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The Feeling of Power

"The Feeling of Power" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, first published in the February 1958 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction.^[1] The narrative is set in a technologically advanced future society in which humans have outsourced all mathematical computations to computers, resulting in widespread atrophy of basic arithmetic skills among the population.^[2] A subordinate technician, Myron Aub, secretly rediscovers manual calculation using pencil and paper, demonstrating it to superiors and igniting interest from military leaders who foresee applications in developing compact, computer-independent weaponry for interstellar conflict.^[2] The story explores the theme of human intellectual dependency on technology, serving as a cautionary tale about the potential loss of foundational abilities in an era of computational reliance.^[2] It has been anthologized in collections such as The Hugo Winners and remains noted for its prescient critique of skill degradation amid advancing automation.^[1]

Publication History

Initial Publication and Context

"The Feeling of Power" first appeared in the February 1958 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction, a digest-format magazine published by Quinn Publishing Company and edited by James L. Quinn.^[1] The 124-page issue sold for 35 cents and included a cover by artist Mel Hunter.^[1] This marked the short story's debut, preceding its inclusion in Asimov's 1959 collection Nine Tomorrows.^[1] In the mid-1950s, Asimov maintained a high output of short fiction for pulp science fiction magazines, building on earlier successes like the Foundation series (1951–1953) and I, Robot (1950), while balancing academic work in biochemistry.^[3] If competed in a vibrant market of periodicals such as Astounding Science Fiction and Galaxy Science Fiction, which serialized innovative tales amid the genre's post-World War II expansion driven by Cold War technological optimism.^[4] The story's premise critiqued emerging computer reliance—echoing real-world shifts from vacuum-tube machines like ENIAC (1945) to transistorized systems in the 1950s—portraying a future where basic arithmetic atrophies, a notion later deemed prophetic for the calculator era. Written before personal computing, it highlighted risks of over-dependence on automation in military and societal contexts, aligning with era-specific anxieties over mechanization's societal impacts.^[5]

Reprints in Collections

"The Feeling of Power" was first reprinted in Isaac Asimov's collection Nine Tomorrows, published by Doubleday in 1959, which compiled nine short stories and two poems from his work of the late 1950s, including "Profession" and "The Dying Night" alongside the titular story. It subsequently appeared in Opus 100 (Doubleday, 1969), Asimov's retrospective anthology commemorating his 100th published fiction piece, featuring selections from across his career up to that point.^[6] The story was included in The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov (Hodder & Stoughton, 1979 in the UK; Fawcett in the US as The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov! in 1989), a career-spanning selection edited by Angus Wells that highlighted key works from Asimov's oeuvre.^[7] Further reprints occurred in The Edge of Tomorrow (Tor Books, 1985), a collection of Asimov's science fiction tales from the 1950s and 1960s, and Robot Dreams (Ace Books, 1986), which gathered robot-related and analogous stories despite the piece's focus on human computation over robotics.^[8] ^[9] Later editions encompassed The Complete Stories, Volume 1 (Doubleday, 1990), a comprehensive compilation of Asimov's short fiction from 1940 onward, and Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 20 (1958) (DAW Books, 1983), co-edited by Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg as part of a year-by-year anthology series reprinting notable science fiction from 1939 to 1963.^[10] ^[11] These collections reflect the story's enduring appeal in anthologizing Asimov's explorations of technology and society, with appearances in both author-curated volumes and broader speculative fiction retrospectives.

Plot Summary

Core Narrative Events

In a future era of protracted interstellar conflict between Earth and an alliance of planetary governments, human society has become utterly dependent on advanced computing machines for all arithmetic operations, rendering manual calculation a forgotten skill. Myron Aub, a low-ranking technician employed at a Southern Power station, secretly practices basic arithmetic using ancient methods rediscovered from obsolete texts, finding personal satisfaction in the "feeling of power" it provides. When Aub demonstrates his ability to perform multiplication—specifically calculating 9 × 7 = 63 using a finger-counting technique—to his supervisor, the feat astonishes the superior, who verifies it against a computer output. The discovery rapidly ascends the bureaucratic hierarchy. Aub's supervisor reports it to higher authorities, leading to demonstrations before increasingly senior officials, including military personnel from Earth's forces. Major-General Weichsel, a key military figure, recognizes the strategic value: in an era where wars are stalemated by automated weaponry vulnerable to electronic sabotage or supply disruptions, human-performed calculations could enable decentralized, resilient missile guidance systems untraceable by enemy computers. Aub is summoned to the Pentagon, where he teaches rudimentary arithmetic to officers, adapting methods like the "Russian" multiplication technique for addition and doubling to compute complex trajectories manually. The military establishes a training program dubbed the MPB—that is, Manual Power Brigade—to propagate these skills among personnel, envisioning portable "palm computers" replaced by human minds for field operations. This breakthrough promises to shift the balance of power by allowing smaller, human-guided weapons that bypass the logistical burdens of massive computing infrastructure. However, Aub, initially elated by the recognition, grows horrified upon realizing the application will intensify human slaughter rather than elevate intellect; in despair, he accesses a restricted protein depolarizer device and commits suicide by instant cellular disruption. The military, undeterred, presses forward with the initiative under the banner of progress. ![Cover of If magazine February 1958 issue featuring the story][float-right]

