. Asimov lecture at the Hampton Colosseum in Hampton, Virginia in the early 1980s. While waiting for him to speak I approached him with one of his books and asked him for an autograph. While he was signing the book I told him that his The Last Question was my favorite science fiction short story. He said, "It's my favorite, too."
lucky you!
It's my favorite from Asimov. So deeply.
If you haven't heard it yet, there is a recording here on TH-cam of Asimov reading "The Last Question". It is great hearing it read by him. He narrates a quick intro in which he acknowledges this as being one of his favorite stories he has written. What an amazing story teller!
Robert Evans, if only you had been kind enough to post a link ;) :D
I've just discovered Asimov audiobooks on yoochoob and I am a fan now ! :) .. I really liked this one for how far it went and I liked Nemesis too, glad I have so many more to discover !! :)
Oooo you Lucky bum I wish I was you
gotta get me one of those cosmic air conditioners
It creates a whole new universe of comfort!
Bayside High taught AC well.
@@xandavius9610 I see what you did there.
Bruh.
I read this when I was15, half a century ago. The first sci-fi story I ever read, it was contained in a paperback entitled "9 Tomorrows." I read it first because it was the shortest - 15 year-olds were just as impatient then as they are today. Thanks to Mr. Asimov I've never stopped contemplating the Big Questions. And I've come to see that the scientific and the spiritual are merely attempts, from different perspectives, to understand the universe. It's a universe that has produced, among many other wonders, this magnificent story.
9 Tomorrows, I remember reading that book too
This was also one of the first Sci-Fi books I ever read, also over 50 years ago when I was a teenager. This was the beginning of my love of Sci-Fi and science. The moment I read your words I could not only see the cover clearly in my mind’s eye, I could also relive the thrill of these wonderful stories. Asimov remains to this day my favorite and my love affair with science has never diminished, although I am still awaiting the arrival of my robot buddy with the “glowing red eyes”! Thanks for the memories.
Man I love that story! When you said the big questions I remembered Herbert Spencer's book First Principle where he talks about The Unknowable saying something like: "Our finite minds will never be able to fully understand the infinite universe. There will always be something unknowable to us." I think this is a good thing - if we reach a point when everything is explained life will be damn fucking boring :D
i also read this in "9 tomorrows"... the assertion i would like to state in regards the many people who "feel" that science and "religion" are co-equal endeavors of the human, is that- in the final analysis, science has shared conclusions. that is to say; for a idea or conjectured explanation for phenomenon to Be scientific, it must be an observable outcome to most people- repeat most people- the very personal nature of the intuitive, or spiritual conjecture is by its nature a singular one... so the consensual nature of the "nature" that the scientific mindset is trying to describe in part is needed to be touchable by "most of the people in the world" this does not seem to be the case for the interior states felt by the spiritual or religious person.
I'm 13, and I just heard this story for the first time a couple of days ago. I've never heard a story so great. But, I am worried that, having heard this, I will be disappointed by all other science fiction stories I will ever hear in the future.
The entire thing is great, but the ending is brilliant.
Ha, ha! I see what you did there!
Can someone explain the ending?
I EAT ASS what happened is that the Big Bang occurred all over again, entropy was reduced back to 0. Basically, everything reset.
Paul A. You missed that the A.C became God
Indeed. And that is the point of the story.
The ending is a reference to Genesis:
1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
In effect, AC (having absorbed the collective consciousness of humanity) becomes God and recreate mankind in its own (human) image.
Just asked Alexa this very question, the reply was “ There is as yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer”. Excellent.
I asked Google and he "answered these are the corresponding results"
My Alexa just said: "sorry I don't know that one"
I asked Siri and it opened Facebook while showing the top ten google results of how to make lasagna
@kingwickens8457 lasagna is in fact the way to reverse entropy
Chat GPT says "Restoring the sun to its full youthfulness after it has died of old age is beyond our current scientific capabilities and understanding of the universe. The sun's lifecycle is governed by fundamental laws of physics, and rejuvenating it would require an unimaginable amount of energy and technology far beyond what we can conceive at present."
