now that we all, even the poor, have access to the whole enchilada. its been used to convince them to have a revolution, but not of learning. but it is still a good thing. (not the revolt)
and yet regardless of how well one might know a field, without the paper "the degree" you wont be able to get a job in that field . Because the paper is the only thing that matter in our society, not actual knowledge or thinking skills
Asimov looks timeless. It looks like this video could be from any time at all in the 1900s and the 00s...then the camera goes to Moyers and you see it's definitely from the 80s!
yeap actually if he knew that google will develop itself into a one big and flexible engine that give you a access in search to every other information on web pretty much without involving itself in search results !
Absolutely fascinating! It's a bit sad that he didn't live long enough to appreciate the internet as we know today. I think his lack of interest in psychology did not allow him to see that such a wonderful tool could be also be used for frivolous (or just plain bad) purposes.
Wonder why Asimov thought the machine learning model via a computer would be so radically different from his own experience of being self-taught from books? To the extent of even becoming an expert and author of books on astronomey.
@uglybrothers There's an aftershave out named after him (Boss)... but we could make another one and call it 'SideBurn'... it's blue, crisp, sharp, masculine, and makes men smarter. Wisdom absorbed through shaving cuts!
@r3bol I disagree, Facebook is an amazingly useful tool, just because it is used "incorrectly" as I'm assuming what you're getting at, doesn't mean that it's a disgrace.
While I love Asimov, "all those years ago" isn't so long in the past. In 1988, the World Wide Web was only seven years away and CompuServe and AOL were already thriving. It would have been surprising if Asimov had not made these predictions, given the fact that he thought about the future--and wrote about the future--every day.
Isaac Asimovs vision of the internet still hasn't come true. We do have the infrastructure, and computers that are so cheap anyone could use them. The only thing in the way now, is ownership. The collective knowledge of the human race is barred behind intellectual property rights. These are uphold by the things he wasn't interested in - economics. I am very sorry for us. We could have done this 20 years ago but Corporations, their economists and lawyers are in the way.
@morjensify A lot of the information is avalible, if you know where to look. It's not untill you reach university level information that stuff really starts being hidden by copy-rights.
It's almost scary how close he describes the lives of curious geeks the last few years.
What year is this interview from? Anyone know? I love the irony that I am watching this online and as a result of my own interest in Isaac Asimov. Too cool!!
Everyone who is commenting... make sure to check out his work. He has written books about zillions of different subjects like Math, science, physics, history, science fiction, etc and they're all very easy reads.
I was already a huge admirer of IA but this video makes me like him even more. What a visionary!!!
I am not an atheist, but Isaac Asimov was an amazing man who could appeal to atheists and theists alike. This particular part of the interview, Asimov speaks so eloquently about education and how wonderful learning can be. And his prediction about the modern day Internet is positively amazing.
Quite a visionary. I'm not exactly a fan of Asimov's fiction (except for some of his short stories) but I love his science and history books. All my heroes are dead, god damn it :/
He's talking more specifically than just the internet, he's predicting the popularity of Wikipedia! With knowledge so easy to access, the desire to learn increases with that availability...
This was supposed to be an age of information, but there's still a lot of disinformation. 9/11 con theories, creation science, mercury in HFCS, anti vaccination movement, homeopathy, climate change denial, etc.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Yeah, I mean look at some of the things you believe without questioning. HFCS 'dangers', climate change blind faith, you probably think GMO's are bad too.
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Ok so he didn't know anything about the spiritual side of existance, but I guess they were not as advanced in quantum physics back then as they are now, proving that the so called phoney knowledge is actually scientific fact. Besides that he seems like an intelligent guy. I wonder if he knew there would be so much porn on the net?
@politicalfarce it was 1989 for god's sake. By that time Al Gore and Vint Cerf exchanged ideas in congressional hearings about every kid having a computer not larger than a nintendo accessing books of all types in wink of an eye. Asimov didn't predict anything that was not common knowledge among computer scientists and interested laypersons like Gore in 1989 an even years before that
He was wrong about the dangers of the excessive dependency, use and abuse of computers. How could he know about the inherent dangers of the Internet. Unlike Philip K. Dick he was not aware of the very real danger of the development of a nightmarish Dystopic world, with its Unethical and corrupt governance controlled by criminals! Even so, I was honored to have met him in person and to have had an almost hour-long one-on-one discussion.
