Chapter 25 Chapter Eighteen

Dors was right, the breakfast was definitely not bad.One dish was obviously eggs, and the meat was nicely smoked.The chocolate drink might be synthetic (Seldon didn't care that Trantorians love strong chocolate), but it was delicious, and so were the rolls. He felt that he should be honest: "It was a very good breakfast, the food, the atmosphere, everything was so good." "I'm glad you think so," Dors said. Seldon looked around.There was a row of windows on one side of the wall, though no real sunlight came in (he wondered if after a while he would be content with diffused light instead of looking indoors for bunches of sunlight) , the light inside the restaurant is still sufficient.In fact, it was quite bright in this area, and the local weather computer apparently decided that it should be sunny now.

Each table was set to seat four, and most of them were filled to that number, but Dors and Seldon occupied a table alone.Dors had greeted some men and women and introduced them to Seldon.Those people were all very polite, but no one joined the two of them.Needless to say, this was Dors' intention, though Seldon did not see how she did it. He said, "You haven't introduced me to any mathematicians, Dors." "I haven't seen any. Most mathematicians get up very early and have classes at eight o'clock. According to my personal feeling, any student who is rash enough to take a math course always hopes to get it out as soon as possible." The better after class."

"I guess you're not a mathematician yourself." "Of course not," said Dors with a short laugh. "Never. My specialty is history. I've published some research on the rise of Trantor. I mean the original kingdom, not this world. I think it will Became my field of specialization—Trantor in the days of the kingdom." "Great," said Seldon. "Great?" Dors licked him puzzledly, "Are you also interested in 'Kingdom of Trantor'?" "In a way, yes. I'm not referring to this issue specifically, but other similar topics. I've never really studied history, and I should have done more."

"Shouldn't it? If you spend any time studying history, you have almost no time for mathematics, and there's a shortage of mathematicians--especially at this university. Our historians, economists, and political scientists have piled on Come here," she said, raising her hand to eyebrow height. "But we lack scientific and mathematical talent. Chet Hummin pointed this out to me once, and he called it the decline of science, and he seemed to think it was a general phenomenon." Seldon said: "Of course, when I said that I should have worked more on history, I didn't mean that it was my life's work. What I meant was that I should acquire enough knowledge to help my mathematical research. My His area of ​​expertise is the mathematical analysis of social structures."

"Sounds terrible." "In a way, that's true. It's very complicated, and I have to know a lot more about social evolution than I do now, or there's no hope. You know, the image I'm proposing is too static." "I can't see it because I don't know anything about it. Chet told me you were developing a theory called psychohistory and said it was important work. Am I right? Psychohistory ?” "You're right. I should have called it 'psychosociology,' but I found that to be an awkward name. Or perhaps I had intuitively felt the absolute necessity of historical knowledge, but hadn't paid enough attention to my own mind."

"Psychohistory is easier to pronounce, but I don't know what it is." "I hardly understand it myself." Seldon mused for a few minutes.He looked across the table at the woman and thought she might make his exile less of an exile.He thought of another woman he had met years earlier, but then snapped the thought away.If he meets another partner, she must know something about academics and understand how much academic research should pay. Turning his mind on another track, he said: "Chet Hummin told me that this school of humanities will never be disturbed by the government."

"He was right." Seldon shook his head. "The magnanimity of the Imperial government seems unbelievable. Helicon's educational institutions can never be so free from government pressure." "It's not possible on Sienna, either. All the other alien worlds, except maybe one or two of the largest worlds. Trantor is a different story." "Yes, but why?" "Because it is the center of the empire, all the universities here enjoy a very high reputation. Universities anywhere can cultivate re-specialized talents, but the administrative officials of the empire-including those high-ranking officials, and countless tentacles extending into every corner of the galaxy on behalf of the empire My—all educated on Trantor."

"I've never looked at the statistics—" Seldon was only halfway through. "Take my word for it. It is very important to have Imperial officials of the same background, with a special affection for the Empire. They cannot all be natives of Trantor, or the alien world will be disturbed. For this reason, Trantor must attract millions of aliens to come here for education. It doesn't matter where they come from, their home planet's accent or culture, as long as they accept Trantor's influence and identify with their Trantorian education background. In this way, the empire is cohesive. In this way, many of the administrative officials representing the imperial government are compatriots from the alien world, no matter whether they were born or grew up in the alien world, the alien world will not be difficult to rule."

Seldon blushed again, something he had never thought of before.He couldn't help wondering whether someone could become a truly great mathematician if he was only proficient in one subject. "Is this common knowledge?" he asked. "I don't think so," Dors replied after thinking for a while, "there is too much knowledge to absorb, so experts always stick to their expertise and use it as a shield to avoid the need to know any knowledge in other aspects. They always It’s about avoiding being overwhelmed by knowledge.” "But you do." "That's my specialty. I'm a historian, and I specialize in the rise of the Kingdom of Trantor. Trantor was able to expand its power and leap from Kingdom Trantor to 'Empire Trantor', and this administrative technique is its secret one."