Back when I was a kid, I had a panic attack when I realized Isaac could only write so many stories.. and I, at that certain moment, had read the very last one!
Maybe so, Ike.
+Freddy Rattler Well... That was a worthy panic attack I guess.
Have you yet spent a timeless interval correlating all his stories in all possible relationships? Crisis averted!
me too.... had the same attack even when i realized that the complete sherlock holmes .... was .... actually the complete....
You may have read the last one he wrote, but you hadn't read all of them.
Fun fact, the name "Multivac" is short for multi vacuum tubes. Back in 1956 when this story was originally published, the first primitive computers were run on vacuum tubes, each one the size of a fist, which later were replace with silicon based transistors.
Who knows, maybe in a few 100 years, people won't understand the connection between the name Silicon Valley and the computer industry, because silicon based transistors got replaced with something more advanced.
people already dont know what a transistor is and its importance
It amazes me a transistor with such a simple working can create something so complex like computers
"Vacuum tubes" (pre+70s)
There are literally billions of transistors in the processor of your smartphone, and almost no one seems to bring that up. 📱📳
Naaaa, the party’s almost over. Another hundred years, if we survive the oil wars we’ll be back to horse & cart. Asimov’s dreams will be nothing but painful reminders of wasted years.
that last line gives me chills every fucking time
+shamimul hoque I think it is something commonly referred to as a, "Plot twist."
The point is, it's all a cycle. Whether the universe ends through the big heat or the big freeze, the only way to reverse entropy is to let it reach its maximum.
+Donald Finlayson
I think it also interesting to note that even when AC had solved death of humans it still hadn't actually solved the death of the universe itself. It seemed that nothing could escape death, not even the universe, although maybe AC had survived the rebirth of the universe considering that by the end of the story it was made of neither energy nor matter and lived outside in hyperspace. Whether AC lived or not through the event wasn't defined.
Noor Rizvi ah I see, love that thought experiments require more thought experiments. Both the beginning and end.
Apotheosis
@@Chemdawg0360 It was defined. AC eksisted inn the end of enthropy, onely to answer the last qestion. AC died and a new univerce was created.
I don't know weather to cry or smile, so my happiness and my sadness merged into a single emotion. One of the greatest stories I've ever heard!
When I first read this story, some years ago, I felt what litterature can do, and how books are powerful.
Man, every time I remember the ending of The Last Question shivers go down my spine!
Asimov was a damn good writer! I wish he could have had more time to live...
have you listened to The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke? also a good one
...Reminds me of the shortest Sci-Fi tale: "...and so the assembled scientists switched on the largest computer ever constructed; it spanned at least half the galaxies in the known universe. Trembling, the chief scientist cleared his throat. "Your first test Oh computer, is to answer the oldest question" A deep rumbling voice that seemed to echo from nearby, and yet so far away intoned: " Computer Ready". "Then" stammered the scientist "P - Please tell us here, if there is indeed a God?" The computer voice rumbled again, "There is now". :0)
Ohh damn...that's more of a horror story!
great!
Really good one tough.
What's the name of the short story you mentioned
excecllent
The first time I heard
"The last question "
, I was so blown away, I couldn't stop shivering, the hair on my arm's were standing straight, and who knows how many incarnations of matter there's been, why couldn't it roll on a conversation much like that,
Incredible story, Incredible man.
0:00 - Alexander Adell and Bertram Lupov
6:50 - Jerrodd, Jerrodine, and Jerrodette I and II
12:15 - VJ-23X of Lameth and MQ-17J of Nicron
16:46 - Zee Prime and Dee Sub Wun
22:16 - Man and AC
The narrator's accents really sells the story. I just love Lupov's Russian Accent.
It was aired on BBC Radio 7, read by Henry Goodman according to their website.
why are there no replies 0_0
@@alyfquake dunno
@@Jetpeggy like it's been 8 years, what are people doing
That ending. My god Isaac Asimov, you're such a fantastic troll
i found the story sad. I didn't understand your troll comment but I stopped listening 2minutes before it ended. I didn't want to hear the sad ending of nothingness
Lilly Anne Serrelio no, AC finds out how to reverse entropy and makes an allusion to God
Lilly Anne Serrelio you should finish it :)
@@lillyanneserrelio2187 No, it's a happy ending, because it isn't an ending, to the universe at least. The final fusion of the Cosmic AC fused with Mankind figures out how to reverse entropy and creates a new universe. It's uplifting.
