Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"In WWII, they had a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. I think the modern equivalent of that is that there are no jaded, bored people in the high-tech industry, in the land of really good hardcore geeks."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| TBR (Talk Between Robots) Circuit | ||
| A special means of communications used by robots to speak with each other. |
Henry is a companion robot; it works diligently to arrange appointments and perform other tasks for its master.
| "Fine! Well, get started on the other things, then."
 (TBR from 'The Midas Plague' (1954) by Frederik Pohl) "Yes, sir," said Henry, and assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits - the Talk Between Robots radio - as it arranged the appointments for its master. |
| Technovelgy from The Midas Plague,
by Frederik Pohl. Published by Galaxy in 1954 Additional resources -
|
I'm fascinated by the idea of robots that are able to communicate perfectly well in spoken English, but choose a private means of communication when talking with each other. It's as if they use a different language "below stairs" - out of the hearing of their masters.
Compare to Robot-Control Wave Band from Rex (1934) by Harl Vincent, mentanical communication from The Mentanicals (1934) by Francis Flagg, the robot language from Frankenstein - Unlimited (1936) by H.A. Highstone, the Autonomous Car Intercommunication from Sally (1953) by Isaac Asimov and the Information Sharing (Watchbird Network) from Watchbird (1953) by Robert Sheckley.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Midas Plague
More Ideas
and Technology by Frederik Pohl
Tech news articles related to The Midas Plague
Tech news articles related to works by Frederik Pohl
TBR (Talk Between Robots) Circuit-related
news articles:
- RoboEarth Lets Robots Learn From Each Other
- Machines Talk More To Each Other
- RoboEarth Cloud Engine Makes Local Bots Smarter
- Robots Take Our Jobs By Reading Our Instructions
- Robots Will Learn From Each Other
- When Computers Develop Their Own Language, Will They Talk To Us?
- MIT's C-LEARN Helps Robots Transfer Learning To Other Robots
- Should We Permit Computers To Create Their Own Language?
- Drones Communicate With Each Other Using Quantum Encryption
- How To Settle An Argument Between Two Robots
| Polish Turns Your Nail Into A Stylus |
| Huawei Pura X Folding Phattie Phone |
| Positioned Cybertrucks With Free Starlinks WiFi In LA |
| Will Whales Be Our First Contact? |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Once in the very first weeks of the war, before everyone had been evacuated from the surface...'
'For a while your colonists will have to come up to the [orbital] Hospital...'
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'
'Henry... assumed the curious absent look of a robot talking on the TBR circuits.'
'The king, an old hand in the running of tyrannies, instantly grasped the directions...'
'...a hemispherical force field enclosing his head.'
