The Last Answer

This genre is my favorite. For anyone who wants to read more similar to it:<p>Three Worlds Collide (Metaethics, moral relativism, etc)<p><a href="http://robinhanson.typepad.com/files/three-worlds-collide.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://robinhanson.typepad.com/files/three-worlds-collide.pd...</a><p>The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect (Thinking machines, brains-in-vats experience machine, a world without death) This one is my favorite of the three<p><a href="http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/mopiall.html" rel="nofollow">http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/mopiall.html</a><p>The Last Question (Thinking machines, the end state of a universe full of technologically powerful beings)<p><a href="http://filer.case.edu/dts8/thelastq.htm" rel="nofollow">http://filer.case.edu/dts8/thelastq.htm</a><p>Not as relevant as the previous three, but still brain tickling (and not as long):<p>Relevant scene from Star Trek: The Next Generation (Episode: The Measure of a Man) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PMlDidyG_I" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PMlDidyG_I</a><p>Let's Help Germinate This Seed <a href="http://www.thrivenotes.com/lets-help-germinate-this-seed/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thrivenotes.com/lets-help-germinate-this-seed/</a><p>The Egg <a href="http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html</a>

Really, Mr. Asimov? If our mortality did not exist, it would be necessary to invent it? And is existing throughout time such a grand and limitless condition? Georg Cantor proved that there are always much greater infinities that we could not begin to approach, even if we would never die. So I am not convinced that it's a compelling puzzle to find our own limitations, even if we were unlimited in the dimension of time. That's still only one dimension.<p>Anyway, the story appears to be reproduced without permission in violation of copyright.

A very short but superb story in a similar vein: The Egg by Andy Weir<p><a href="http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html</a>

Heh. All variables cannot be factored in until all variables have ended.