Is just unbelievable what a great vision he had regarding learning..too bad the internet is still being wasted into bogus overvalued spam and crap. People should watch this.
he is my favorite author in science fiction. He made several good point here, but you have to read his works in order to get a deeper sense of his thoughts. that's my own opinion..
Correct, I wish Isaac would have lived long enough for me to have met him, because I am a social outcast for the soul purpose that, the school I was attending did not have the necessary material to fill my education needs, it was all the same shit, math, history science etc. I was an A, 4.0 above average student when I became self aware my studies declined but I'm working to get back to the top.
you shouldn't think of a top, more of a learning process at your own pace. I never bragged b/c it seems stupid. I breezed through high school bored out of my mind don't think of it in "up and down" terms rather motivation and unmotivated, create a value system of your own based on things that matter to you beyond superficial things like "i got a 4.0." I always enjoyed reading philosophy and chemistry, it lent itself to helping me get good grades in college, the enjoyment.
Great man, i´ve spend last days on trying to explain to my family why being creative is the only way for human being to survive, and be graceful about it, and they did´t get it. Such a petty they don´t understand english....
He was absolutely right about the one-to-one learning. Just look at the wealth of knowledge that's at our fingertips! Wikipedia (for instance) has made knowledge so easy to obtain.
Wow, this was before 1990, he died in 1992 and he already predicted Google.
Quote: "Once we have outlets... in every home... where anyone can ask any questions and be given answers... be given reference material... from an early age how ever silly it might seem to someone else.. you can do it in your own home... everyone will enjoy learning"
He makes a good point about the need to always continue learning. But how incredibly naive that he didn't see the dark sides of this internet explosion! For example, today's countless solitaries everywhere....
IA said that once we have in the home computer "outlets" hooked up to enormous libraries, "then everyone will enjoy learning."
We are there (and yes the prediction is spooky, though IA wasn't the only one to suppose such things). And yet, clearly many people spend more time on Facebook or cheesy fan sites than on Wikipedia, or YouTube/edu, or MIT courses online. The *tech* is here; now let's hope the culture will catch up to it!
I'm listening to this while looking through his Wikipedia article, if you know what I mean. ;)
Very interesting and entertaining interview. Reminds me of Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch. Also of the IT-related HajjiNets: Running an ISP in a War Zone (82MB film) by David Coughanour.
By watching this on the Internet now, I think that we can safely assume that had Asimov survived until today, he would be smugly sitting in front of his computer thinking about how close he was to predicting the future all those years ago.
In my opinion, he is what I would call a true scientist. He applied sceptical thought and inquiry to almost every facet of his life. Dr. Asimov, you will be remembered.
He wouldn't be smugly thinking about his predictive abilities, he'd be thinking about the next problem. The reason he was right was because he's still right, he saw the emerging technology as a tool. He did not predict the world wide web, he predicted a way it could be used.
i highly enjoy reading asimov's books. Reading just two of his books can help ones vocabulary. Did you guys know he created the story I-robot befor it was in movies?
INCREDIBLE. His observation of computers and the access of data is 100% correct. Bill Moyers can't see it, and can't even understand when Issac explains it.
@InnocentByproduct Asimov is either a time traveler, a prophet, or a genious ahead of his time. (joke. It's the last one :P almost blows my mind though)
I'm taking a year off studying at the university bco. changing courses and making my mind up too late, and while working a part time day job, i'm styding stuff on the internet 5-6 hours daily. I've been a fast-paced polymath study since early high-school, and the school system bored me, and i've learned comparable amounts on my spare time.
predicting wikipedia, google, learning pcs, what he didnt predict was the lazyness and corruption factor...
lumel666 1 week ago
@uglybrothers haha you're so fucking boss.
kiarg100 2 weeks ago
now that we all, even the poor, have access to the whole enchilada. its been used to convince them to have a revolution, but not of learning. but it is still a good thing. (not the revolt)
basscataz 2 weeks ago
Unfortunately, people these days don't want to learn at all. They prefer reality television and faceobook.
AQGOAT24 1 month ago
Futurists don't predict the future. They invent it. Someone just took his idea further
mark38699 1 month ago 2
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The closest you will ever get to a true, intellectual prophet....
visiontrack1 1 month ago
He predicted Google in 1988!
danny23d 2 months ago 4
and yet regardless of how well one might know a field, without the paper "the degree" you wont be able to get a job in that field . Because the paper is the only thing that matter in our society, not actual knowledge or thinking skills
blackwolfsquadron 2 months ago
@blackwolfsquadron The degree, I guess is documentation that you studied and learned in the field. I understand what you are saying thougn.
