Ask a Foolish QuestionRobert Sheckley
Ask a Foolish Question
by Robert Sheckley · first published 2017
6mentions
2recommended by
3HN commenters
2016–2025first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
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This, and Ask A Foolish Question by Robert Sheckley [1] are my all-time favourite Sci-Fi works [1] https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33854
on “Profession (1957)” ↗On similar lines but a bit more ironic is Robert Sheckley's: To ask a Foolish Question https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33854
on “The Last Question by Issac Asimov [pdf]” ↗No one said it better than Robert Sheckley in Ask a Foolish Question: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33854
on “Want quick answers? Ask questions well” ↗If I had to pick three books that made me who I am, I would add Ask A Foolish Question by Robert Sheckley [0] and Hard to Be a God by Strugatsky brothers [1]. Those two are more about humility and imperialism than learning, though. [0] https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33854 [1] https://content.cosmos.art/media/pages/library/hard-to-be-a-...
on ““Learning how to Learn” will be next generation's most needed skill” ↗I think every person sometimes behaves just like IYI. IYIs are just a good illustration of human ignorance. Remember Robert Sheckley's Ask a Foolish Question book? Two clever scientists challenged The Answerer with their questions. This machine knew everything about the world, but failed to give any answer, because their questions were wrong. Anyone can read…
on “The Intellectual yet Idiot” ↗Robert Sheckley said it way better in Ask a Foolish Question [1]: "In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer." [1] https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/33854/pg33854-images.ht...
on “Natural language is the lazy user interface” ↗