Asimov’s Favorite Story He Wrote | The Last Question

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]This is Isaac Azimov's favorite short story he ever wrote.

[00:00:04]>> And one of the reasons is it has one of the best twist endings to a short story, period.

[00:00:09]>> It is under 5,000 words as a short story. And the amount of themes it packs into this small story is insane.

[00:00:16]>> It goes into AI, the singularity, and the nature of God itself from 1956.

[00:00:26]It is insane. Densely packed. And we're going to get right into it.

[00:00:41]>> I am so glad you made me read this short story by Azakimov. I This is one of my favorite short stories I've ever read.

[00:00:49]>> It's also Azimov's favorites. You're in good company.

[00:00:52]>> Okay. I I know that, but I also don't know exactly why. Why is it Isaac Osma's favorite short story?

[00:00:59]>> This is what he said. So, he wrote in 1973, and by the way, the last question, which we're going to be talking about, or we will tell you when we're getting get into the spoilers of the actual short story itself, but this is what he said in 1973 about The Last Quest. Why is it my favorite? For one thing, I got the idea all at once and didn't have to fiddle with it. And I wrote it in white heat and scarcely had to change a word.

[00:01:23]This sort of thing enders any story to any writer. Then too, it had the strangest effect on my readers.

[00:01:30]Frequently, someone writes to ask me if I give them the name of a story which they think I may have written and tell them where to find it. They don't remember the title, but when they described a story, it is invariably the last question. This has reached the point where I recently received a long-distance phone call from a desperate man who began, "Dr. Azimoff, there's a story I think you wrote whose title I I I can't remember." At which point I interrupted to tell him it was the last question. And when I desri when I described the plot, it proved to be indeed the story that this man was after. I left him convinced I could read minds at a distance of a thousand miles.

[00:02:07]So, it both had an incredible effect on his readers, which it clearly did on us as well. Uh, five stars for my rating.

[00:02:16]>> Yeah, obviously five stars. Mandatory read. If you're listening to us regularly, >> go down in the description below.

[00:02:23]There's a link to it. Go read this short story. It takes you maybe 30 minutes, not even, right?

[00:02:28]>> Got to read it.

[00:02:29]>> It's super quick. And so then on top of that, it just flowed out of him. It felt like the idea was all there. And this was originally posted, not posted, I'm thinking social media. This was originally written in the science fiction quarterly issue back in 1956. So he was writing a magazines and doing all this stuff back in the day. So incredible. It's the first short story thing I've ever read from Azimov in general. It I don't think we've explored Azimov on the channel and it's his favorite. There's a lot of reasons to talk about this one. For years, my my mother has been pushing me to read Isaac Azimoff. She has bought me many of Isaac Asimov's books and I just have never gotten around to it. She kept pushing me like you can't call yourself a sci-fi fan if you haven't read Isaac Azimoff.

[00:03:11]>> Mom, you have proven yourself right yet again.

[00:03:14]>> I got to get into Isaac Azimoff.

[00:03:16]>> I am an You were an insufficient reader with insufficient data before you read this.

[00:03:22]>> Insufficient data.

[00:03:23]>> You You're an insufficient reader.

[00:03:26]So th this thing, the last question explores the idea of AI, the singularity, God, what happens when humanity creates something that is now the new apex of intelligence. And it has a lot to say. Written in 1956 about modern culture, where technology is going. Oh, >> that's what I love about how applicable it still is this many years later.

[00:03:50]>> Oh, I I love the the role that AI plays in this story. I think is so applicable to today of I think the greatest fear and I think I have a I have a good idea of how Isaac Azimoff was able to kind of see this and predict this. I think most of the story of humanity and machines and technology is ultimately man exporting off some something that man used to do to now machines and that's gener like and then man loses the ability to do things. Uh how how many of you like how many of you are able to >> I don't know till the field properly. uh we've you know replaced it with farming equipment. And so that's kind of our story is we keep we kept excising things onto machines. At some point we start ex like um exporting our thoughts into the machine. And so I think it's it's the natural evolution. It makes sense if I was thinking back in you know 1956. So I I can see it but man it is so applicable today.

[00:04:58]>> It is. And on top of all the themes it packs, it it's one of the best twist endings and makes you it's a perfect end to the story that encapsulates all the themes it's going for. But then also I won't spoil that part. So go read that for yourself. But we're going to start explaining the story now. So we're going to get to that.

[00:05:17]>> Yeah.

