Anathem by Neal Stephenson:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

Fascinating novel by Stephenson details the lives of scientist monastics; centuries of scholastic arguments by nerd avouts take place against a background of the rise and fall of civilizations. Vast clocks set the pace for the intervals at which the avouts interact with the rest of the world. Until something unexpected happens. Select an invention:

Allswell
An organic compound found (or placed) in food that calms and mellows those who partake of it.

Blithe
A plant engineered to produce a substance that brought out compliant behavior in those who consumed it.

Fuel Tree
Plants raised as fuel.

Kinagram - moving letters
Small print-size icons that presented a moving image.

Photomnemonic Tablet - blank recording slate
A device that both records and displays images with the same element.

Spine-Clamp - restraint bolt for humans
A device that constrains the movements of convicted criminals.

 

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Science Fiction
in the News

Robotic Barber Programmed With a Number of Styles
re: Don Wilcox
(5/17/2025)

Humanoid Boxing Robot KO's Opponent - It's A Knockout!
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Caterpillar Electric Mining Loader Not Yet Ready For Moon
re: Jack Williamson
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Centipede Robots Down On The Farm
re: Fritz Leiber
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Anthropic's Claude AI Creates Legal Citation From Whole Cloth
re: Punch
(5/11/2025)

Students Vie For Lunar Regolith Mining Robot Prize
re: Pournelle and Niven
(5/9/2025)

'They Erased My Memory' Says Ariana Grande
re: Edmond Hamilton
(5/7/2025)

Solitary Black Hole Wanders In Space
re: Frank K. Kelly
(5/5/2025)

Spaceplane From Virgin Atlantic
re: Max Plaisted
(5/3/2025)

DARPA Wants 'Large Bio-Mechanical Space Structures'
re: Greg Bear
(5/1/2025)

Robot Hand Creeps Along, Separate From It's Owner
re: Philip K. Dick
(4/30/2025)

Taikonauts Exercise In China's Tiangong Space Station
re: Murray Leinster
(4/28/2025)

Korean Exoskeleton Suit F1 Helps You Put It On
re: Marvel
(4/26/2025)

Have AI Researchers Given Up On 'Bio-Babies'?
re: David Brin
(4/24/2025)

More SF in the News

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