Seldon has developed the science of psychohistory, which uses sophisticated mathematics and statistical analysis to predict future trends on a galactic scale.

Knowing that Dornick is possibly the only person in the galaxy capable of fully understanding his work, Seldon reveals his prediction of the unavoidable and relatively imminent fall of the Galactic Empire.

[1]: 23–24 [2] Describing "The Psychohistorians" as "28 pages of nonstop world-building", Josh Wimmer and Alasdair Wilkins of Gizmodo wrote that "the ostensible protagonist, Gaal Dornick, is such a non-entity that he barely even counts as an audience identification figure".

[3] The prequel novel Forward the Foundation (1993) notes, via entries of the fictional Encyclopedia Galactica, that Dornick carries the Crisis tapes recorded by Seldon to Terminus.

[12] In the premiere episode "The Emperor's Peace", Dornick comes to the Imperial capital planet, Trantor, having solved a complex mathematic proof that had been unsolved for over five hundred years.

Famed mathematician and psychologist Hari Seldon had devised a competition to solve it to find another mathematical genius who could understand his work on psychohistory.

In the middle of her daily swimming ritual, Dornick has a sudden urge to seek out Seldon, and stumbles upon Foss stabbing him to death.

Afflicted with a rapidly escalating neurological disorder, he had planned to commit suicide to preserve his followers' devotion to his genius, while Dornick helped establish the Foundation on Terminus and Foss was to take the digital Seldon elsewhere.

[17] On Terminus, Warden Salvor Hardin learns that she is the biological daughter of Foss and Dornick in the season one finale episode "The Leap".

[20][21] Seldon acquires an organic body in "King and Commoner",[22] and in "The Sighted and the Seen" the trio arrives at Ignis, a refuge for Mentalics, or telepaths, led by Tellem Bond.