AQGOAT24 1 month ago
@blackwolfsquadron though*
AQGOAT24 1 month ago
Asimov looks timeless. It looks like this video could be from any time at all in the 1900s and the 00s...then the camera goes to Moyers and you see it's definitely from the 80s!
inorouto 2 months ago
this is eerie because I ended up here trying to learn more about Asimov
NewScholar9 2 months ago
facepalm?? Fucking Boss?? What is our generation coming to I swear people come up with dumbass slang everyday.
joseph941000able 2 months ago
@joseph941000able
It is sad indeed to see our language decay into garbage.
lordmahan11 2 months ago
5:18 He was wrong. I go to cyber school. I havent seen someone my age in over 2 years.
D3ADCrAzY 3 months ago in playlist More videos from cybersputnik
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I'm no longer and atheist since I've just seen Bill Moyers Interviewing God.
Arkthos 3 months ago
Once we really get the functionally infinite power from fusion and solar energy, it won't take much to desalinate as much water as we need.
TacticusPrime 3 months ago
Did he just invented Wikipedia?
Giby86 4 months ago 5
yeap actually if he knew that google will develop itself into a one big and flexible engine that give you a access in search to every other information on web pretty much without involving itself in search results !
AcousticJazzMaster 4 months ago
Brain dead MSM drone Moyers as stupid and imagination-less today as he was then!
irdial 4 months ago
Did he just predict Google?
corr14 7 months ago 10
@corr14 yeap I guess he was thinking on something similar
AcousticJazzMaster 4 months ago
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Get a good friendship with good girls naneedj.info
sonika763 8 months ago
Absolutely fascinating! It's a bit sad that he didn't live long enough to appreciate the internet as we know today. I think his lack of interest in psychology did not allow him to see that such a wonderful tool could be also be used for frivolous (or just plain bad) purposes.
Ekryton 9 months ago 4
it's only funny because the interviewer is a skeptic
brandon9966 9 months ago
@brandon9966 Well, Asimov, as a scientist, was a skeptic as well...
Kakarot21591 7 months ago
@Kakarot21591 I only meant the interview is in disbelief.
brandon9966 7 months ago
you think this is something.. Paul Otlet predicted the internet in 1934
Zerosmelt 9 months ago
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Zerosmelt 9 months ago
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Zerosmelt 9 months ago
He looks like that guy from Flight of the Concords
See also: KhanAcademy
Recordscience 9 months ago
He looks like that guy from Flight of the Conchords
Recordscience 9 months ago
Started with goose bumps.
Ended up in tears of joy.
Arkthos 9 months ago
What an awesome piece of information!!!
EduDeAguiarTV 9 months ago
lÓl_ãñÿ_güys_wàñt_tø_chÀt_wÍth_më
SesayyElliei318 10 months ago
simply a brilliant man ...
Valkyrie761 10 months ago
Wonder why Asimov thought the machine learning model via a computer would be so radically different from his own experience of being self-taught from books? To the extent of even becoming an expert and author of books on astronomey.
Jefferdaughter 10 months ago
The Fun They Had...
NoelFigart 10 months ago
The Fun They Had...
NoelFigart 10 months ago
One viewer was an astrologist.
MaverickDavidian 10 months ago
Genius! Pure genius!
RIP.
SovietUnity 10 months ago 2
wow
lerox22 11 months ago
lmao, "they keep it up as long as they enjoy it," i wonder if that was on purpose
86hachirokubalok 11 months ago
@86hachirokubalok Almost certainly. Asimov had a notorious interest in women.
NoelFigart 10 months ago
way ahead of his time
symnzXx 11 months ago
Azimov was the shizz...
dmihelic1 1 year ago
Asimov looks so fucking boss.
uglybrothers 1 year ago 29
@uglybrothers There's an aftershave out named after him (Boss)... but we could make another one and call it 'SideBurn'... it's blue, crisp, sharp, masculine, and makes men smarter. Wisdom absorbed through shaving cuts!
LDP060681 3 weeks ago
Like prison, the award of school is getting out. Wow, that is profound and true.
legendof 1 year ago 4
@legendof Amen, brother.