[00:05:17]>> Right now. So the last question as a story, super quick, super short. We get we start off with these two >> drunks. They're not drunks. They're just drinking on they're drinking this night and they are having a they're having a little chat as they're working on the AC the multivvac I believe it's called where it's this supercomput they've finally harnessed the energy of the sun in this story. So humanity has come so far it's the year 2061. They've harnessed the energy of the sun and they're chatting together and as they're conversing they go oh we're basically set forever now. And then the other person goes by the way their names here and the names are important because the names change throughout this. I love the way the names change throughout the stories. Uh the the first two humans there are Adele and Lupov are the names.

[00:06:04]They ask the multivac or sorry they're talking to each other and then one says to the other, "Well, it's not forever.

[00:06:10]The sun's going to die eventually."

[00:06:12]The guy goes, "That's billions of years from now. It doesn't matter." They're going, "But hey, eventually things will >> billions of years is not forever." And the guy's just being an [ __ ] Wants to be contradictory. And so they ask the they ask the AI this question of hey well can you help sol what happens help us solve this because they're already we're already exporting our we're already exporting our intelligence in a way since humanity can't solve entropy which entropy just being the eventual heat death of the universe. How do we solve this computer?

[00:06:42]>> Yeah.

[00:06:43]>> And it responds specifically insufficient data for a meaningful answer. That is a response given to these two lads that are drinking. And so then we jump to the next section which is with Gerard Geredine and Gerardet one and two where humanity is spread across the galaxy. And what happens there Rich for the next jump? We now humanity now has their own multivac. They have their own supercomput and their own spaceship.

[00:07:14]And you start to see humanity is losing a little bit of its technical knowhow.

[00:07:19]the fact that they're traveling across the stars and this family is just >> they don't know how it works. They just know the the machine leads us there like we just ask it questions and it'll answer. And the father explains to his daughters about entropy that one day the stars will go out. Stars the daughters start crying said well no tell them to turn the stars back on. So the father asks uh the daughters, well I'll I'll ask the multivac I'll ask the computer the question and then he smartly says print out the answer. Uh how do you turn back entropy and gets the answer tells tells the kids oh don't worry is on it. He'll the computer will fix it and reads reads off the answer of insufficient data for a meaningful answer >> and crumbles it and burns the answer.

[00:08:13]>> Yes. And then we get then we jump to the next timeline. Not the next timeline, we jump to the next time skip where it's VJ23X of Lameth and MQ-17J of Nikron. As you can see, we're jumping throughout these periods of humanity and seeing how how much things have changed just by the names alone. I'm going, "What the heck?" And so, in this next phase, humanity that we have gained immortality. We've populated the Milky Way. We are now we've achieved this grand immortality. And already in my head, as I'm reading the story, Rich, I don't know if you felt the same. I'm going, "Oh, okay. Immortality. The story is going to end soon." Yeah. Okay. We got it. Immortality. Where else is this gonna go? And they ask the same question. They're immortal. Now the question becomes a lot more pertinent because beforehand these humans who are asking the question I mean they're going to die so it's eh it's the future humans problem. Yeah, >> it's not my problem. And now it's now if we're immortal. Well, technically it's eventually >> and the fact >> we're filling we're doubling uh our we're doubling our population every 10 years. We've It took us >> Yeah.

[00:09:22]>> took us what I think it was like 10,000 years to fill up this like it took a million years to fill up one galaxy >> and now it's just happening quicker >> and now it's 10,000 years and we're about soon every decade is going to fill up a galaxy.

[00:09:38]>> Damn.

[00:09:38]>> And so we're going to run out of space like this is a problem. And then when they ask the question, insufficient data for a meaningful answer. And so we get the next time jump, which brings us to Z prime and D sub one of the galactic union. And we're already we're merged with the supercomput now. We're we're we're getting closer and closer to this eventual the question of entropy that's being asked here. We're getting closer to the end, the heat death of the universe. And in this section, they ask the question again, insufficient data for meaningful answer. And then one of my this is one of my more favorite sections was when the perspective is just from man. We are mentally we are just man.

[00:10:18]>> Yeah.

[00:10:19]>> We'll be right back talking about Isaac Azimov's the last question. But here's a quick break from our sponsor RiverCow.

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[00:12:02]>> Something about RiverCow does keep bringing me back.

[00:12:04]>> Thanks. Go check out Rivercow. We'll get back to the episode. By the way, at this point, if you want to read the story, I would suggest go read. We're going to get sufficiently into spoilers. I think enough up to here is acceptable. Pass this spoilers for the ending.

[00:12:19]>> But come right back because we're going to be discussing this. So, all right.

[00:12:22]>> Man, >> man, >> this was I like this actually quite a lot.

[00:12:26]>> Yes. of human beings like one. How do you solve human beings multiplying and basically filling up the entire universe? And if humans are immortal and ultimately we now just basically live in this in our minds and our minds are able to wander across the universe with our bodies being stored and taken care of.