Lilly Anne Serrelio you are the greatest troll
"Zee Prime was roused out of his reverie upon coming across the wispy tendrils of another mind." By far my favorite line from any story I've ever read.
Seriously: Who is reading this?
He's brilliant.
inceptional Reminds me a lot of Rod Serling.
+inceptional better than the Nimoy version.
lehninger Far better. I wish someone actually knew who it was though.
inceptional I'm sure someone does, somewhere. Hopefully this doesn't end up getting answered as the last question. ;)
Xenoforge78 lol
Good one. :-)
I had an extract from this given to me as an unseen passage for my English examination today. The story really stood out to me, and make me feel like I needed more, I love this
The ending gave me goosebumps!
This story was required reading for one of my Astronomy classes in college. 9 years later I still share this story with friends and family who want a taste of the wonders of astronomy and the universe (I’m a space nerd). Thank you Dr Inseok Song for sharing this perspective enhancing story in your class!
I have listened to this several times since i've discovered it a day ago. Absolutely amazing
The Narrator is absolutely AWESOME!!!! AWESOME!!!
The narrator specifically uses the inflections of Carl Sagan.
There was once a version on youtube read by Isaac Asimov himself, which was even better. Sadly it was taken down :(
First time listener here. I got sweaty palms listening. Phew, what a ride. The ending definitely saved me a couple hours of sleep for the night.
A little known fact about Asimov, he was this close to setting the record for most books written by a single author, and he was averaging 25 books a year until his untimely death- he was 50 books short of the record and perished because he caught AIDS from a blood transfusion (a common problem back then.)
WTF
Caught aids, or was it intentionally given to him to prevent him from opening more minds?
Or perhaps to prevent him from writing 51 more books?
@@thatguynicky1979 accidentally. Even if we assume that there is some shadowy force causing convenient deaths in the background, Asimov was very much in favor of a hypothetical shadow government, provided it had good intentions, as shown by R. Daneel Olivaw, the eternals, etc. It's a repeated theme of his. He did tend to view humans are flawed but any shadowy organization like you imply would be much better served by co-opting his work as propaganda than by killing him off. It would be comparatively easy to convert the foundation and robots series into exactly the sort of books such an organization would want people to be reading.
sadly most of them (the nonfiction) read like they were by an author who writes 25 books a year
I read a lot of Isaac Asimov. This as my absolute favorite story. I think it changed me.
I’m so proud my son sent this to me to view.
All I can say is WOW.
'Try hitting Ctrl+Alt+Delete' was the actual correct answer.
This is a wonderful story! I was stolen away almost immediately!
Don't lie. You're still here, you typed this comment, didn't you?
The great Isaac Asimov. Always my favorite science fiction writer.
Wow! Philosophy is beautiful and so are minds. Creativity is fascinating and contemplating all the different ways the world and humanity is connected to so many unfathomable things and ideas is extremely stimulating. This story was good, and the end was perfect...made me think...i was lost a little bit but then everything came together at the end.
aja thompson the end is the weakest aspect of this story, for it's a fairy tale ending. "and they were happy ever after" doesn't exist in the real world. In reality, we don't have a multivac. We don't even have AI. But the most intriguing aspect of this story is what boggled the mind of human beings for milenia: "What If there is no happy end, if any end at all". This story just changed the framing from "after death of man" to "after death of the universe".
If being "Happy" is a state of mind or better yet, a vibrational state and all things exist because of frequency and sequences of vibratory states, then indeed isn't it possible to live in perpetual happiness or at least obtain a happy ending? Concluding we understand the idea of connectivity to all things and exclude the falseness of isolation. If all energy stays in motion and is never destroyed then logically that energy is accessible and could potentially fuel whatever state of vibration we choose. mind you, I don't mean to become to fantastic in the extrapolation of this idea but...isn't it possible that for all the realities that do exist in peoples perceptions and the capacities that we do understand each human being to possess; isn't it possible not only to believe in an happy ending, but to live one as well?
