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| "The Winnowing" | |
|---|---|
| Short story byIsaac Asimov | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Analog |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Universal Publishing |
| Media type | Print (Magazine,Hardback &Paperback) |
| Publication date | February 1976 |
"The Winnowing" is ascience fictionshort story by American writerIsaac Asimov.
In the year 2005, the world's population of six billion is suffering from acutefamine. The World Food Organization decides on desperate measures to decrease the population by a process oftriage. They propose to do this by adding selective poisons to certain food shipments to grossly over-populated areas.
They attempt toblackmail biochemist Dr. Aaron Rodman into cooperating with their scheme (threatening to withhold food rations from his daughter's family if he doesn't comply), proposing to utilise his development of LP – alipoprotein which when incorporated into foods will cause random deaths.
The scheme is planned but Rodman is unwilling to go along with it. At a meeting between him and senior government officials and members of the World Food Council, he providessandwiches laced with the LP as refreshment, so that they will die at random, just as they had planned for so many others. He carefully matches the LP in the sandwiches (which he also eats) to his own metabolism, so that he will die quickly and not be guilty of involvement in the scheme.