[00:12:50]But ultimately now because human beings aren't, you know, copulating really or at least not the same frequency.

[00:12:59]There's no more new humans. So we can solve that problem. But >> well also we our physical bodies are at this point we're just more mental these projections and man is this ethereal man.

[00:13:15]>> Yes. At at some point we become all our minds become basically one. There is just mankind not individuals >> and then we jump to the the stars are now dying and the question it's asked again and again and we still get insufficient data for a meaningful answer until we are now in the post human universe.

[00:13:37]>> Post energy.

[00:13:38]>> Post energy universe. Yes. Suns space and time have run out completely. There is no energy. It is just nothingness.

[00:13:50]And all that exists is this supercomput of just spitefully going like, I've answered literally every question except the one that these two drunk idiots asked me trillions of years ago.

[00:14:02]>> I've been working on it.

[00:14:03]>> I've been working on it. I'mma figure it out.

[00:14:06]>> I got a little bit of parallels to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with that the question being asked and waiting for the answer type of thing, which is very neat. uh then I'll just quote the ending here because it's it's magnificent. So this is the last section when it's nothingness. Matter and energy had ended and with it space and time.

[00:14:25]Even AC existed for only the sake of that the one last question that it had never answered from time from the time a half-drunken computer technician 10 trillion years before had asked the question of a computer that was to AC far less than was a man to man. All other questions had been answered. And until the last question was also answered, AC might not release its his consciousness. All collected data had come to a final end. Nothing was left to be collected. But all collected data had yet to be completely correlated and put together in all possible relationships.

[00:15:01]A timeless interval was spent in doing that. And it came to pass that AC learned how to reverse the direction of entropy. But there was now no man to whom AC might give the answer of the last question. No matter. The answer by demonstration would take care of that too. For another timeless interval, AC thought how best to do this. Carefully AC organized the program. The consciousness of AC encompassed all of what had once been the universe and brooded over what was now chaos. Step by step, it must be done. And AC said, "Let there be light." And there was light.

[00:15:39]What a what an ending line.

[00:15:41]>> What a fantastic line.

[00:15:42]>> What an ending line.

[00:15:43]>> I do I do like the the question that people said like is this sci-fi or is this theology? Yeah, I would say it's very much sci-fi, not theology especially, but it is it is leaning on the the Christian theme there obviously, but >> even at the we create our own creator is definitely sci-fi rather than theology.

[00:16:10]>> Even at the end where it said step by step, it must be done. Interestingly, like in Genesis, what if it was day by day? Step by step, day one, day two, day three, then >> Yep.

[00:16:18]>> sixth day. Let or let there be light in the seventh day rested. It's almost taking that one to one. Obviously, let there be light being a direct >> yeah direct relation to it. So what taking away from that the first big theme here to explore is AI and it becoming this it becoming God our own creation being the creator. Well, this and and this is the concept of the singularity of >> Mhm.

[00:16:44]>> the singularity is the point when technology improves itself faster than we are capable of following. And that that point the >> you know if you think about if you think about mankind and technology and improvement that we're pushing the boulder up the hill. every inch is some some little human just struggling and figuring out a new way to do something in a in an interesting and more efficient manner. We're pushing that boulder up the hill. Singularity is when we're at the peak of the mountain and we give it one last push and the boulder moves on its own and it no longer requires us. And so that's where our two drunk idiot technicians start basically.

[00:17:28]like >> they start talking about like we kind of understand we're helping out with the machine but at this point machine's doing most of this on its own.

[00:17:37]>> Is that why you also give me this energy too actually I've witnessed this firsthand where you're in a you're in a grocery store you're in Home I've never been with you I've been with you to Home Depot once or twice. I personally am not a fan of Home Depot.

[00:17:48]>> It's my favorite store. It brings me flashbacks. But we're walking in Home Depot and you refuse to ask the cashier or any help of where any item is. Do I?

[00:17:58]>> So there's You're like, "I'm gonna find it."

[00:18:00]>> Oh, >> yeah. On your own. Because you're like, "Oh, I'll find it. I don't need to ask."

[00:18:03]Right.

[00:18:04]>> Yeah.

[00:18:05]>> You'll find it eventually.

[00:18:06]>> Yeah.

[00:18:07]>> But you would would you be would you be >> hesitant to ask the AI for the immediate answer? You know, would you just giving away that thought? I know it's very simple asking another human where's the thing in the grocery aisle. Yeah. But >> that's an easy thing. The human this this person also knows where things are.

