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"I went back to science fiction to try a few experiments …and my first experiment was a disaster…"
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This story was written just at the dawn of computing. This very modern (for 1940!) library distributed books on microfilm based on punched cards turned in as requests. For those who don't recall, "punch cards" are a form of data storage. Each card has a set of areas for punched holes. Each area represents a bit of data.
It is interesting that computers were already seen as a mystical device in a holy place, which ordinary mortals could not approach - hence the "vestal virgin" at the front desk to mediate for the computer system.
Today, of course, we have a wide variety of options for data storage. But even today, there are glitches. Back in the day, the big disaster was dropping all your punch cards and mixing them up (you not only needed to keep them safe, they had to be in the right order!). These days, the biggest problems are incompatibility (this computer can't read that data storage unit) or static discharges wiping out your data.
Fans of retro computing should certainly check out the Punch Card Gallery. Other forms of data storage are shown in the Information Technology History - Data Storage and Elaboration page. Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This | Additional
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Science Fiction
Timeline
Europa Clipper Plate Carries A Special Message
'...a universal cryptogram — yet it is one which can be interpreted by any intelligent creature on any planet in the Solar System!'
Micro-Robots Are Smallest, Fully Functional
'With a whir, the Scarab shot from the concealing shadows of the corner where it had hidden itself.'
AI Enhances Images Your Brain Sees
'I could have sworn the psychomat showed pictures almost as sharp and detailed as reality itself'
Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI
'Stasis, cold sleep, hibernation, hypothermia, reduced metabolism, call it what you will - the logistics-medicine research teams had found a way to stack people like cordwood and use them when needed.'
Deflector Plasma Screen For Drones ala Star Wars
'If the enemy persists in attacking or even intensifies their power, the density of the plasma in space will suddenly increase, causing it to reflect most of the incoming energy like a mirror.'
DIY Robotic Hand Made After Loss Of Fingers
'I made them... with the fine work of the watchmaker...'
Can A Human Land A SpaceX Rocket On Its Tail?
'If she starts to roll sideways — blooey! The underjets only hold you up when they’re pointing down, you know.'
Robot Snakes No Longer Stopped By Stairs
'...she dropped her hands from the wheel, took the robot snake from his box.'
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