Foundation by Isaac Asimov:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

Space opera at its finest, from a man who really knew how to put a story together. Fast-paced story with interesting characters; it's a different sort of story if you've only read Gibson and Sterling. You need to know what psychohistory is, so start reading. (Also, take a look at the inventive ideas from Asimov's second and third books in the trilogy - Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation.)

Here are the original versions of the Foundation stories published in Astounding Science Fiction:

Select an invention:

Agricultural World
Planet set aside for the production of food for another world.

Air Speedster
Highly maneuverable air vehicle for hunting.

Anti-Spying Device
Foolproof means of defending against spy beams.

Calculator Pad - grandfather of the pocket calculator
Used to make psychohistoric calculations

Directional Ticket - the ticket guides you
A ticket that also has the property of glowing while you are going toward what you bought.

Force-Field Penknife - origin of the Lightsaber?
A pocket-sized knife, the blade of which is a force-field.

Gravitic Repulsion Elevator - going up
The elevator was of the new sort that ran by gravitic repulsion.

Jump Through Hyperspace - is travel through hyperspace possible?
Device that makes faster-than-light travel possible.

Nuclear Shears
Device uses nuclear power to accomplish basic shop tasks.

Personal Capsule - for your eyes only
An impenetrable device containing information for your eyes only.

Personal Force-Shield - earliest mention?
A portable force-shield small enough to be carried by a single man.

Plasto-Textile
A fabric that cannot be stained.

Pocket Nucleo-Bulb - better than those LED flashlights
A nuclear-powered pocket-sized flashlight.

Psychohistory
Branch of mathematics describes the behavior of human beings en masses.

Single Vehicle Tunnel
A small diameter tunnel that accepts a single vehicle to a single destination.

Spy Beam
A surveillance device that projects energy into a room, revealing conversation taking place.

Static Field
A defense against a spy beam.

Sun-Room
On a planet-wide city, the only way to get some sun without going to the roof.

Trantor - planet city
A city that covers the entire surface of the planet.

Ultrawave Relay or Hyperwave Relay - first use of FTL communication
Instantaneous, faster-than-light communication system.

 

Technovelgy.com is devoted to the creative inventions of science fiction authors and movie makers. Look for the Science Fiction Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary of Science Fiction Inventions, the Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions, or see what's New.
Find
new authors and technologies - Shop for yourself, your library and your lab.

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction
in the News

SpaceX Intros Extravehicular Activity Suit
re: Garret P. Serviss
(5/4/2024)

Athena Smart Security Guard Robot With Face Recognition
re: Greg Bear
(5/1/2024)

The FLUTE Project - A Huge Liquid Mirror In Space
re: Raymond Z. Gallun
(4/28/2024)

Robot Preachers Found To Undermine Religious Commitment
re: Philip K Dick
(4/26/2024)

CyberCab - Tesla Renames The Robotaxi
re: Michael Swanwick
(4/24/2024)

SpaceHopper Microgravity Robot Lands On Its Feet
re: Arthur C. Clarke
(4/22/2024)

Brin's 1990 Novel Earth Still Full Of Predictions
re: David Brin
(4/20/2024)

'Whisper Mode' ala Blue Thunder Researched At Bristol
re: Various
(4/18/2024)

Gaia - Why Stop With Just The Earth?
re: Robert Castle
(4/18/2024)

Microsoft VASA-1 Creates Personal Video From A Photo
re: Robert Heinlein
(4/14/2024)

Splendid View Of Eclipse From Orbit Visualized And Repurposed By Arthur C. Clarke
re: Arthur C. Clarke
(4/12/2024)

Bespoke Environment Music From AIs
re: William Gibson
(4/10/2024)

Goldene - A Two-Dimensional Sheet Of Gold One Atom Thick
re: Roger Zelazny
(4/8/2024)

SpaceX Wants A Moonbase Alpha
re: L. Ron Hubbard
(4/6/2024)

More SF in the News

Home | Glossary | Invention Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.