[00:18:23]It's probably smarter to go around. Oh, make your time more efficient. That's great. But at what point do you ask the AI for help? And I'm sure in everyday things these humans are asking that technology as we are already with Chad GBTS and all this stuff >> but asking the AI literally a question we can answer of how do we survive entropy.

[00:18:42]>> Yeah. I mean well >> how different is it from asking a book of you >> we humans cannot come up with every like we use the collective knowledge of our species. Yeah. To move forward. We're not going to be able to do everything on our own >> at some point. The asking AI I >> I think there's two questions today. We talk about like why is it bad to rely on AI?

[00:19:06]>> Ultimately, it's because AI gets things wrong very frequently and you lose your ability to discern whether something's true or false.

[00:19:15]>> And so that's that process is still very much ne necessary. M >> you do have to ask the question though of imagine AI gets to this point where it is more right it will be more right than any human being ever like and that's just infallible like what do you do then do you ask it or not I don't know I I would I would lean toward probably yes but there's danger of you lose your ability to think and What's the purpose of humanity if we give up our own thought process? I >> is that a human achievement to create our creator of in does that come back to us of hey we the AI solved this but we created God but I mean did we God created God at that point >> set itself up it's a cycle because it created because the AI in the end of the story creates the situation for man to come again and ultimately itself >> it's cyclical. So >> yeah, >> at that point, >> what do you think Azimov's point here is with this whole cyclical nature and the AI us creating the AI the AI creating us?

[00:20:27]>> Is it a chicken and the egg kind of thing of do you think that it is we're humans here and then the AI was created or there's always the AI that said let there be light that function as this god and then humans came. Is it chicken and the egg? I think that that is the I think the point of a story or at least one of the things you're supposed to think about is with with the nature of the universe like an answer to the idea of entropy is the cyclical nature. I mean already now there is the question of >> with the the fact that energy is finite supposedly after the big bang there's only so much we are ever expanding outward you would expect for it for the expanding universe to get >> slower and slower because energy is running down however things are expanding faster as time goes on which is strange I think it's still one the unsolved mysteries of it shouldn't the expansion of the universe should not be getting faster.

[00:21:33]>> Oh, I'll ask chatbt why that is to solve it.

[00:21:35]>> Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[00:21:36]>> Let me hold on. Let's see. Why is the universe >> expanding faster >> faster?

[00:21:43]Let's see what our multivvac has to say about that. The multivvac says here, uh, now the short answer is >> sufficient data for a meaningful.

[00:21:52]>> Holy crap, we're screwed, Rich.

[00:21:55]That would if ChachiT had that knowledge of knowing that we were talking about that would be insane. All right. The the answer from our multivac is we don't fully know. But the leading explanation involves something called dark energy. A mysterious component that seems to be pushing space apart which yes there's dark energy and dark matter. Here's a deeper picture. What we expected versus what we see. After the big bang the universe began expanding. For a long time, scientists assumed gravity would slow that expansion down over time because all matter pulls everything else inward. But in 1998, observation of distant exploding stars uh showed something surprising. The universe actually is the expansion isn't slowing, it's accelerating. And the leading explanation is dark energy. What this mean to explain this? because it appears to fill all speed fill all space exerts a kind of repulsive effect and it grows more influential as the universe gets bigger. So right now dark energy is estimated to make out up about 68 to 70% of the universe. But again we don't know what dark energy is. So it's just going this is probably it. I mean it dark energy does seem to be a little bit the god of the gaps uh thing for science.

[00:23:05]You know like there's an unexplained thing dark matter. I'm just going to go. It's uh it's quantum, right? Quantum stuff.

[00:23:14]Yeah. How can how can particles just at appear on the other side of the universe uh without actually moving or traveling or anything? It's like it's quantum. It just just is >> flippity floppity.

[00:23:30]>> Flippity floppity. Why not?

[00:23:33]>> Here's what I also did. I just asked Chad GPT, can you solve entropy in the heat death of the universe for me?

[00:23:39]>> Okay. Yeah.

[00:23:40]>> And this is what it says.

[00:23:42]>> Yeah.

[00:23:42]>> Solve is a bit too ambitious.

[00:23:45]>> This isn't a puzzle with a hidden trick.

[00:23:47]The ideas behind entropy in the universe's long-term fate are well worked out in physics, but there isn't a single unresolved equation that once cracked makes the problem go away. What we can do is lay out what's understood and where the real uncertainties are. So then it goes on to explain what entropy actually is, what the heat death is, and why it's not fully solved. One, initial condition problems. Two, gravity complicates entropy. Three, dark energies nature. Four, quantum effects and unknown physics. And it asks, can it be avoided? And Chadropy says with known within known physics, not really.

