The System Of The World

Isaac Asimov introduces the character Hari Seldon in his Foundation series, set 50,000 years in the future when humanity has formed a Galactic Empire similar to the Roman Empire. Seldon creates the science of Psychohistory, which uses statistics to predict the general flow of future events for large groups. Using Psychohistory, Seldon foresees the collapse of the Galactic Empire. To preserve knowledge, he establishes The Foundation, similar to monastic settlements that preserved knowledge during the Dark Ages, which will be an "ark of humanity" during the collapse.