Seldon almost murmured, "How harmful is overspecialization. It cuts knowledge into a million pieces, and it bleeds everywhere." Dors shrugged: "What can I do? But you have to know that since Trantor wants to attract aliens to enter the universities of Trantor, they must give them something in return in order to compensate them for leaving their hometown and coming to a place with incredible A strange world with man-made buildings and a very special way of life. I have been here for two years, and I am still not used to it, and I may never get used to it. Then again, of course, I don’t want to be an administrator, so I don’t force myself Become a Trantorian.

"The quid pro quo that Trantor offered was not only the guarantee of a high position, considerable power, and wealth as a matter of course, but also liberty. When students were educated here, they were free to criticize the government publicly, Peaceful anti-government demonstrations, presenting their own theories and opinions. They love the privilege, and many of them are here to experience freedom." "I suppose," said Seldon, "that it also helps to relieve stress. During this period, they let out their inner resentment and indulge in all the self-satisfaction of young revolutionaries, waiting for them to make a living in the imperial system." Once in office, it’s easy to become docile and obedient.” Dors nodded. "You may be right. In any case, the government is careful to keep each university free for many reasons. It's not their generosity at all, it's just shrewdness." "If you don't want to be an administrator, Dors, what are you going to do?" "Historian. I'm going to teach, using my own film books as textbooks." "I'm afraid it won't have too high a status." "Not too much, Harry, that's more important. As for status, it's a thankless thing, and I avoid it. I've seen a lot of people with status, but I haven't found one yet." Happy. The status will not be firmly seated by you, you have to keep fighting to keep it. Even if you are the emperor, most of them will have no good end. One day I may just go back to Sina and be a prince there. famous professor." "And a Trantor education will give you status." Dors laughed a little. "I guess so, but in Siena, who cares? It's a boring world, full of farms, lots of cows, four-legged, two-legged Everything is missing." "After you've been to Trantor, don't you find it boring?" "Yeah, I think so too. If life gets too boring, I can always find a way to get some money to do some historical research anywhere. That's the good thing about my line of work." "Conversely, a mathematician," said Seldon, with unprecedented bitterness, "is supposed to sit in front of a computer and think. Speaking of computers..." He hesitated.Breakfast was over, and he felt that Dors must have some business of her own to attend to. But she didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave. "How? Mention computers?" "Can I get permission to use the historical library?" Now it's her turn to hesitate, "I think it can be arranged. If you take over the job of mathematics programming, maybe you can be regarded as a prospective teacher, and I can help you apply for permission. It's just..." "only?" "I don't want to upset you, but you're a mathematician, and you say you don't know anything about history. Will you know how to use the history library?" Seldon smiled slightly: "I think the computers you use should be very close to those in the mathematics library." "That's true, but the programs used by each profession have their own lingo. You don't know what a standard reference film book is, and you don't know how to quickly sift and skip. You can probably find a hyperbolic book with your eyes closed. differential……" "You mean hyperbolic points." Seldon poked his mouth lightly. Dors ignored him: "But you may not know how to find out the detailed terms of the Podark Treaty in less than a day and a half." "I think I can learn." "If...if..." She seemed a little hesitant to say, "If you really want to learn, I can make a suggestion. I run a week-long class - one hour a day, no credit - teaching library use Method, it's for undergraduate students. Would you be embarrassed if you were to sit in on this class, I mean with undergraduate students? It starts in three weeks." "You can teach me privately." The suggestive tone broke into Seldon's voice, which surprised even himself. She didn't lose sight of this: "I'm sure it's absolutely fine, but I think you'd be better off with a more formal class. You know, we're going to use the library when we're in class, and at the end of the week, I'm going to ask you to find out Relevant material on a particular historical issue. You will be competing with other students from beginning to end, which will help your learning. Private lectures will be much less effective, I assure you. However, I understand that with other college students The hard part about the competition is that if you don't do as well as them, you'll feel ashamed. But you have to remember that they've taken basic history, and you, maybe, maybe haven't." "It's not 'maybe', I really haven't done it. But I'm not afraid of the competition, and I don't care about the embarrassment that might arise—as long as I can learn the knack of looking up historical reference data." Seldon knew very well that he had taken a liking to the young woman, and was glad to seize the opportunity to be her student.He was also aware of the fact that his mind was at a turning point. He had promised Hummin that he would try to develop a practical psychohistory, but that was an intellectual promise, nothing to do with emotion.Now he is determined to fight psychohistory to the death—if he has to—to turn theory into practice.And this change may be influenced by Dors Venabili. Or had Hummin anticipated this?The man Hummin, Seldon judged, was probably the most fearsome of men.