Characters

Primary Figures and Roles

Myron Aub is the central technician in the story, employed in the subordinate levels of a future society's computational hierarchy, where human operators interface with vast computer networks but have lost the skill of manual arithmetic due to centuries of automation. Aub, driven by curiosity, consults archaic manuals to relearn multiplication through a method he terms "graphitics," involving scribbling on paper to simulate computational processes. His breakthrough begins modestly with verifying simple operations like 9 × 7 = 63, but escalates as he masters more complex calculations, such as 5 × 7 × 29 = 1,015, demonstrating human potential independent of machines. Aub's role underscores the theme of latent human ingenuity suppressed by technological dependence, as his unassuming position contrasts with the revolutionary impact of his rediscovery.^[12]^[13] Jehan Shuman functions as a mid-level programmer and innovator who encounters Aub's technique and refines it for broader application. Initially skeptical, Shuman verifies Aub's claims through rigorous testing, including multi-step problems that exceed routine machine outputs, and experiences a profound "feeling of power" from performing calculations without computational aids. He elevates the discovery by presenting it to military superiors, coining "graphitics" as a formalized discipline and training others in its use, positioning himself as a bridge between technical drudgery and strategic innovation. Shuman's advocacy highlights the societal shift toward reclaiming cognitive skills, though his enthusiasm blinds him to potential misuses.^[14]^[15] General Weider represents high-ranking military leadership in a world locked in perpetual conflict with extraterrestrial foes, reliant on computerized weaponry and tactics. During a demonstration orchestrated by Shuman, Weider observes Aub and Shuman executing manual computations that rival machine speed and accuracy, prompting him to envision deploying humans as living "computers" in guided projectiles to overwhelm enemy electronic defenses. His pragmatic grasp of the military ramifications—prioritizing quantity of inexpensive human calculators over sophisticated hardware—drives the story's ominous conclusion, where the rediscovery of basic math enables deadlier, decentralized warfare. Weider embodies institutional power's co-option of individual achievement for escalatory ends.^[16]^[17]

Themes

Technological Dependence and De-Skilling

In Isaac Asimov's "The Feeling of Power," published in the February 1958 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction, societal reliance on computational devices has eroded fundamental human abilities, particularly in arithmetic. Characters, including high-ranking military officers and scientists, demonstrate profound ignorance of manual calculation; for instance, when asked to subtract 7 from 10,000 without a computer, a general confesses, "I couldn't do that in my head," highlighting the normalization of technological mediation for even rudimentary tasks.^[18] This dependence stems from educational reforms that shifted focus from conceptual mastery to machine operation, as evidenced by technician Myron Aub's explanation that "the machines did the adding for you" in schools, leaving generations without foundational skills.^[18] The narrative portrays de-skilling as a systemic outcome of automation, where humans forfeit cognitive autonomy for efficiency gains. Aub's clandestine rediscovery of addition—starting with basic equations like 1 + 1 = 2 and progressing to multiplication—reveals the atrophy: society views such methods as archaic relics, yet they expose vulnerabilities, such as soldiers unable to perform ballistic calculations manually during potential electronic jamming in interstellar warfare.^[18] Asimov illustrates this through the military's pivot to exploiting human "computers" for weapon guidance, underscoring how over-dependence transforms capability into fragility; as one officer notes, "Man can calculate," but only after relearning lost arts.^[18]^[19] This theme critiques automation's deskilling effect, where tools intended to augment intellect instead supplant it, fostering a population intellectually dependent and strategically exposed. Analyses frame the story as a cautionary satire on mental atrophy, with parallels to real-world risks of computational over-reliance diminishing baseline competencies like arithmetic proficiency.^[20] Asimov's depiction anticipates debates on technology-induced skill erosion, as seen in later discussions of automation's role in eroding manual and cognitive proficiencies across domains.^[19]