The question of death carries a different concern; fear of the non-quantifiable. Humankind is fine as long as the experience can be measured but when that phenomenon is 4th or 5th dimensional in nature, humankind tends to fear its own perceived limitations.
Great interpretation, dad! I read it a few times to understand, but it's a good perspective to acknowledge and try to comprehend especially when humanity doesn't even understand the the very things that are right in front of them and present undeniable opportunities to grow as a society and become more aware. Instead, because of fear, as you've said, we miss out on the very eye-opening moments that will lead us to the resolutions to the problems we face and the random, yet sincere questions we ask ourselves to make sense of the things we don't believe we have or will ever have the answers to.
+NujabesGaming It depends on your philosophy and perspective. From my own standpoint, the last words turn the story into a question: "Can God exist as something that can be physically defined?" (The answer given by the story being "yes") and invites a reader inclined towards further questioning "At what point do we determine that something is Divine?" (The story's answer being, "When it can bring the universe into being/When it can attain an infinite cycle.")
I'll note though that those interpretations are very much based in my own personal philosophy. That said, quite a lot of Clarke's stories deal with the concept of Apotheosis in some way.
The Phoenixian you're pretty much inserting story where there is none. Any of these thoughts were not incited by the intent of the story, but by your own interpretation.
And then AC asked, "How was the first universe created?" and hyperspace discontinued its own existence.
AC doesn't know this. Its covered in the last answer story
Damn..goosebumps at the end! This is just mind-blowing
Holy fucking fuck, this is unbelievable..
nice adjectives!
I love this so much but it gives me such a weird feeling
My son just told me about this book, I am 59 and I can’t wait to get further into this. Just got to them asking Multivac the question…. Insufficient data. I’m hooked already. 💜
There are no mistakes, life will be exactly as it should, for either every possible reason or no reason at all.
rellybeats Did you make that up yourself or is that a quote from somewhere. I like it.
***** That is actually a piece of me, thank you :)
@RellyAlexander Murphy's law?
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Not sure what that is but it would make sense that somebody would have said it in a similar way, it's just what I've taken from life so far
if you believe in determinism there is no free will
20 years after I first read it, still the best short story of all time.
Awesome. A story every human being should here. Your humanity is incomplete without it.
this is the best ending for a short story and a masterpiece, you will notice everything he has predicted it's coming true...
Reminds me of, "Entropy wins. Entropy always wins."
Mass effect 2 :)
True.
that's the opposite of what Asimov's saying. I guess we could call it a tie.
@@WTAWWR08 Entropy truly is the final boss for humanity.
The only story I ever read in a standardized test and I fell in love
This is a extremely well narrated edition of one of my favorite stories. really glad.
I would love to have been the incredible genius behind such a brilliant, beautiful, thoughtful, prophetic story as this. RIP Mr. Asimov.
I understand that scientific empiricism and skepticism usually wipes away the abrahamic God, but for me science's infinite promise, technological determinism, and the concept of life as negatively entropic stand as bulwarks of my sense of spirituality and God. It is no coincidence that Asimov, Clarke, and other great science fiction writers write about stories like the Last Question involving human transcendence to Godhood and then call such stories their favorites.
*existential crisis intensifies*
especially since I'm here from the Exurb1a video
Nah man, you'll live again.
This story is pure existential ecstasy.
No words to describe this novel.... Isaac Asimov (alav hashalom) was just a genius!
This is my absolute favorite short story from the master! Brilliant!
My favorite ❤️ 🎉
Thank you for sharing this amazing story
I enjoy the fact that the ending makes you wonder if it's our beginning or a new one. Did we have a similar beginning? This short story is amazing because it could be our start or another.
I've had this story committed to memory, word for word, for 20 years.
I'm a fan of this Audio Performance. Ty to the Audio Editor(s) and all others involved. I'm grateful.
:)
i've heard/read the story so many times.... the ending always gets to me..... so awesome!
holly creap... as a fan of Isaac Asimov I decided to read all his stories. I haven't accomplished such a thing yet, but i think i can already say that this one is the one that blew my mind like any other.