LesPaul2006 1 year ago
The person who disliked this probably invented the typewriter :\
luthsaur 1 year ago 2
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This man is a moron!
miskee12 1 year ago
Am I wrong or didn't the internet already exist, but only for governmental use?
leif77 1 year ago 2
@leif77 It was FAR from what it is today. Search engines did not exist.
slipknotjake 1 year ago
@leif77 it didn't look anything like it does today. Imagine pure text and you'd have to be fantastically rich to get a computer to even use it.
ssjumper 1 year ago 3
for some reason i thought this guy died long before color tv
Robstailey 1 year ago
Or they will spend all their time on celebrity websites and lolcats. Double edge sword.
stephenvandyke 1 year ago 6
NAILED IT!
SubHek 1 year ago
im only here because OMFGNINJA favorited this.
staynifty 1 year ago
LOLcats!
realjamesgallagher 1 year ago
What I would not sacrifice to be able to transcend the barrier of time and share with this man, my idol, the knowledge that his dream has come true.
Anaximinor 1 year ago
Reddit loves comcast. Redditors are to be blamed for his death!
UnspokenLetter 1 year ago
This is making me feel guilty that I don't spend more time online learning.
Gorrebell 1 year ago
"one-to-one resource between information sourced and information consumer"
they have become one in the same: WIKIPEDIA
this is the definition of pioneer
aristocratthefirst 1 year ago 2
Ah my hero and author of my youth. What a mind!!!!!!!!!
tiggerr42431 1 year ago
What a genius.
PopeSnowball 1 year ago
so true, i enjoy learning because of the freedom of what to learn provided by the internet
5600981 1 year ago
Wow! When will this amazing technology arrive????
karmacop911 1 year ago 7
May you rest in peace Dr. Asimov. But thankfully you didn't make it to see the manifestation known as 4Chan.
youtubedude 1 year ago
@youtubedude, Or Youtube comments, for that matter.
MilkPlus 1 year ago
Asimov would have loved Wikipedia and the various online databases.
TheBrownestFalcon 1 year ago 3
awesome words from the man
Laura1123xox 1 year ago
Isaac Asimov would facepalm if he knew of Facebook.
r3bol 1 year ago 35
@r3bol I disagree, Facebook is an amazingly useful tool, just because it is used "incorrectly" as I'm assuming what you're getting at, doesn't mean that it's a disgrace.
ajax112289 1 year ago
@r3bol I do that already and have written no works of note :-)
LDP060681 3 weeks ago
The Internet was supposed to grant us unlimited access to knowledge, but people use it to bolster whatever bulshit they already believe.
Lownotes 1 year ago 2
@Lownotes
There are enough credible sources of information on the internet. You don't even have to look that hard.
Nickarrrrr 1 year ago
While I love Asimov, "all those years ago" isn't so long in the past. In 1988, the World Wide Web was only seven years away and CompuServe and AOL were already thriving. It would have been surprising if Asimov had not made these predictions, given the fact that he thought about the future--and wrote about the future--every day.
harveyardman 1 year ago
asimov is like some science prophet
caspargrindcore 1 year ago
It shames us to look at how optimistic this great intellectual is about the the internet and to see what its become today.
bootlipnaga 1 year ago 2
@bootlipnaga It's informative only for those who seek information :P
TheBadunka 1 year ago
god, every big thinker is always going to be pessimistic about the present, nostalgic of the past and wishful yet doubtful of the future
sharki9876 1 year ago
Isaac Asimovs vision of the internet still hasn't come true. We do have the infrastructure, and computers that are so cheap anyone could use them. The only thing in the way now, is ownership. The collective knowledge of the human race is barred behind intellectual property rights. These are uphold by the things he wasn't interested in - economics. I am very sorry for us. We could have done this 20 years ago but Corporations, their economists and lawyers are in the way.
morjensify 1 year ago
@morjensify A lot of the information is avalible, if you know where to look. It's not untill you reach university level information that stuff really starts being hidden by copy-rights.
It's almost scary how close he describes the lives of curious geeks the last few years.
gulllars 1 year ago
@morjensify Its a shame he didnt study economics a little more, he could have exposed corporatism and banking for what it really is.
hablerz 1 year ago
He's looking into my head
SomeIrishGuy19 1 year ago
Isaac Asimov you were absolutetly brilliant you and Aurthur C Clarke were my favourite science fiction writers.
