Part 9/14:
In contrast to the repetitive hopelessness of “The Last Question,” Asimov’s later story, “The Last Answer,” dives deeper into the concept of agency and purpose. It introduces Murray Templeton, a physicist who, after death, finds himself as a cloned mind within a divine-like voice—a cosmic consciousness created to explore all knowledge.
Murray’s eternal existence within this mind leads him to a startling realization: the ultimate purpose is to think, to create meaning, despite knowing that all physical existence will eventually end. He challenges the divine voice—who admits it created the universe and all knowledge—to give him a purpose beyond mere accumulation of data.