The Last Answer, by Isaac Asimov (opens in new tab)

(thrivenotes.com)

46 pointstjaerv11y ago8 comments

8 comments

ColinWright11y ago

People might want to read the comments from two of the previous submissions of this:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1287594

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5585646

In particular, there's a link to "The Last Question"

http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html

That's been submitted before too:

https://hn.algolia.com/?q=the+last+question#!/story/sort_by_...

CurtMonash11y ago

Even more relevant is the other Multivac story "All the Troubles of the World", as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Troubles_of_the_World

RangerScience11y ago

One of those linked this:

http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/mopiall.html

which was :woah:

ekm211y ago

Murray said, “But the odd integers can be derived. If you divide every even integer in the entire infinite series by two, you will get another infinite series which will contain within it the infinite series of odd integers.”

For S={2,4,6,8...}

S/2={1,2,3,4,..}

I used to think the set of even integers is a subset of the natural numbers.Doesnt this suggest that the reverse (the set of natural numbers being a subset of even integers) is actually true?

pedrosorio11y ago

I think what you mean is you used to think that the set of non-negative even integers was "smaller" than the set of natural numbers. The reason you can do this is because the set of non-negative even integers has the same cardinality as the set of naturals (both are countably infinite): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinality

The same is true of the rational numbers, by the way. There is a famous proof of the fact that there are infinite sets with larger cardinality that the naturals (the reals for example): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantor's_diagonal_argument

CurtMonash11y ago

No, not a subset, for no more reason than that 17 is a member of the latter set and not of the former one.

What you're seeing is a 1:1 correspondence between an infinite set (the natural numbers) and a proper subset of same (the even natural numbers).

kordless11y ago

It is the awareness that you are immortal that would lead to the desire to end things (assuming the concept actually exists). Logically, the voice is simply a conduit to the interconnection (nexus) of all entities. Being singley aware my own consciousness is immortal and that consciousness is also part of a greater whole are equally appealing and frightening to me. That duality is slightly puzzling and interesting.

biesnecker11y ago

I read this every time it appears on the front page, and I enjoy it every time. Asimov remains an inspiration.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

8 comments

ColinWright11y ago

People might want to read the comments from two of the previous submissions of this:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1287594

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5585646

In particular, there's a link to "The Last Question"

http://www.multivax.com/last_question.html

That's been submitted before too:

https://hn.algolia.com/?q=the+last+question#!/story/sort_by_...

CurtMonash11y ago

Even more relevant is the other Multivac story "All the Troubles of the World", as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Troubles_of_the_World

RangerScience11y ago

One of those linked this:

http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/mopiall.html

which was :woah:

ekm211y ago

For S={2,4,6,8...}

S/2={1,2,3,4,..}

I used to think the set of even integers is a subset of the natural numbers.Doesnt this suggest that the reverse (the set of natural numbers being a subset of even integers) is actually true?

pedrosorio11y ago

CurtMonash11y ago

No, not a subset, for no more reason than that 17 is a member of the latter set and not of the former one.

What you're seeing is a 1:1 correspondence between an infinite set (the natural numbers) and a proper subset of same (the even natural numbers).

kordless11y ago

biesnecker11y ago

I read this every time it appears on the front page, and I enjoy it every time. Asimov remains an inspiration.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse