Isaac Asimov's Best Story

Every now and then I wonder about the Beginning: what led us here? Who/What created the Universe? Of course this curiosity is related to the fact that I'm a researcher on Artificial Intelligence but as a Human Being I feel puzzled with these questions and I seek answers.

I've read some theories about the origins of the Universe. It's very intriging since ultimately it is all based on the Big Bang and it's hard to believe that this huge explosion came out of "nothing".

Physicists say the Universe is expanding and that, at some point, it will reach it's "maximum" and then will shrink into "nothing" again. And will the Big Bang occur again, leading to a new Universe? Maybe, if the same conditions apply for the creation of such an explosion. But who/what creates the conditions for that explosion to occur? There has to be something. According to laws of Physics, there cannot be effect without cause.

This makes us wonder: Is Life a consequence of the creation of the Universe, or is the Universe the consequence of (intelligent) Life? If the Universe is in fact the consequence of an Intelligent Being, then is it possible that we are the sole responsibles for the creation of the next Universe?

It's this theory of consecutive Universes that is supported by so many physicists and that is the corolary of Isaac Asimov's best story ever written (in my humble opinion): The Last Question.

After the "Last Question" has been answered, a new "Last Question" arises: Who/What created the first Universe, the "meta-Universe" that created the conditions for Intelligent Life to be created and thus garanteed the creation of the next Universe and so forth?

Read it and give me your opinion.