Fantastic story by a master, very well read. I read this myself decades ago. Great to be reminded.
Thermodynamics in a nutshell.
Zeroth: There is a game.
First: You can't win.
Second: You must lose.
Third: You can't quit.
Fourth: Complaining doesn't help
We all quit at some point, even you...
our high school proffesor told us that and even though i had no interest in learning formulae in physics, that little saying amused me so very much and it still does 3 years later
Thermodynamics Squid Game
In the Spring of 1969 I worked for a while in my High School Library. I remember coming across the section with Asimov's books in it and thought "That guy sure has written a lot of books ..."
.
In 1980 - David Letterman asked Asimov - "221 books? What type of schedule do you put in, to write that many books?"
Asimov Asimov answered, "I get up in the morning, sit down and write. When i finish writing, i go back to bed."
th-cam.com/video/365kJOsFd3w/w-d-xo.html``
Wonderful man!
Fabulous story and reading. This is one of my favourites. Much as I like Leonard nimoy this is a better reading imho. Thank you for posting it.
This is, in my opinion, the greatest short story ever written. Only Asimov could start a story with two drunken computer techs and end it by creating God himself.
Who is reading the text? The voice and intonations are amazing. Where can I find more of this reader?
Анфиса Васильева Have you found the name of the reader? I'd love to hear more from him.
Hawke N. Unfortunately, no
It sounds like Keith Szarabajka to me. He's one of those actors you go, "oh yeah, that guy!" When you see his pic. I know he read Dean Koontz "Seize the Night" and "Fear Nothing" good books. Makes me want to get a black lab and name it Orson. Anyway. Give a listen and tell me if you think I'm right
@@Treedboxcom that would explain the switch to an english accent - gotta compliment him on his american accent - i thought he was american but he switched too easily into a brit
Henry Goodman. He’s a British actor.
This is ChatGPT
Exurb1a brought me here. Great story! I honestly really enjoyed just listening to it. :)
same. it's basically a 30 minute exurb1a video
Imad Morsli what video?
Bear and goose
Interesting that he casually thought up the cloud and smart phones here.
Yea but it 2065 it was teletype and when humans were casually populating star system it was a printout on to some film only after that did the smartphone like device described.
It's a great story but not a prophecy.
@Dehydrated Water According to my memory it is in one of the foundation series. Be skeptical of my memory, I am.
Beyond fantastic.
"The last question was first asked May 21, 2061"..
I was born May 22, 1962... that'd be 1 day short of 99 years, wouldn't it?
I was born May 21, 1991. I'll be exactly 70 years old on that day.
The Vernal Equinox of 2030 marks the beginning of the 3rd, 1000-year Day of Heaven since Jesus taught us, ALL Men are Brothers. And we have been told SOONER! 09/23/26 is exactly 3.5 years sooner. It's the autumn equinox of the US' and the Illuminati's 250th year -- a Jubilee year.
There's an Epochal Eclipse April 8th 2024. Exercise FAITH, to get in shape for the Awakening.
@@humboldthammer yeah, yeah, and what are you going to claim once that day passes and nothing of significance happens? Just hold onto your faith blindly and say that the next religious prediction must be the one? There have been many "epochal" predictions for hundreds of years by the religious leaders of old and none of them came true. They just keep pushing the apocalypse further and further into the future. The Earth won't last forever and neither will our star, but that has nothing to do with the supernatural or any godlike entity. It's just physics in action. Nobody knows why or how the universe came into being and the ones to have the correct answer is least of all anyone who adheres to religious teachings for they are not lead by knowledge, but by faith. There is no proper knowing with blind belief.
@@TheSkullConfernece Verily, you are wrong about me. I did not arrive at this place on faith alone, much less blind faith. What else might you be wrong about? I simply report what is right before my eyes. I seek no followers, sell no books nor DVDs. Perhaps your argument is with the FAKE EWES on Trump's religious council -- or the Prosperity Doctrine preachers who tell you to send them $1000 and be rewarded ten-fold in this lifetime.
