Using the central axioms of his discipline, Seldon can formulate a number of small course corrections in the march of cosmic history that will, in time, ripple out into large-scale developments. While Apple’s adaptation shows audiences how this plan is set into motion, the books are more concerned with teaching readers how psychohistory actually works. When Seldon’s latest research anticipates the destruction of the very society in which he lives, he devises a millennia-spanning plan to change destiny. Seldon is a renowned mathematics professor and the inventor of psychohistory, a subfield of statistics that analyzes the past actions of large groups of people in order to predict what they might do next. Asimov and the foundations of psychohistoryĭespite its macroeconomic approach, Foundation essentially revolves around a single person: Hari Seldon. Scholars believe that - if properly understood and studied - it could help us predict the future of mankind. This theory is called mathematical sociology. This is because its original author, a legendary sci-fi writer and editor by the name of Isaac Asimov, drew inspiration from a contentious but fascinating academic theory. Even when compared to other sprawling space operas like Star Wars and Frank Herbert’s Dune, the Foundation series remains unmatched in terms of scale and scope.
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