One of the central ideas of the Foundation series is Hari Seldon's development of psychohistory—a science capable of predicting the future behavior of vast populations over long periods of time.
As readers, we're asked to accept that the rise and fall of civilizations can be understood, modeled, and even guided.
But how plausible is that idea?
Could a sufficiently advanced science ever predict the broad course of human history? Or does individual choice, chance, and the unexpected make such prediction impossible?
The Foundation series was written decades ago, yet today we have big data, machine learning, predictive analytics, and increasingly sophisticated models of human behavior. Are we moving closer to Seldon's vision, or does psychohistory remain firmly in the realm of science fiction?
Let's discuss. How realistic do you think the Seldon Plan really is?
Darth Yoda
"Debugging the galaxy, one bite at a time."