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
"We follow the scientists around and look over their shoulders. They're watching their feet: provable mistakes are bad for them. We're looking as far ahead as we can, and we don't get penalized for mistakes."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Analogue Treatment | ||
| Hypnotic drug treatment that normalizes behavior in humans. |
| I'm immune to analogue treatment. I didn't know it
for sure till I was ten, but I think
I was born that way. From
seven on, I remember the other
kids talking about their Guardians, and me pretending I had
one, too. You know how kids
are — anything to be part of
the gang.
"But for a long time, years, I wasn't certain whether everyone else was pretending like me, or whether I really was the only one without an invisible Guardian to talk to. I was pretty sure the kids were lying when they said they could see theirs, but whether they were there at all or not was another question... "When I was ten, I stole some- thing... Funny, I was halfway out before it struck me that I'd just proved I had no Guardian. "I had sense enough, thank God, to burn that book after I'd finished reading it. If I hadn't, I don't suppose I would have lived to grow up." "Should think not" Wolfert said, his eyes fixed on Falk, alert, wary. "One man without any control could turn the whole applecart over. But I thought immunity was theoretically impossible." "I've thought about that a good deal. According to classic psychology, it is. I'm not unusually resistant to hypnotic drugs; I go under all right. But the censor mechanism just doesn't respond. I've had the notion that I may be a mutation, developed in response to the analogue treatment as an anti-survival factor. But I don't know. As far as I've ever been able to find out, there are no more like me." |
| Technovelgy from Ticket to Anywhere,
by Damon Knight. Published by Galaxy Magazine in 1952 Additional resources -
|
This treatment has been applied to everyone:
Wolfert grimaced wryly. "Well?
It's a peaceful world, anyhow."
"Sure," said Falk. "No war or
possibility of war, no murders,
no theft, no crime at all. That's
because every one of them has a
policeman inside his skull.
Compare to the control helmet from Easy Money (1938) by Edmond Hamilton, the Methuen Treatment from The Exalted (1940) by L. Sprague de Camp and CAN-D from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1965) by Philip K. Dick.
"There are fewer and fewer
people who have to be put away
in madhouses — not because of
any improvement in therapy, but
because the analogue techniques
are getting better and better. The
guy who would have been hopelessly insane fifty years ago now
has a little man inside his head,
controlling him, making him act
normal. On the outside, he is
normal; inside, he's a raving mad-
man. Worse still, the guy who
would have been just a little bit
cracked, fifty years ago — and
gotten treatment for it — is now
just as mad as the first guy. It
doesn't matter any more. We
could all be maniacs and the
world would go on just as before."
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Ticket to Anywhere
More Ideas
and Technology by Damon Knight
Tech news articles related to Ticket to Anywhere
Tech news articles related to works by Damon Knight
| Brain Implant Is Able To Capture Your Inner Dialogue |
| 'Pregnancy Humanoids' From China Replace Moms |
| Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea. |
| Heart Patches Grown In The Lab Repair Hearts |
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
'If you're one of those rarities who haven't attended a rocket-polo "carnage", let me tell you it's a colorful affair.'
'They filed clumsily into the battleroom, like children in a swimming pool for the first time, clinging to the handholds along the side.'
'a walking balloon proceeded with long strides of its aluminum legs...'
'There was nowhere on the planet where science and technology could not provide one with a comfortable home...'
'Most men updated their PIP on New Year's Day...'
'...a misshapen, many-tentacled thing about twice the size of a man.'
