I hope, in this case, given the really close parallels, it wont be facetious to say: Hari Seldon! Fact following from fiction?
SPOILERS (just little ones, but still)
Essentially, a historical visitation by aliens is revealed due to the failure of a certain group of people to fit the mathematical model of what their history should have been- the arrival of aliens was not considered as a factor in the theory.
When I read the first book of the series, an idea that resonated with me was the marginalization of scientists. I kept seeing aspects of current society reflected in his work. What I wonder is if scientists felt the same way at the time Asimov wrote the series?
P.S. It is a fantastic series of books. I encountered them my chance in the last few years. Highly recommended!