MrChickensoup 1 year ago
I'm doing it right now, Isaac
Seano71 1 year ago
the internet just started working properly
akillies 1 year ago
This is so true!!! How much better we learn when it is at our own speed and on things that we are truly interested in.
What a beautiful brilliant mind he had!!! I felt as if I had lost a member of my family when he died... RIP Isaac.
ChristyKid 1 year ago
What year is this interview from? Anyone know? I love the irony that I am watching this online and as a result of my own interest in Isaac Asimov. Too cool!!
spacelingokc 1 year ago
@spacelingokc The interview is from 1988. The interviewer is Bill Moyers, who was once press secretary for LBJ and was a longtime host on PBS.
gallowspole 1 year ago
My goodness, our viewing this is the very fulfillment of the prophecy!
borgimplant 1 year ago 5
I will ask google the great libary , lol
jmm1233 1 year ago
What a brilliant brilliant man. It's scary how precisly he predicts the future.
fatestbastard 1 year ago 5
he predicted wikipedia 20 years before it happened
Pandorum4000 1 year ago
Everyone who is commenting... make sure to check out his work. He has written books about zillions of different subjects like Math, science, physics, history, science fiction, etc and they're all very easy reads.
I was already a huge admirer of IA but this video makes me like him even more. What a visionary!!!
hanashira 1 year ago 2
.........Wow phony stocks futurism.......Enron,MCI,Martha Steward,Tyco,Stan....
gitano045 1 year ago
I am not an atheist, but Isaac Asimov was an amazing man who could appeal to atheists and theists alike. This particular part of the interview, Asimov speaks so eloquently about education and how wonderful learning can be. And his prediction about the modern day Internet is positively amazing.
chrisman737 1 year ago
Isaac Asimov will live forever as long as we remember him and his books.
doom3099 1 year ago
Quite a visionary. I'm not exactly a fan of Asimov's fiction (except for some of his short stories) but I love his science and history books. All my heroes are dead, god damn it :/
FractalBolt 1 year ago
when did this interview take place?
michiganfoo 1 year ago
I am so blown away by this interview right now.
adiaz80 1 year ago
He is Harry Seldon and he knows it all!
heintron 1 year ago
He's talking more specifically than just the internet, he's predicting the popularity of Wikipedia! With knowledge so easy to access, the desire to learn increases with that availability...
Gorniac 1 year ago 5
lol if only he could have wrapped his brain over how we are watching this on youtube...with his talk on computers
trench 1 year ago
If only he'd lived to see Wikipedia...
RIP robot overlord Asimov.
mchenrinson 1 year ago 70
@mchenrinson you are so right.
ivan4xy 1 year ago
@mchenrinson Or Khan Academy
cuhlik 10 months ago
He had a free mind & was able to see what those with closed minds would not want to see.
depro9 1 year ago
This was supposed to be an age of information, but there's still a lot of disinformation. 9/11 con theories, creation science, mercury in HFCS, anti vaccination movement, homeopathy, climate change denial, etc.
aredditor 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Yeah, I mean look at some of the things you believe without questioning. HFCS 'dangers', climate change blind faith, you probably think GMO's are bad too.
datsik 1 year ago
this guy knew the future, 100% on, not off at all, and explained it so easy, more than anyone else could. Its really mindblowing
digitallysick 1 year ago 5
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Ok so he didn't know anything about the spiritual side of existance, but I guess they were not as advanced in quantum physics back then as they are now, proving that the so called phoney knowledge is actually scientific fact. Besides that he seems like an intelligent guy. I wonder if he knew there would be so much porn on the net?
tiuric77 2 years ago
this guy is ridiculous... i can't believe i haven't heard much more from him sooner. i absolutely cannot wait to read the foundation books
eternalpeen 2 years ago 4
@eternalpeen I'm reading htem right now, they're amazing. I just kinda recently heard of this guy too.
Mistahshadow 1 year ago
INTERNET, GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA, YOUTUBE... He just saw it all. What a bright mind.
007Thiago 2 years ago 17
I'm speechless. What an amazing far-reaching mind.
The guy conceived the internet for crying out loud. Almost exactly right about it.