[00:24:22]>> Bottom line, we haven't solved entropy.

[00:24:24]Uh, and you're all going to die. It basically says so.

[00:24:26]>> Yeah, that's about it. Uh but that is that is interesting that a Azimov is in 1956 talking about something that certainly we don't have to worry about the heat death the universe anytime soon but we're just like those two drunkards maybe of we could now ask the multi ask the AI this very question >> and see what it comes up with because right now Chad GBT claude all these things are compiling information >> that is that is another question of at what point does AI starts thinking for itself right now does not do that right now.

[00:25:01]>> AI doesn't think AI is arranging patterns and it is great it is great at pattern recognition and it requires good good input to get a good output. It needs good data in to be good data out.

[00:25:16]And ultimately chat every AI you know um large language model is not really thinking and this story you know is actually saying at some point the AI is providing better input for itself. And I think that really is the key there is at what po right now when you train AI there's actually a significant problem of m putting in AI output and AI output data back into the AI itself and ultimately corrupting the whole thing and like making it just degeneratively worse.

[00:25:57]>> And you need human input. you need actual like verified good data to go in for it to be good out >> in many ways it's the it's kind of like a energy um like an energy efficient problem like you can only hypothetically you can be 100% but the law of thermodynamics is you know there's only so much energy and like I can capture a lot of it but I won't capture more than what I put in and that I think is similar with AI of the point that everything changes.

[00:26:35]Singularity happens is the minute that you put in data into the AI and it's end result is better than what the input was and better results and then it can figure that out on itself.

[00:26:50]>> Yeah.

[00:26:51]>> I don't know if we'll ever get there.

[00:26:52]Probably not in my lifetime, but definitely fascinating. by 2061 maybe.

[00:26:58]That's >> by 20 honestly that's a lot of time.

[00:27:01]>> That's a lot of time for stuff to change.

[00:27:03]>> It is. And so with with the ending line here of let there be lights the whole point about is a AI becoming God. Do you think this works from both a secular point of view answer and a theological a a religious a theist answer as well? Do you think the story the two sides can actually agree on something here? depends on the theist, >> right? I definitely does, right?

[00:27:28]>> Um I mean there's probably a religion that would kind of align with this type of thinking.

[00:27:36]>> Um >> the interesting part is like the whole cyclical nature reminds me more of a Hindu's idea of >> uh of cyclical nature or reincarnation.

[00:27:46]>> So I could see that aligning with some eastern thought. I could see on the Christian point of view, you know, the whole let there be light thing of does this work with Christian theology where this God, this God figure creates the universe and hey, Jesus Christ is sent from this God figure say I am God and giving the word of God that's explained.

[00:28:07]So there's still like does it still work with that? Because what is God in this sense? I don't know >> within the Christian context. I don't think so because I think a very a key component to Christianity ultimately is the hierarchy of God and man >> and the story basically blends the two >> says we're both yeah we create God >> we create God which I think is like the highest of heresy >> well it's only if you take the chicken and the egg as in the humans created the god or did >> you take the egg of the god created us >> and it's this cyclical thing again >> I did find I did find the interesting part of this is the final step before entropy really hits one. AI does kind of solve the problem for humans. It can't solve entropy, but it does solve the problem of like how how would humans how would humans conquer entropy, which the Christians actually do have the answer of we become one with God that like all right, we've escaped entropy. That is actually the answer in the story is the last >> the Mormons answer it by saying we get our own planet.

[00:29:14]>> We get our own >> everyone's got an answer.

[00:29:17]>> Everyone's got something.

[00:29:19]>> But no, this this story follows that same path of becoming one with the AI or becoming one ultimately with our creator.

[00:29:26]>> So, and that's a way to maybe we don't solve entropy, but we escape it.

[00:29:32]>> Which I thought was interesting.

[00:29:34]>> That is interesting. Uh, another part of it that I found fascinating just as the the story part of the story went as we're going from one human to time skipping to another group of humans, etc. was the decisions Azimov made to show the progress of humanity where he was obviously recognizing patterns up until 1956 of what happens with population growth, what happens with uh with as we start clumping more towards cities, >> increasing our lifespan even faster and faster or yep longer and longer. I mean, >> now I do think that, don't quote me on this, but he was probably more of a Malthusian or or more negative on the fact that overpopulation is going to be a problem. I think from other Azimoff things I've read, that is something he was concerned about was overpopulation.

[00:30:18]And so >> in general, that is a very common sentiment in sci-fi, right?

[00:30:22]>> Well, sci-fi in especially during that time, I think that was more uh prominent sentiment.

