@RUTGERS.ARPA:Bakin.SSID@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (05/01/85)
From: Jerry Bakin <Bakin@HI-MULTICS.ARPA> > The recent query about stories with computers reminded me of one I > really enjoyed several years ago. I don't remember title or author, > but it seems that it was on the line of short-story, novelette, > length. > > The story was a series of vignettes taking part at various points in > man's history, starting with the computer era and ending (or > re-beginning) after the universe had run down from entropy. All that > was left at that time was a computer which had evolved to the point > that it existed as pure energy. This was "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov. The reason the computer existed (I think it was Multivac), was to answer a question: "Can entropy be reversed.""". The answer? Read the story! Jerry.
mwm@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (05/03/85)
[I see the fnord's.] In article <1849@topaz.ARPA> @RUTGERS.ARPA:Purtill.SIPB@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA writes: >I think Asimov thinks this is his best short story (or at least at one >time did). You have sadly underestimated the chutzpah of the good doctor. He doesn't think it's his best short story, he thinks it's *the* best sf short story. Where did he say that? I don't know - nor do I have time to dig through his published works to find it. If you get insistent enough, I may try, though :-). <mike