Foundations Triumph by David Brin
no name
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What a brilliant book that is !
Back in 1942 Isaac Asimov started the foundations series - and the future
took shape.
In 1999 we got book number 10. The third in the second foundation Foundation
trilogy.
- and it is as great as ever !
Hugo and Nebula award winner David Brin seems to be the man to continue the
saga !
The beginning - The things we know al ready:
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According to psychohistory a tiny colony of mathematicians and
psychologists, the Foundation, should take over when the old empire crumples
and dies.
Unfortunately, pertubations will nudge the psychohistorical parameters -
knocking the Seldon plan off course.
For that purpose a shadowy elite of "demigods" is set up to protect the
plan.
And beyond all that yet another layer for the future of humanity.
The plan set up by R. Daneel Olivaw. A plan that uses the other plans to buy
time before this master plan can come into effect.
In the Olivaw plan humanity is changed into a GAIA like structure called the
Galaxia superorganism -
Every human soul in contact with every other one. All knowledge shared
instantly.
All misunderstandings erased. All unified into the vast unified web.
Insufficiency of the Seldonite road = psychohistory - New stuff by Brin.
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... an ancient shaman called Karl Marx, whose crude incantations bare no
similarity to psychohistory...
Marxist's, too, once thought they had reduced history to basic science. we
know better we Seldonite's ....
Yet, The Zeroth Law lead Daneel to follow his own plans.
Psychohistory would succeed with probability 70 % - Not good enough
according to Daneel !
R. Zun Lurrin is one of several humaniform units Daneel had begun
grooming to become his possible successor. In their vision, the robot view,
human beings should manage their own affairs,
within a broad range of constraints that he (Daneel) feels are safe......
"..... that is the essential horror of
the Zeroth law, serve abstract humnity while allowing trillions of real
people to die...", said R. Lodovic.
Dangerous ideas - neat explanations by Brin.
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R.Zun: Most societies tried to protect their citizens against dangerous
ideas. And yet the culture that invented us, rejected this ?
R. Daneel: The maturity principle: The belief that children can be brought
up with just the right mix of trust and scepticism.
R.Zun: Fascinating, if this was valid,
it would have staggering implications, there would be no inherent limit to
the exploration and growth of human souls.
R.Zun: Your plan to help them unite.
To create a telepathic network. An end to solipsism.
How could anyone hurt the feelings of others, if those feelings are integral
parts of your own mind ?
Human brains as the topmost organs of a universal entity.
Yet, the diversification among human communities is essential
for the provision of the inventive material for the Odyssey of the human
spirit ...?
Only a diversity of viewpoint helps prevent selfdeception! Only criticism
can defeat error!
Triumph - of Brin - (was: cool explanations?)
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You are smart olivaw. Smart enough to be a bit unsure.
You are setting up some sort of backup in case Seldons plan doesn't work...
A hybrid between humans and robots...
The real reason the empire is falling is because you, Daneel,
wants to get rid of the Galactic bureaucracy. - the grey class.
No small meddlers to interfere with Olivaw's masterplan that turns humanity
into Galaxia.
Hari Seldon: Yet, your plan is incomplete Daneel!
... the simple gets incoporated into the complex. For all its power Gaia and
Galaxia...
are simple beings. The future Foundation will be so strong, so diverse, so
open, that it will simply absorb your innovation,
GAIA, and move on to even greater things !
Human diversity and individualism will continue - and there will still be a
need for books !...
The existence of encyclopedia Galactica 117th edition F.E. proved that Hari
Seldon visions turned out to be the stronger - after all...
A brilliant book by David Brin that's what it is !
January 2nd 2000
Simon Laub
http://home18.inet.tele.dk/silanian/robot/foundation.html