I think I've read at least half of his books. Definitely want to read all of them before I die!
politicalfarce 2 years ago 7
@politicalfarce it was 1989 for god's sake. By that time Al Gore and Vint Cerf exchanged ideas in congressional hearings about every kid having a computer not larger than a nintendo accessing books of all types in wink of an eye. Asimov didn't predict anything that was not common knowledge among computer scientists and interested laypersons like Gore in 1989 an even years before that
sondano 1 year ago
amazing
maulcs 2 years ago
He was wrong about the dangers of the excessive dependency, use and abuse of computers. How could he know about the inherent dangers of the Internet. Unlike Philip K. Dick he was not aware of the very real danger of the development of a nightmarish Dystopic world, with its Unethical and corrupt governance controlled by criminals! Even so, I was honored to have met him in person and to have had an almost hour-long one-on-one discussion.
TheFreeAdviceMan 2 years ago
He concieved wikipedia
TeoTanek 2 years ago 6
Anyone know the date or year of this?
SSBDelphiki 2 years ago
1988 sep
Jazztoriuspaco 2 years ago
cool. thanks. How did you know that?
SSBDelphiki 2 years ago
Holy Moly McGoly!
Isaac Asimov is describing what I'm doing in looking up Isaac Asimov.
Williamsfan 2 years ago 10
lol amen to that
jacksonroks 2 years ago 2
I enjoy learning, and use the internet to do it when i'm not in school :D
Jontman42 2 years ago 3
Nice call Isaac. Amazing foresight.
ScarletandCreme32 2 years ago 6
an explanation of the internet before it existed! Genius!
Flower707Child 2 years ago 50
@Flower707Child
Are you really that ignorant of the origins of the internet?
xunil3 1 year ago
@xunil3 Are you really that much of a dick?
AnarchalPatriarch 1 year ago
Asimov predicting YouTube. too cool!
ductapeunion 2 years ago 6
Is just unbelievable what a great vision he had regarding learning..too bad the internet is still being wasted into bogus overvalued spam and crap. People should watch this.
CamiloSanchez1979 2 years ago 3
isaac asimov is one of the most amazing persons i have ever had the privilige of read books from.
a huge fan of him :D
the man was in short a genious.
evilblades 2 years ago 8
he is my favorite author in science fiction. He made several good point here, but you have to read his works in order to get a deeper sense of his thoughts. that's my own opinion..
Iankyfong 2 years ago
This man was a genius... looks like he's talking of internet 30 years earlier.
salnizzo1974 2 years ago 11
Correct, I wish Isaac would have lived long enough for me to have met him, because I am a social outcast for the soul purpose that, the school I was attending did not have the necessary material to fill my education needs, it was all the same shit, math, history science etc. I was an A, 4.0 above average student when I became self aware my studies declined but I'm working to get back to the top.
BarmielNagisa 2 years ago
you shouldn't think of a top, more of a learning process at your own pace. I never bragged b/c it seems stupid. I breezed through high school bored out of my mind don't think of it in "up and down" terms rather motivation and unmotivated, create a value system of your own based on things that matter to you beyond superficial things like "i got a 4.0." I always enjoyed reading philosophy and chemistry, it lent itself to helping me get good grades in college, the enjoyment.
Anastasius37 2 years ago
4:11 What disease does he mention?
FeelOfFriction 2 years ago
Cholera
gabrieli123 2 years ago
WOW, he predicted wikipedia, google, .... in the when's that .. 70s or 80s??? He died in 1992 so it must be before then.
thebigpengouin 2 years ago 4
Arthur C. Clarke predicted these things too, as well as cell phones.
reinforcedpenisstem 2 years ago
Yeah probably mid 80's what is remarkable is how confident he was on the concept of a computer at home..i love how he calls it: outlet.
CamiloSanchez1979 2 years ago 3
Great man, i´ve spend last days on trying to explain to my family why being creative is the only way for human being to survive, and be graceful about it, and they did´t get it. Such a petty they don´t understand english....
Macilias 2 years ago
He was absolutely right about the one-to-one learning. Just look at the wealth of knowledge that's at our fingertips! Wikipedia (for instance) has made knowledge so easy to obtain.
quidproquo2004 2 years ago
Wow, this was before 1990, he died in 1992 and he already predicted Google.
Quote: "Once we have outlets... in every home... where anyone can ask any questions and be given answers... be given reference material... from an early age how ever silly it might seem to someone else.. you can do it in your own home... everyone will enjoy learning"
Genius. Absolute genius.
