This is One of My Favorite Stories Too

"This is by far my favorite story of all those I have written.

After all, I undertook to tell several trillion years of human history in the space of a short story and I leave it to you as to how well I succeeded. I also undertook another task, but I won't tell you what that was lest l spoil the story for you.

It is a curious fact that innumerable readers have asked me if I wrote this story. They seem never to remember the title of the story or (for sure) the author, except for the vague thought it might be me. But, of course, they never forget the story itself especially the ending. The idea seems to drown out everything -- and I'm satisfied that it should." --Isaac Asimov

The Last Question by Isaac Asimov © 1956

The last question was asked for the first time, half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped into the light. The question came about as a result of a five dollar bet over highballs, and it happened this way:

Alexander Adell and Bertram Lupov were two of the faithful attendants of Multivac. As well as any human beings could, they knew what lay behind the cold, clicking, flashing face -- miles and miles of face -- of that giant computer. They had at least a vague notion of the general plan of relays and circuits that had long since grown past the point where any single human could possibly have a firm grasp of the whole.

Multivac was self-adjusting and self-correcting. It had to be, for nothing human could adjust and correct it quickly enough or even adequately enough -- so Adell and Lupov attended the monstrous giant only lightly and superficially, yet as well as any men could. They fed it data, adjusted questions to its needs and translated the answers that were issued. Certainly they, and all others like them, were fully entitled to share In the glory that was Multivac's...(click here to continue reading)

Changing Vistas

I need to get back
stand away
step aside
reflect from a distance

cause being so enmeshed like
I am
is sufficient to blind me
to even the most obvious

The Primacy of Consciousness

So, Tell me? What are you good at?

There is this great place one minute away from my perch the way the crow flies. It is a park. A large expanse. Affording many treasures for summer tourists to seize. You can find lots of history, all sorts of museums, acre after acre of rolling emerald lawns. Reminder to self: *Post link here*.

Now then, it has its fair share of visitors year round...They are found often gathering around the many kinds and types of street performers.

What I'd like to do is set up a place on the grass, sit there reading or writing, somehow looking approachable.

You walk by.

Next to me you find a sign, You wonder cause you want to come and sit down...

The signs says... So tell me, What are YOU good at?

What would you say to that question?

I think it could be insightful because you are more likely to open up

to a stranger, a beautiful stranger to spark your imagination