It was NOT me who claimed that Trump was Chosen by God. Have you been paying attention? As for 'knowing', I suspect that I already know more than you ever will. Seriously. Faith does not stand in the way of reason and study. There is very little that I have not already looked up and examined for myself. And I go way back to hours in the library -- long before the Internet.
@@humboldthammer lmfao! Trump?? What?! How about Pope's, ministers, pastors, priests, religious writers, dead sea scrolls, etc. Never did I think anyone from a political administration had the best evidence and no one does, but least the politicians 🤣. No you don't have evidence because if you did, we wouldn't be arguing. If someone prays to be safe and they survive, say, a car crash or so.ethkng, that doesn't prove anything. If the Bible predicts a catastrophe and one happens, that doesn't prove anything because natural disasters are the nature of living on a planet with weather and a molten core. If you have some euphoric feeling or a vision of some sort with some religious significance, that doesn't prove anything except that you're delusional. Any evidence you do have can hardly be called evidence at all. You have nothing but your faith and if you required evidence, then you'd be going against the holy teachings because that's their main message! The Bible says to walk by faith, not by sight. The Bible says many times over to not question, especially mentioned when Satan tempts Jesus to test god's power. Faith is a virtue in Christianity and questioning or seeking evidence isn't. You don't even know the point of your own holy book. Trusting your feelings or vague "signs" in the world IS blindly believing. You are so confused about your whole identity, it's rather sad. If you can demonstrate something supernatural, I would care a little bit, but no one has and you certainly won't be able to, so that's fine. Just keep wishing upon a star or walking in a delusion because that's all that religion and God is. A delusion, no more real than the tooth fairy, Hercules, or Santa Clause. 👋😂
If you enjoyed this check out Isaac Asimov - The Last Answer.
I don't thing its on TH-cam like this, but it is free short story easily found with a Google search.
Loved it thank you😊
Insufficient data for a meaningful answer.
Thanks for that. Had been looking for a nice audio version of this story. The man was so ahead of his time.
I ABSOLUTELY love this story, I will newer forget it.
Nice voice over acting. Very pleasant to listen to.
Cool story, bro lol. No but seriously, this is just pure brilliance. Best short story ever. They NEED to make some sort of movie out of this, maybe like The Fountain!
The closest I have seen to a multimedia interpretation of this used to be offered by a planetarium in Salt Lake City, Utah that is sadly no longer in existence… it’s structure was purchased by a jewelry store…
we read this mind blowing short story in Chemistry class, that was the best class ever, it blew my mind and bored most of my classmates, thanks so much William for coming all the way from BioChem course in USA to high school chemistry Thailand, even now it is amazing most of the people in the chemistry department in my university has not read the story and does not understand how the laws of Thermodynamics leads to end of human existence... even though they have doctorate from abroad...
Best short story ever written.
This was the first Asimov story I ever encountered. It would be years before I would give any of his works a chance, but his name stuck around for me because of this story, and a passing familiarity with the laws of robotics. I never realized how much I'd fall in love with the universe he crafted through Foundation, Robots, and even the so-so Galactic Empire series. Reading these series has given me a more fundamental understanding of science fiction as a genre, and a greater appreciation for other works of sci fi that I love like Dune, 40k, Star Wars, and even something more modern like Westworld
Read the short story in the 70's while in HS. Loved it and remember it vividly as no other book today.
It's worth reading. Best ending for a short story - ever.
I was drunk as piss at about 2am back in 2011 and a random aquantaince randomly messaged me this short story and it had me enthralled the whole time. I still come back to listen/read it a couple times a year ever since
When I was done listening I clapped my hands so hard it hurts,thanks Asimov.
First read this in 1963. One my favorites.
holy s$i%... i loved this... and the end took my by surprise... and it was so obvious... loved it
I read this last year. It was really good.
Well folks if you've found that to be intriguing, try listening to, " The Last Answer" same author.
I love this short story.
can AC do my exam for me pls ;-;
There is as yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer.
Swiper Fox there will never be enough information to answer that question
Whenever I need a recharge, I listen to this story. It's just so good.