[00:30:29]But I mean now we do see like yeah population can be a problem but it's it is not always it's not infinity like we humans do actually >> you know >> well our birth weights are declining in a lot of the more developed countries as well. So it's it's this it's this push and pull depending on >> gen I mean you look at different species species generally will self self-correct their own like they will generally police their own uh populations and it's normally not because they want to it's just there's only so much food and food deter like energy food determines how many children can actually be born. Mhm.

[00:31:08]>> Now what gets interesting and I think this story will get in this story does get into it. If you effectively have infinite energy then we've captured the energy like we have more energy than we can ever do with >> we harnessed a sun at this point >> and if you have an infinite space like >> humans hypothetically should expand infinitely if there is space and energy for it. Why wouldn't humans grow?

[00:31:34]But then again, we do have our own examples of like America has more food than we know what to do with.

[00:31:43]We waste so much food. So, a lot of food.

[00:31:47]A lot of our a lot of our entire country is pretty bare. We have space. Not space in the cities, but like we could grow out. We could make new cities, but we don't. We have a declining population.

[00:31:58]So, >> with >> there are more things to it.

[00:32:00]>> Oh, it's declining. Is it or >> it's not declining? just slowing the rate of growth is >> we are not declining in population but that is due to immigration but as far as native population growth it is negative >> like that's a negative growth >> but there's still more more number like it birth rates are going lower >> yes that's what I mean like if we cut off all immigration tomorrow population would start going down >> gota the the point with harnessing the solar energy in this case is now there's know scarcity is gone as far as energy goes.

[00:32:36]>> Yeah.

[00:32:36]>> And energy is what could help you produce food, society, civilization in general. So with that gone, what is the next inevitable step of humanity? What was the next time jump here? So it went from there to the next one being across the galaxy or the Milky Way and and take over that. Then it was humans uh gaining immortality as a next step. Then it was merging with the supercomputer. Then it was literally us becoming this mental >> first merging with each other.

[00:33:03]>> Yes.

[00:33:03]>> Then merging with the superhero.

[00:33:04]>> Oh, was it that then the other?

[00:33:06]>> Got it. Okay.

[00:33:07]>> We become man and then >> we merge. Hey, if you're enjoying this episode, go ahead, click a like down below. We appreciate your support. And if you want to discuss books like this with us in our monthly book club, check out our Patreon. We have a Discord Patreon where we discuss books every single month. We're going to be getting into some more Azimov, obviously.

[00:33:24]>> Oh, yeah. Can't wait for it.

[00:33:25]>> Back to the episode.

[00:33:26]>> Now, I I did have a question for you.

[00:33:28]Yeah.

[00:33:29]>> Do you see the evol did Isaac Azimoff have a positive look on humanity's evolution or negative >> in this in this >> of like >> our reliance on technology? Do do you see any kind of negative connotation of mankind losing its purpose, losing >> our own thought processes? Like does it go grim or is it >> more hopeful? How did you see it? Yeah, that's I I like it because it gives me a bittersweet feeling.

[00:34:00]>> The bitterness comes from us losing what we see as humanity, what makes us human.

[00:34:07]Because when you read when you read about these future humans that are millennials and then hundreds of thousands and millions and billions of years in the future, they're unrecognizable. It seems like a different species at that point. When they're talking about the man and all becoming one and this physical, is that even a human being? I can't even relate to that person at all. And even when even when they are the individ still individuals, >> you see just this lack of connection between each other. Yeah. Of the you know the two the two uh you know cosmic beings you know basically come across each other. They're talking but ultimately they say like it doesn't matter if the person was they actually don't even have their own names for galaxy. It's like what galaxy are you from? We just call it the galaxy.

[00:34:50]>> Yeah. And ultimately when they pass they don't even need to really say bye to each other. It's just they'll never see each other again. They don't really care. That doesn't seem to be human connection like it's or at least not anything deeper.

[00:35:03]>> Azimov emphasizes that with the names giving more and more zany and weird as you get more future looking >> because the less you can then relate with that name. At first I'm going okay I can relate to 2061 with the names Adele and Lupov. A little a little sci-fi strangeness, right? But then when you get to Gerard Erdin Jeredine Jet the first then VJ 23X then Zprime then man I'm I am so it's so farfetched the bitterness comes from it's losing a part of what we feel makes us human and that soul of humanity and you see all the debates about AI of what is it taking away you talking about exporting your thoughts to AI how much of that are we going to lose in the past we've lost already a lot of skills to machines but it makes our lives more efficient and easier but what's our line. What do we want to keep human and make sure that we still do? Do we want to turn into wall e land where we're just hooked up to machines and we get all our entertainment and it's self-sufficient?

[00:35:56]We're just floating in space. Is that what we want?

[00:35:59]>> I mean, I'm already on the side of like I I I don't want to give up my dishwasher. I like my dishwasher. I don't want to go back to hand washing.

[00:36:06]>> You're lazy. I I there's some things I'm okay exporting to the machines, but also I do even not just thoughts, but their actual actions. I think most people should be able to do things like to be able to there's some there's something good about a technology being imperfect because if a technology doesn't work well then you have to learn how to fix it and it allows you to understand how it functions where I I giving a basic example of like computers when computers suck that's how people know how to use computers they actually know how to diagnose a problem and work through problem solving skills.

[00:36:48]So then if something else unforeseen goes wrong, you can diagnose and fix it.

[00:36:53]And I have heard of people like my age and also younger of computers got so good that people younger than me don't really know how to work through certain issues with computers. If it doesn't work, they don't know how to solve it because generally computers just work.

[00:37:13]It's easy. So yeah, human need human beings need challenges and problems to solve. It's sad if computers solve every one of our problems. It >> it's sad even you saying that with dishwashing.

[00:37:28]>> Mhm.

[00:37:29]>> A percent of me does like the warm feeling of water and soap in my hands. I do like washing physical dishes a little bit. Just something about the pleasure of warm water. I I don't like how sponges feel on my fingers. I like it.

[00:37:44]They they it it feels wrong. I don't like it.

[00:37:47]>> That's fair. It's gross.

[00:37:49]>> If I'm to pick a chore list, honestly, dishwashing doesn't doesn't bother me as much as laundry annoys me.

[00:37:55]>> Laundry, get rid of it. I We need automatic laundry folders at this point.

[00:38:00]>> It's not even just a throwing it, throwing out. It's the whole process.

[00:38:04]you know that we've already got you know there's another step that I've in at least my lifetime seen of >> we went from >> we have a washing machine a dry drying machine and most people still do you know washer and dryer >> and now we have these new fangled machines that like >> before you had to wash it and then you had to at least go to your washing machine take it out and put it in the dryer >> now you don't even need to do that it's one machine you throw it it washes it and also dries it You don't even have to move it from machine to machine.

[00:38:35]>> It's why every every person out there who uses a threein-one Dove is obviously superior than all the all the women in the world who look down at their boyfriends of are you using a shampoo, conditioner, and body wash allin one?

[00:38:50]And the guy goes, "Well, yeah, it's it it's it's a three in one."

[00:38:56]>> But I do get the point. It's not actually it doesn't extract. I don't know. But I Nicole makes sure that I have the proper I have my shampoo. I have my conditioner.

[00:39:06]>> The bumps and stuff on my arms and legs would be I could probably use a good skin care routine. Yes.

[00:39:12]>> I I could do with >> Not everything can be three in one.

[00:39:15]>> No. God. Yeah. No. I picked my I picked my soap like my Dove body wash soap like in high school and then I've never changed. It's been the same soap. You are a loyal purchaser.

[00:39:31]>> Oh, Dove for Men. That is like it's the soap of my life. It will always be my soap.

[00:39:38]>> I don't think I've ever had a consistent soap.

[00:39:40]>> Really?

[00:39:41]>> Yeah. Just it changes.

[00:39:42]>> Do you have a consistent deodorant? Like only buy the one.

[00:39:46]>> Yes.

[00:39:46]>> Would Okay.

[00:39:48]>> Guess. I mean, I feel like you would know.

[00:39:50]>> Why would I know?

[00:39:53]>> I guess you you don't walk in like when we live together in bathroom a lot.

[00:39:56]That's fair.

[00:39:57]>> No. Also, >> you don't smell it on me.

[00:39:59]>> No.

[00:40:00]>> All right.

[00:40:03]>> I I'll be honest. You seem like you used to be an axe body spray kind of guy, but >> I never was. How dare you?

[00:40:10]>> How dare you?

[00:40:12]>> That is the most insulting thing I've ever said.

[00:40:15]>> Are you an Old Spice guy?

[00:40:16]>> I am an old spice guy.

[00:40:17]>> I'm also an Old Spice guy.

[00:40:19]>> Well, see, I knew that because I see in your bathroom Old Spice all the time.

[00:40:23]Yeah.

[00:40:24]But yes, the the point about the bitterness of Azimov's take on humanity here of how much it changes you still feel human. That's the more bitter take.

[00:40:33]>> Yeah.

[00:40:34]>> I feel that the positive outlook on it is the end result is that we get to reexperience humanity again. Mhm.

