The Last Question

About “The Last Question”

"The Last Question" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, first published in 1956. The story is told in seven vignettes that span billions of years. It follows humanity's attempts to answer whether entropy can be reversed. The story begins in 2061, when two technicians ask this question to Multivac, a powerful supercomputer. The computer responds that there is not enough data to answer the question. As civilization expands and evolves, the question is asked again and again, each time receiving the same response. Over time, humanity merges with machines and transcends physical form. Eventually, the last mind asks the question one final time and ceases to exist. The computer remains, still working on the problem. When it finally finds the answer, there is no one left to hear it.