"The Feeling of Power" by Isaac Asimov

"The Feeling of Power" by Issac Asimov is a short story of science fiction genre. The story was first published in an issue of "If: Worlds of Science Fiction" in the year 1958. Asimov was an American author and professor of Biochemistry at Boston University.

The story is set in a world where people have long forgotten how to manually solve simple mathematical problems such as multiplication or subtraction. They rely on computers for the smallest of tasks.

The main character is a curious technician whose interest makes him rediscover how to do mathematics without using a machine. The story line then spirals into his exploitation at the hands of military. Military decides to use the new found knowledge as a leverage against their enemy in the ongoing war. The author dwells on the themes of knowledge as a source of power and how any knowledge can be used for both peace and destruction.

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