Rediscovery of Human Capability

In Isaac Asimov's "The Feeling of Power," published in February 1958, the rediscovery of manual arithmetic symbolizes the reclamation of innate human cognitive faculties eroded by pervasive technological dependence. The protagonist, Myron Aub, a subordinate technician in a future society where computational tasks are exclusively delegated to machines, independently revives the "lost art" of multiplication using pencil and paper—a method dubbed "graphitics." This breakthrough, initially pursued as a personal diversion, evokes an intense personal empowerment for Aub, as he performs complex operations like 9,996 × 7,378 without mechanical aid, contrasting sharply with the elite's astonishment and inability to comprehend the process.^[21]^[2] The narrative underscores how such rediscovery restores human agency in domains dominated by automation, positioning manual calculation not merely as a relic but as a strategic asset. Upon demonstration to military superiors amid interstellar conflict, Aub's skill disrupts entrenched assumptions, enabling human operators to compute missile trajectories independently and circumvent vulnerabilities in computer-reliant systems. This shift highlights the theme's core assertion: foundational skills, once supplanted by efficient tools, retain latent power for innovation and resilience when revived through deliberate effort. Asimov illustrates this via the generals' pivot from skepticism to exploitation, revealing rediscovery's dual potential for intellectual liberation and instrumentalization.^[2]^[22] Critiques of the story frame this rediscovery as a cautionary emblem of cognitive atrophy's reversibility, emphasizing that human capability persists beneath layers of disuse but demands intentional recovery to counter de-skilling. Analyses note Asimov's foresight in portraying a society where even basic arithmetic has atrophied, yet individual ingenuity—exemplified by Aub's self-taught method—can reignite it, fostering a "feeling of power" that transcends technological crutches. This theme aligns with broader examinations of skill erosion, where manual proficiency's revival proves adaptable to high-stakes applications, such as wartime computations, without supplanting machines entirely.^[23]^[24]

Weaponization and Societal Implications

In Asimov's narrative, the rediscovery of manual arithmetic, dubbed "graphitics," enables military leaders to envision weapons untethered from bulky onboard computers, which previously rendered missiles cumbersome and vulnerable in the ongoing stalemate against Deneb.^[21] General Weider proposes substituting human calculators for automated navigation systems, allowing construction of spacecraft in one-fifth the time and at one-tenth the expense, thereby facilitating lighter, more agile armaments deployable in greater numbers.^[21] This shift prioritizes human expendability over machine preservation, with manned missiles becoming viable as operators perform real-time trajectory adjustments, inverting the prior dynamic where computers were deemed irreplaceable. Proponents argue that human ingenuity surpasses computational rigidity in adaptive warfare, as "they [computers] may be better than we are for sheer mindless computation, but they can’t invent," potentially yielding hand-held devices of unprecedented destructive potential without reliance on centralized processing.^[21] Such innovations escalate the arms race, transforming a civilian curiosity into a tool for intensified conflict.^[25] Societally, the story illustrates profound de-skilling, where generations accustomed to computational aids forfeit elementary operations like multiplication, fostering vulnerability to systemic failures and diminishing individual agency.^[21] This dependence mirrors warnings of overreliance on automation, eroding foundational capabilities and rendering populations ill-equipped for exigencies beyond machine-mediated routines.^[25] The inventor, Myron Aub, confronts the moral fallout, culminating in his suicide amid qualms over graphitics' perversion into weaponry, as expressed in his note: "I cannot face the responsibility involved in having invented graphitics."^[21] While Congressman Brant posits graphitics could redirect human labor from war machines to peacetime endeavors via dedicated projects, the denouement underscores how technological rediscoveries, absent ethical safeguards, amplify destructive capacities rather than mitigate societal frailties.^[21]

