What is the story the machine that won the war about?
“The Machine That Won the War” (1961) is a science fiction story by Isaac Asimov (1920-1992). As the tale opens, scientists who have been tending to the enormous “Multivac” computer have taken a rest and the huge machine itself has been given some temporary down-time.
What is the machine that won the war by Isaac Asimov?
"The Machine That Won the War" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov.
What is dramatic irony in the machine that won the war?
what is dramatic irony in the machine that won the war. In Asimov’s ironically named “The Machine That Won the War,” three leaders reflect on their recent military success in a war against the Deneb.
How did Swift win the war?
Though the real driving factor for winning the war appears to be Swift and his game of chance. As mentioned he was guaranteed a fifty-fifty chance of being successful. Which is higher odds than Jablonsky’s method and because Henderson’s information was tampered with by Jablonsky before it reached Swift.
What is the genre of The Machine That Won the War?
science fiction short story"The Machine That Won the War" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in the October 1961 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and was reprinted in the collections Nightfall and Other Stories (1969) and Robot Dreams (1986).
What is the exposition of The Machine That Won the War?
Exposition: The three men are introduced and are discussing a war that was won against the Denebians. Rising action: Max Jablonsky admits that Multivac wasn't the reason they won the war and after Henderson admits he altered some of the data.
What type of irony is in The Machine That Won the War?
Both stories show examples of situational irony. In The Machine that Won the War irony occurs when you think the machine won the war because it has complicated techniques and plans when really you find out the war was decided by tossing a coin.
What was the name of the machine that won the war?
The machine, named Multivac, is featured in ...
Where does the story of the Multivac take place?
The setting of the tale occurs in “the silent depths of Multivac’s underground chambers” (593) in the aftermath of Earth’s triumph over Deneb. Unaccustomed to being at peace after years of conflict, three men relax in the brief interval between war and peace and discuss the reasons for Earth’s victory. Lamar Swift, a military captain and executive director of the Solar Federation, is the oldest of the three; using almost human terms, the other two men, John Henderson, chief programmer, and Max Jablonsky, chief interpreter of Multivac, discuss the machine as the apparent “hero” of the war. Henderson is the first to unburden himself of his guilty secret when he announces that Multivac was irrelevant to the victory. Believing Multivac’s data to be corrupt and therefore unreliable, Henderson confesses that he corrected the data by using his intuition and juggling the bits and pieces “until they looked right” (595).
What is the name of the machine that is used in Isaac Asimov's stories?
The machine, named Multivac, is featured in several of Isaac Asimov’s tales, but in this one, in particular, the relationship between computers and humans no longer looks like science fiction. Despite the nearly five decades that have elapsed since its initial publication, the story not only remains relevant but continues to impress contemporary ...
What is the purpose of the confessional urge in Isaac Asimov's tale?
Although Asimov’s tale is brief, it employs human guilt and the confessional urge to demonstrate that human arrogance, self-centeredness, and propensity for risk taking are inherent in all human action, whether or not “machines” are involved . Asimov, Isaac.
What is the theme of the story The Machine That Won the War?
The Machine That Won the War by Isaac Asimov. In The Machine That Won the War by Isaac Asimov we have the theme of doubt, reliability, trust, chance, responsibility, independence and self-importance. Taken from his Nightfall and Other Stories collection the reader realises after reading the story that Asimov may be exploring the theme of doubt.
Who won the war against the Denebians?
Earth won the war against the Denebians. However the bigger question to ask is whether or not any of the three men and Multivac should have been allowed to make the required decisions in the war against the Denebians.
What is interesting about the story of Multivac?
What is also interesting about the story is the fact that it becomes clear to the reader that none of the three men trust the data that Multivac outputs. In Henderson’s case he sees clearly that the information needs correcting and as such does so. Jablonsky like Henderson makes minor adjustments to the information based on intuition and Swift takes a risk between only two options (heads or tails). Not exactly a definitive way to approach or tackle a war but nonetheless it worked to Swift’s advantage. Earth won the war against the Denebians. However the bigger question to ask is whether or not any of the three men and Multivac should have been allowed to make the required decisions in the war against the Denebians. Some critics might argue that Multivac because it was receiving corrected information form Henderson might have a responsibility in winning the war. Others might suggest that Jablonsky by working on intuition was taking unnecessary risks. Though the real driving factor for winning the war appears to be Swift and his game of chance. As mentioned he was guaranteed a fifty-fifty chance of being successful. Which is higher odds than Jablonsky’s method and because Henderson’s information was tampered with by Jablonsky before it reached Swift. Henderson’s input in winning the war is minimal.
What were Henderson's doubts based on?
Some of the doubts, particularly Henderson’s doubts, were based on obviously defective information. While Jablonsky worked on intuition and Swift figured things out for himself by way of chance. This may be significant as Asimov may be suggesting that the heavy reliance on Multivac by others to win the war was not necessarily seen as ...
Why is the end of the story muted?
The end of the story is rather muted because it becomes clear to the reader that those in responsible roles mistrusted Multivac. Though they were clever enough not to say so. Instead Henderson and Jablonsky worked in secret and allowed for Multivac to output the information that they thought was best.
Did Asimov give tallies for those who died in the war?
Only then did they decide to pass the information on to Swift. Who made his own decisions by flipping a coin. Though Asimov does not give tallies for those who were killed in the war. It is possible that all three men are responsible for unnecessary deaths. As often happens at times of war.
Did Asimov go into how many casualties there may have been?
Something that Swift himself does not appear to recognise. Though again Asimov does not go into how many casualties there may have been. At the end all three men seem to be more concerned with taking credit for winning the war. Which may suggest that all three men believe in their own self-importance. Cite Post.
Who wrote the machine that won the war?
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. "The Machine That Won the War" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in the October 1961 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and was reprinted in the collections Nightfall and Other Stories (1969) and Robot Dreams (1986).
Why did Max Jablonski alter the data that Multivac produced?
Max Jablonski then admits that he altered the data that Multivac produced, since he knew that Multivac was not in good working order due to manpower and spare parts shortage.
Does the Machine that won the war cite any sources?
The Machine That Won the War (short story) This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. "The Machine That Won the War" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in the October 1961 ...
What grade is Isaac Asimov?
1961. 9th Grade Lexile: 800. Font Size. Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He is best known for his works of science fiction. In this short story, three men discuss a machine that is believed to have helped end a war.
What was Lamar Swift wearing?
Lamar Swift took off the military cap he was wearing and looked down the long and empty main corridor of the enormous computer. He sat down rather wearily in one of the technician’s swing-stools, and his uniform, in which he had never been comfortable, took on a heavy and wrinkled appearance.
