“Answer” by Fredric Brown

“Answer” is a classic science fiction short story by Fredric Brown, first published in 1954. It is a very short story that explores themes of artificial intelligence, omniscience and the nature of existence. Summary The story takes place in a future where humanity has finally connected all computers from all inhabited planets into a single, all-knowing supercomputer. When the final connection is made, a scientist, Dwar Ev, decides to test its capabilities by asking it a simple yet profound question: “Is there a God?” The computer responds: “Yes, now there is a God.” And immediately, the power switch fuses, making it impossible to turn off the machine.