Analysis and Interpretations

Asimov's Foresight on Computation

In "The Feeling of Power," published in the February 1958 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov portrayed a future society where reliance on automated computational devices had eroded human proficiency in basic arithmetic, such as multiplication and division, to the point of near-total obsolescence. This depiction, crafted when electronic computers were bulky mainframes confined to specialized institutions, anticipated the societal shift toward ubiquitous digital aids that handle routine calculations, potentially atrophying foundational mathematical abilities.^[25] Asimov's narrative underscores the vulnerability introduced by such dependence, as characters express shock at rediscovering manual computation, revealing a prescient critique of how computational automation could diminish innate human capabilities.^[26] The story introduces portable "finger computers" and pocket-sized devices for instant calculations, foreseeing the evolution of personal computing gadgets that integrate computation with communication, a concept realized decades later with smartphones and handheld calculators.^[27] By 1958, computing was dominated by vacuum-tube machines like the IBM 704, yet Asimov extrapolated to a era of seamless, pervasive automation, warning that over-dependence might render humans intellectually fragile in scenarios where machines fail.^[28] Empirical observations today support elements of this vision; studies indicate that frequent calculator use correlates with reduced mental arithmetic speed and accuracy among students, though formal education mitigates complete skill loss.^[29] Asimov's foresight extends to the empowerment derived from reclaiming computational autonomy, as protagonist Myron Aub experiences an "amazing feeling of power" upon performing arithmetic manually, highlighting computation's role not merely as a tool but as a fundamental cognitive strength. This theme resonates in modern discussions of automation risks, where experts caution against "deskilling" in fields like programming, echoing the story's portrayal of a civilization rediscovering human ingenuity amid technological hegemony.^[30] While Asimov did not predict specific technologies like integrated circuits, his causal emphasis on how outsourcing cognition to machines could cascade into broader societal complacency remains a stark, evidence-informed admonition against uncritical technological adoption.^[25]

Causal Critiques of Automation Risks

In Asimov's narrative, the causal pathway to automation risk begins with the delegation of arithmetic to computational devices, leading to disuse and subsequent atrophy of human calculative abilities across society. This de-skilling renders populations incapable of independent computation, fostering vulnerability when systems fail or are disrupted, as evidenced by the story's depiction of military strategists' astonishment at manual addition. Empirical studies corroborate this mechanism in domains like routine cognitive tasks, where partial automation simplifies work but erodes foundational skills through reduced practice, with workers exposed to such technologies showing 15 percentage points lower training participation rates.^[31] A key risk critiqued is the introduction of systemic single points of failure, where over-reliance on automated systems amplifies cascading effects from malfunctions or sabotage, mirroring the story's implication of computational dependence in warfare. In aviation, automation has causally contributed to loss-of-control incidents via skill degradation; for instance, pilots' diminished manual flying proficiency, stemming from habitual autopilot use, factored into accidents like Air France Flight 447 in 2009, where failure to recognize and recover from stall conditions led to 228 fatalities due to eroded "stick-and-rudder" expertise.^[32] Similarly, military analyses identify automation-induced complacency and vigilance lapses as precursors to human error in unmanned systems, with over 70% of unmanned aerial vehicle mishaps attributable to operator factors exacerbated by skill decay from tech dependence.^[33]^[34] Critiques grounded in causal realism highlight how institutional incentives in academia and industry—often aligned with technological optimism—may understate these risks, as peer-reviewed literature on automation's upsides proliferates while empirical warnings of de-skilling receive less emphasis, potentially reflecting biases toward progress narratives over vulnerability assessments. Recent experiments demonstrate AI assistance accelerates skill decay in high-stakes fields like medicine and aviation, with frequent automation engagement reducing baseline competencies by inducing reliance patterns akin to those in Asimov's satire.^[35] In military contexts, this manifests as reduced adaptability to anomalies, where automated decision aids deskill operators in probabilistic reasoning, heightening exposure to adversarial disruptions like electromagnetic pulses that neutralize digital infrastructure.^[36] Counterarguments positing net upskilling from automation overlook the non-linear causal dynamics of foundational skill loss, where routine delegation frees cognitive resources for abstract tasks but leaves societies brittle against black-swan failures, as historical precedents like the 2003 Northeast blackout—exacerbated by operator unfamiliarity with manual overrides—illustrate. Asimov's foresight thus underscores a realist appraisal: while automation enhances efficiency, its unchecked proliferation causally erodes human agency, demanding deliberate preservation of analog competencies to mitigate existential risks in interdependent systems.^[37]