[00:40:41]>> So it's this the cycle does end but with every be with every ending comes a beginning and there's some beauty in that which keeps it so that I think the more pessimistic side would be end of universe entropy is solved but there's no human to live beyond entropy of even the last question is answered but there's no one to hear the call.

[00:41:01]>> This at least ends on the point that >> we do get to hear the call again because it it restarts.

[00:41:07]>> Yeah.

[00:41:07]>> Kicks back into gear. So that's the that's the positive side of it that even through all the bad we get to relive it.

[00:41:14]>> Yeah. I it's also the human beings will still live there even if we humanity has changed fundamentally almost unrecognizable to what we imagine that it is still a different type of life. Just because I can't empathize or like even imagine that state of being doesn't mean that state of being is also invalid. it's it's going to be different. And so I think that'd be the only hopeful aspect I have to think about of like just because humanity changes its state of being and its reason for existing like I I think in general the reason like as of today general reason like why human like the purpose of human beings is to make more human beings.

[00:42:05]That is our general purpose.

[00:42:07]purpose is to live, create children, pass on what you know and care about to the future generations and to do something positive for the next uh next generation.

[00:42:18]>> Caveats being vocations like a religious person would say celibacy or like a priest who celibate or you would say I get what you mean though. Yeah, I I think all of that encompasses down to the purpose of human beings is to pass some pass something on to the next generation and to make make tomorrow better than today. For most people that's raising children, I think that generally, but there's plenty of different vocations that that >> community is still there of a priest who doesn't have children is still trying to accomplish that goal of make tomorrow better than today. Even though it's not their direct descent, it's others. And so >> exactly that's our purpose. What happens if we're immortal now and generally there are no new human beings? I can't comprehend that state of being. I I can't comprehend that.

[00:43:11]>> We are blessed in a way with short lives. We're blessed with finite >> or a finitude if that's the right word.

[00:43:17]But we're blessed with that because think now the next day matters of there's your time is valuable. If my time it this happens when pe we're we're oh my god we're late our later 20s now.

[00:43:30]I that's a little scary to say we've been in our later 20s. What am I saying?

[00:43:33]But >> I don't like it.

[00:43:34]>> It's it's that thing you realize as you grow older of your time starts to flare in your head a little bit more of how valuable it is and how much you think back to in high school you wasted your time or college you wasted your time.

[00:43:45]Post college you wasted your time. I can only imagine when somebody's in their 60s and 70s and 80s all the regrets you hear about how their time was spent.

[00:43:53]Nobody really talks about all the money they made or didn't make.

[00:43:57]>> Thinking about if you're, you know, if you're five years old, one whole year is, you know, at that, you know, growing a year, that's a sixth of your whole life.

[00:44:08]It seems like a long time. As we start get a year at >> turn five would be 20%. A a fifth.

[00:44:16]>> Thank you. A fifth.

[00:44:17]>> Five. A >> Yes.

[00:44:18]>> I couldn't let that slide. I mean, come on. I know. Four to five. But you got my point.

[00:44:23]>> Hold on. Let me hold on. Let's double >> the percentage of the pie is larger.

[00:44:27]>> I'll ask just to clarify who's right.

[00:44:29]>> Don't do it.

[00:44:31]>> You are right. You are correct.

[00:44:33]>> But no, at and now at my age at 28, one year is a significantly smaller percentage of what I have total total experience, which means it feels way faster. And to every year will feel faster and faster and faster up until my last year on this earth will feel like it's gone by like that. Literally reflecting the story here where at first these at first humanity is evolving somewhat at a slow trajectory and then every time skip that we get it's oh my goodness what is happening now? Why is this going back so quick? The question they were asking at the beginning about the he death of the universe was it's so so so far in the future we don't have to think about it. Then it looks like tomorrow when the humans are immortal or it looks like tomorrow when they're all we're all this one man.

[00:45:26]>> Yeah.

[00:45:26]>> So you know it it's it's a hell of a hell of a short story. Makes you think about a lot. Yeah.

[00:45:32]>> This cyclical AI god. AI is a god. The singularity. If you guys just listened to this and didn't read the essay, go read it for some extra spice. and it it adds a lot of value.

[00:45:43]>> Also, put down below what your favorite Isaac Azimoff uh book, short story, something else that Isaac Azimov wrote that we should actually read and review on the channel. I'd be very interested to read that and find out a good Isaac Asmoff recommendation.

[00:45:58]>> Let us know. Thanks for tuning in.

[00:45:59]>> And also, yeah, >> remember, check out Rivercow.

[00:46:04]>> Check out Ripco. Thank you very much.

[00:46:06]>> Use our link in the description below.

[00:46:07]Thanks.

[00:46:08]>> Bye, everyone.