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
"...the elements of cyberpunk have dissolved into the whole SF genre, so it’s hard to find anyone writing who doesn’t owe serious debts to Gibson and his crew."
- Richard Morgan
 |
| Synthetic Life | ||
| Living animals made from scratch using inorganic elements. |
This is a very early description of the creation of life from entirely inorganic basic elements.
| "We have produced synthetic life in that laboratory upstairs.”
He rang for a servant and issued some instructions to him in a low voice. The man disappeared and returned several minutes later with a small portable cage containing a large healthy rabbit. Graham opened the cage and took out the bunny by his ears, and handed him to me. “That rabbit was never born, Von. It has no ancestors. Atom by atom, molecule by molecule, we built up chemically from carbon, hydrogen, oxyygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, calcium and other elements the five or six microscopic cells that finally developed into that rabbit. We made him from inorganic gases, liquids, and solids, and he lives...” The rabbit developed to maturity in astonishingly short time. In three hours he was full grown, for we provided him with food enough. First we nourished him with injected carbohydrates made up of suitable organic compounds, then later we fed him in the usual way. lie grew before our eyes. Metabolism proceeded at an unprecedented rate, a rate that I should never have believed possible if I had not seen it. The eight of us were astounded by the thing. In the three most exciting hours of my life that thing grew from a microscopic artificially manufactured egg to a full-grown rabbit. Then the hectic rush ceased. Since then he's been a perfectly normal rabbit, particularly well-behaved. . . . |
| Technovelgy from Synthetic,
by Charles Cloukey. Published by Amazing Stories in 1930 Additional resources -
|
This is different from the process used in novels like Mary Shelley's 1819 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which seeks to impart life to a full-size created humanoid form.
Compare to synthetic babies from A Biological Experiment (1928) by David H. Keller.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Synthetic
More Ideas
and Technology by Charles Cloukey
Tech news articles related to Synthetic
Tech news articles related to works by Charles Cloukey
| Lunar Biorepository Proposed For Cryo-Preservation Of Earth Species |
| Let's Make Slaver Sunflowers! Engineering Plants To Reflect Light |
| Machete-Wielding Philodendron Isn't Going To Take It Anymore |
| Tsunami Forecasts Improved By Ionosphere Signals |
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
'... the expressionless face before me was therefore that of the golem-wrestler, Rolem, a creature that could be set for five times the strength of a human being.'
'Waldo put his arms into the primary pair before him; all three pairs, including the secondary pair mounted before the machine, came to life.'
'... the glittering little rocket bolted to the black iron behind him.'
'The slender stalks of a sunshade-photocell collector...'
'The operation that had transformed half his body... had located the control switchboard in his teeth.'
