The last question (Isaac Asimov)

 

ISaac Asimov

The Last Question es un cuento corto que escribió Asimov en el año 1956, y dicen que es el cuento preferido del propio Asimov, donde se hacen preguntas a la computadora más avanzada de la época, "Multivac". El cuento arranca en el año 2061 y la pregunta que se le hace es si es posible revertir el inevitable final del Universo. Es un cuento distópico, pero a diferencia de la mayoría de ellos, es uno con final feliz. Respecto a preguntar cosas a las computadoras, me hizo recordar a Douglas Adams en Hichhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Vale la pena tomarse unos 30 minutos para leerlo.

For decades, Multivac had helped design the ships and plot the trajectories that enabled man to reach the Moon, Mars, and Venus, but past that, Earth's poor resources could not support the ships. Too much energy was needed for the long trips.

They had brought a bottle with them, and their only concern at the moment was to relax in the company of each other and the bottle.

Ask Multivac, if you don't believe me. "I don't have to ask Multivac. I know that."

in words, might have corresponded to this: Will mankind one day without the net expenditure of energy be able to restore the sun to its full youthfulness even after it had died of old age? Or maybe it could be put more simply like this: How can the net amount of entropy of the universe be massively decreased?

- Multivac fell dead and silent. The slow flashing of lights ceased, the distant sounds of clicking relays ended.

Five words were printed: INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER.

"But how can that be all of Universal AC?" Zee Prime had asked. "Most of it," had been the answer, "is in hyperspace. In what form it is there I cannot imagine."      Nor could anyone,

Each Universal AC designed and constructed its successor. Each, during its existence of a million years or more accumulated the necessary data to build a better and more intricate, more capable successor in which its own store of data and individuality would be submerged.

- "But when all energy is gone, our bodies will finally die, and you and I with them."

- "It will take billions of years."      

- "I do not wish it to happen even after billions of years. Universal AC! How may stars be kept from dying?"

Man considered with himself, for in a way, Man, mentally, was one. He consisted of a trillion, trillion, trillion ageless bodies, each in its place, each resting quiet and incorruptible, each cared for by perfect automatons, equally incorruptible, while the minds of all the bodies freely melted one into the other, indistinguishable.

Man said, "The Universe is dying." Man looked about at the dimming Galaxies.

"Cosmic AC," said Man, "how may entropy be reversed?"      

The Cosmic AC said, "THERE IS AS YET INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR A MEANINGFUL ANSWER."      

Man said, "Collect additional data."      

The Cosmic AC said, 'I WILL DO S0. I HAVE BEEN DOING SO FOR A HUNDRED BILLION YEARS. MY PREDECESORS AND I HAVE BEEN ASKED THIS QUESTION MANY TlMES. ALL THE DATA I HAVE REMAINS INSUFFICIENT.      

"Will there come a time," said Man, 'when data will be sufficient or is the problem insoluble in all conceivable circumstances?"      

The Cosmic AC said, "NO PROBLEM IS INSOLUBLE IN ALL CONCEIVABLE CIRCUMSTANCES."      

Man said, "When will you have enough data to answer the question?"      

The Cosmic AC said, "THERE IS AS YET INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR A MEANINGFUL ANSWER."      

"Will you keep working on it?" asked Man.      

The Cosmic AC said, "I WILL."      

Man said, "We shall wait."

And AC said, "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" And there was light--