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
"I'm a fairly visual thinker. In doing science, I think in terms of pictures of things happening, and then do the mathematics."
- Gregory Benford
 |
| Norm-All Program | ||
| A set of algorithms that determine a reasonable location for every citizen. |
| Every bit of information is stored in quantum computers and then evaluated by the algorithms of the Norm-All program. Norm-All monitors the opinions of large groups of people, but it also determines each person's typical behavior. This normalcy perimeter is like an invisible circle that defines you - contains you. If you do anything significantly outside the perimeter, your behavior triggers an Unusual Activity Inquiry that is sent to the police. |
| Technovelgy from Spark,
by John Twelve Hawks. Published by Knopf in 2014 Additional resources -
|
Fans of Ray Bradbury's classic 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 may recall a similar system. When Montag runs for it, and escapes, the police can't admit that they lost him. Perhaps they can find a substitute for the Mechanical Hound to pursue.
This capability may remind you of the real-world services that have been available for adult children of dementia patients for the past five years or so. Outfit your parent with a suitable tracking device, and you can define a perimeter; if your parent steps outside that limit, you can be notified.
"...Right now, some poor fellow is out for a walk... Don't think the police don't know the habits of queer ducks like that, men who walk mornings for the hell of it. Anyway, the police have had him charted for months, years. Never know when that sort of information might be handy...
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Spark
More Ideas
and Technology by John Twelve Hawks
Tech news articles related to Spark
Tech news articles related to works by John Twelve Hawks
| FTC: Says Ring Employees Illegally Surveilled Customers |
| Perching Ambush Drones |
| India Ponders Always-On Smartphone Location Tracking |
| LingYuan Vehicle Roof Drones Now Available, ala Blade Runner 2049 |
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
'It diverts integers of the data, the fundamental message-units, so that they no longer agree.'
'Clothes are no longer made from dead fibers of fixed color and texture that can approximate only crudely to the vagrant human figure...'
'Books were just a commodity that had to be produced, like jam or bootlaces.'
'...it rears and spreads its fan. It can pick one man out of a crowd.'
'...a new plastic with the characteristics of an avian eggshell.'