Darkgrammer 2 years ago 5
He makes a good point about the need to always continue learning. But how incredibly naive that he didn't see the dark sides of this internet explosion! For example, today's countless solitaries everywhere....
Jitpring 2 years ago
fascinating
heethen1 2 years ago
IA said that once we have in the home computer "outlets" hooked up to enormous libraries, "then everyone will enjoy learning."
We are there (and yes the prediction is spooky, though IA wasn't the only one to suppose such things). And yet, clearly many people spend more time on Facebook or cheesy fan sites than on Wikipedia, or YouTube/edu, or MIT courses online. The *tech* is here; now let's hope the culture will catch up to it!
You are missed, Isaac!!
badger500 2 years ago 4
Holy shit he predicted Wikipedia in the '70s.
I already loved him, but my god. My fucking god.
TheIchorian 2 years ago 5
I'm listening to this while looking through his Wikipedia article, if you know what I mean. ;)
Very interesting and entertaining interview. Reminds me of Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch. Also of the IT-related HajjiNets: Running an ISP in a War Zone (82MB film) by David Coughanour.
Norbert2 2 years ago
He was a true human being and he is living in every one of
ROBERTAZAD 2 years ago
and here in 2009 we're having our personal tutors teach us about the mind of Asimov
sansserifa 2 years ago 6
30 years ago this man invented wikipedia.
Keylimedelight 2 years ago 9
he really is an amazing man, God i wish he was still around! I love his books!
gothicXkumiko 2 years ago 6
By watching this on the Internet now, I think that we can safely assume that had Asimov survived until today, he would be smugly sitting in front of his computer thinking about how close he was to predicting the future all those years ago.
In my opinion, he is what I would call a true scientist. He applied sceptical thought and inquiry to almost every facet of his life. Dr. Asimov, you will be remembered.
yanluo 2 years ago 78
@yanluo
He wouldn't be smugly thinking about his predictive abilities, he'd be thinking about the next problem. The reason he was right was because he's still right, he saw the emerging technology as a tool. He did not predict the world wide web, he predicted a way it could be used.
Simpson654 1 year ago
i highly enjoy reading asimov's books. Reading just two of his books can help ones vocabulary. Did you guys know he created the story I-robot befor it was in movies?
spillspill1994 2 years ago
I sincerely hope there is no one who didn't know that :-) By the way, the film is OK, but it just doesn't do justice to Asimov's books :(
heethen1 2 years ago
I like his liberal attitude about learning.
Snoopies622 2 years ago 3
Tesla predicted the internet in 1900
takanohana1 2 years ago
Only ASIMOV could have figure out this in the 80s.
Psammites2113 2 years ago 8
He is so right, concerning learning. I learned to hate to learn in school :(
andrewniles1 2 years ago 8
I wish I could reach back in time and talk to him.
JoeltheStampede 2 years ago 3
He predicted back in 1989 the direction that the internet would go into. [2]
jeitomoloch 2 years ago 8
in what year was this interview conducted??
lordzombie 2 years ago 3
Haha wow amazing! This guy was the man! Just amazing =)
djanigav 2 years ago 8
7:14
"They don't stop with sex just 'cause they turned 40. They keep it up as long as they can if they enjoy it."
It? :P
MuchRockness 2 years ago 2
how the hell he knew about google and wikipedia?
Licurgoknox 2 years ago 10
INCREDIBLE. His observation of computers and the access of data is 100% correct. Bill Moyers can't see it, and can't even understand when Issac explains it.
nbixel 2 years ago 12
wikipedia!
rakeon 2 years ago 8
Wow. He predicted back in 1989 the direction that the internet would go into.
InnocentByproduct 2 years ago 64
His intellect is scary!
jayr545 2 years ago 12
yeah I was just thinking the same thing. Brilliant guy!
cbellison 2 years ago 10
the prediction of distance learning.......wow!......thats how i got my degree....lol
CivilianSheepdog 1 year ago
@InnocentByproduct Asimov is either a time traveler, a prophet, or a genious ahead of his time. (joke. It's the last one :P almost blows my mind though)
I'm taking a year off studying at the university bco. changing courses and making my mind up too late, and while working a part time day job, i'm styding stuff on the internet 5-6 hours daily. I've been a fast-paced polymath study since early high-school, and the school system bored me, and i've learned comparable amounts on my spare time.
gulllars 1 year ago 3
@InnocentByproduct predicted Wikipedia
Anthr0x