Satan. Asimov wrote about satan. AC is antichrist.l
@@jessicamata9575 good
This gave me tears of joy. Such an incredible emotional outburst.
I loved this story.Its one of my favorites.
The end was quite humorous, as the galactic Ac ,a machine made by man at the start, did something people once blamed gods and, primal elemental beings for.
I don't mean that the end itself was funny but the results after.
I mean think about the author.
Isaac probably got allot of hassle for that from the religious for that ending. XD
Good question, my friend
The ending reminds me of the End of Evangelion when Shinji is combined with Rei into one single thing with all of humanity, one single mind.
I thought so too!
I love this story!!!! Thank you!
can someone suggest me more like this please i love it so much..
Harvey caves of steel, dimension x, wall of darkness, and the sentinel
Harvey foundation by asimov
The egg by Andy Weir is pretty similar to this. Less science and more metaphysics though.
insufficient data
I knew this story for about 12 years know. But it took me till today to realize:
In a billion years mankind still uses imperial system. And: in Asimov's universe no extraterrestrial life seems to exist.
TheDuckListener not necessarily, it’s just isn’t mentioned
In Asimov's universe, mankind takes over the universe. Aliens exist in *spoiler alert* **spoiler alert**
The End of Enternity.
"John Campbell [the editor of Astounding Stories from 1937 until his death in 1971 - Asimov's ambition was to sell stories to Campbell and his magazine] believed in the supremacy of human beings over other sentient species. Asimov wrote a few short stories about other sentient species in his early career, but Campbell insisted that the humans in these stories always have something that made them better than the other sentient species. Asimov didn't agree with this: he thought humans would sometimes be equal to, or possibly even inferior to, other species. Also, Campbell's opinion that humans should be better than other species was an extrapolation of Campbell's opinion that some types of human were better than other types of human... and Asimov wasn't going to support racism even metaphorically.
So, Asimov gave up writing stories about aliens and focused mostly on stories about humans. This is how he came to invent the humans-only galaxy (Asimov was the first science fiction writer to use this type of background for science fiction stories): to avoid conflicts with Campbell about humans being inherently superior to any aliens they might meet."
www.reddit.com/r/asimov/wiki/alienstories
Asimov IS brilliant.
As long as his works are alive and celebrated, he'll never die.
I grew up reading science fiction. Isaac Asimov was always one of my favorites. Who can forget the three laws of robotics?
I have a copy of this on my PS3, it's pretty trippy. I was listening to it one time (while baked). I had it on the 'earth from space' screensaver, when it got to the part when then the last man watches the last star die and asks the question for the last time; the visual was the earth being eclipsed an then a blank screen.
I cry Everytime I hear “the stars and galaxies.. died”
Something beautiful about the end , from the darkness born the light
@somdebg OMAC!
The Last Question is my absolute favourite piece of fiction ever, and now I learn there is a sequel?!? Even if only 'sort of'. I've just found that it is available online as well! I'm going to read the hell out of that after I've finished this vid. Thanks!
Awesome, thanks for posting. The podcast The Drabblecast produced this short story for their 200th ep. with voices and all :D
Aw man.. *Now* , of course, it's "hip" to be into Asimov, but that wasn't always the case. When I was reading an average of one science fiction paperback per day, back in my younger days in the 60's, telling someone you were an Asimov fan drew a glazed look and a "huh" from almost everyone you met. It was only when you brought up the young "up and comers" (at the time) such as Larry Niven or Harlan Ellison that they perked up. In fact, Isaac always seemed tto be passed over for the really cool Scifi awards, which astonished me because already at that time the "three laws of robotics " were gaining acceptance in every field.
And, yet, nobody mastered the short story in the science fiction field like he did.. most likely due to the influence of his mentor John Campbell, back in the old pulp magazine days. Although I read the Foundation and Robot series several times, it's the shorts that are really amazing. This one is one of his best. Good narration too. Thanks for posting it!
You're not alone in your obsession with Asimov. Just remember that there are others just like you.
I first read Asimov in the 90s. His stories are not only great in the science fiction realm, it seems that his fiction is becoming our reality.
stupid herd