solved I first read Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question” as a

I first read Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question” as a lonely, depressed teenager in the mid 1970s when I was still living with my father in Seattle. I can’t remember how I ran across it. Probably I was just intrigued by the title. I’ve always had a fascination for those kinds of profound and provocative declarations that serve as titles for articles and books and short stories that just reach out and grab your attention, demanding to be read: “Modern Man is Obsolete,” “The Survival of Freedom,” “Reverence for Life,” “Man’s Search for Meaning.” But Isaac Asimov’s “The Last Question” simply blew me away like nothing else and remains one of my favorite short stories to this day.Arthur C. Clarke’s story “The Star” is equally profound, and like “The Last Question,” punches you in the gut with a shock ending that is too hard to ignore. Both stories work well together and complement each other nicely, as both share similar themes and insights on human psychology. To be sure, figuring out the main idea and underlying message of “The Last Question” and “The Star,” whether implicit or explicit, is definitely a challenge. More importantly, what I want you to consider as you write your response is how the two stories and their messages represent the height of critical and creative thinking, not on the part of the authors, but on the part of the characters in the two stories. Figuring out who the protagonists and antagonists are might be a challenge in itself, but remember, antagonism often manifests itself in many different forms. Also, make sure you clearly understand the term “entropy” as it’s being used in “The Last Question.” There are some seriously hellish, entropic events taking place in both stories, and understanding the concept is crucial to understanding — and appreciating — the larger message that both authors are presenting to us.The goal of this assignment is not to summarize anything, but to articulate the main idea of each story and to show how the protagonists are clear illustrations of what it means to be a critical thinker. In order to address that idea, which is at the heart of this assignment, you may have to first define critical thinking and what a critical thinker might be like. Ask yourself: What are the criteria of critical inquiry? What does it take to engage in productive, open-ended critical inquiry? And, of course, what are the objectives of critical thinking and of critical thinkers? Let your definition of critical thinking guide you in your analysis of the two stories. Furthermore, a response about critical thinking should demonstrate some degree of critical thinking on your part – so put some thought into it! QUALITY OVER QUANTITY! Be as clear and precise and focused as you can be. Philosophize all you want, but make sure your words and sentences and ideas are all coherent. Easier said than done. And never hesitate to do what both authors want us to do, and that is to ask questions……