Contrasting Viewpoints on Progress

In Isaac Asimov's "The Feeling of Power," published in February 1958, technological progress is depicted through a future society utterly reliant on computers for arithmetic, resulting in widespread de-skilling where even high-ranking officials cannot perform basic multiplication manually.^[21] This narrative critiques the assumption that automation equates to unalloyed advancement, as the rediscovery of human computation—initially hailed as a "breakthrough"—exposes systemic fragility, with characters expressing astonishment at manual methods' efficiency despite millennia of machine dominance.^[30] Contrasting viewpoints emerge in interpretations of the story's implications for progress. Techno-optimists, echoing mid-20th-century enthusiasm for computing as a liberator from drudgery, might interpret the pocket computers' ubiquity as evidence of efficiency gains that elevate human endeavors beyond rote tasks.^[25] However, Asimov subverts this by illustrating how such dependence erodes core competencies, rendering society vulnerable to disruptions like wartime computer sabotage, where forgotten skills become a desperate necessity rather than an obsolete relic.^[30] Analyses emphasize this as a warning against over-reliance, arguing that true progress requires preserving human agency alongside tools, lest automation foster complacency and unintended regressions in capability.^[25] The story further contrasts utilitarian military perspectives on progress with broader humanistic concerns. Military leaders celebrate manual calculation for its cost-saving potential in weapon guidance systems, enabling cheaper interstellar conflict without machine vulnerabilities, yet this "advancement" prioritizes destruction over intellectual or societal enrichment.^[21] Critics of technological determinism draw from this to argue that progress is not inevitable or benign; instead, it can amplify destructive tendencies when decoupled from ethical or skill-based foundations, as evidenced by the protagonist's method being weaponized immediately upon validation.^[30] This tension underscores debates where automation is seen as empowering efficiency versus a vector for de-skilling and misuse, with Asimov's satire highlighting the irony that reclaiming "primitive" human power restores a fleeting sense of control in an otherwise mechanized existence.^[25]

Reception and Legacy

Contemporary Reviews

"The Feeling of Power" appeared in the February 1958 issue of If: Worlds of Science Fiction, a prominent venue for science fiction short stories during the genre's pulp era.^[38] The story's prompt inclusion in Isaac Asimov's 1959 collection Nine Tomorrows: Tales of the Near Future indicates positive initial reception among editors and readers in science fiction circles, as authors typically selected standout works for such compilations.^[39] A review of Nine Tomorrows by S. E. Cotts in the June 1959 issue of Amazing Science Fiction Stories assessed the collection's contents, reflecting contemporary appraisal of Asimov's output from the late 1950s, though specific commentary on "The Feeling of Power" within that review remains undocumented in accessible archives.^[40] The narrative's exploration of de-skilling due to computational reliance aligned with ongoing discussions in mid-20th-century science fiction about technology's societal impacts, contributing to its recognition as a noteworthy contribution to the field's speculative themes.^[41] No major critical controversies or widespread mainstream press coverage emerged at the time, consistent with the niche audience for magazine short fiction in 1958.

Modern Relevance to AI and Technology Debates

Asimov's depiction of a society that has outsourced basic arithmetic to machines, resulting in widespread human incompetence in manual computation, has been cited as prescient in ongoing debates over AI-induced deskilling. In these discussions, the story illustrates the causal risk of technological overreliance eroding foundational cognitive skills, potentially leaving populations vulnerable during system failures or adversarial disruptions. For example, commentators have drawn parallels to modern automation's unintended consequences, such as GPS diminishing navigational abilities or calculators weakening mental arithmetic proficiency, now extended to AI tools that handle complex reasoning.^[30] Contemporary analyses highlight how generative AI exacerbates these dynamics by enabling novices to perform expert-level tasks without deep understanding, thereby flattening skill hierarchies but at the cost of expertise atrophy. Studies demonstrate this effect: Brynjolfsson et al. (2023) analyzed 5,179 customer service agents and found generative AI boosted productivity by 34% for low-skilled workers while yielding negligible gains for high-skilled ones, suggesting a shift toward superficial reliance rather than mastery. Similarly, in programming tasks, non-experts using AI matched professionals' output, but sustained use risks degrading independent problem-solving as users prioritize verification over creation.^[42]^[43]^[44] Empirical data underscores cognitive risks, with a 2025 Microsoft-Carnegie Mellon survey of 319 knowledge workers revealing that heavy generative AI use correlated with diminished critical thinking and self-confidence in unaided tasks. In medical contexts, AI-assisted physicians showed a 6% drop in independent diagnostic accuracy post-training, despite overall performance improvements when AI was available. These findings echo the story's warning of hidden fragilities, prompting arguments for hybrid human-AI systems that preserve baseline competencies to mitigate long-term devaluation of human agency in fields from education to defense.^[45]^[46]^[47]

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