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
 |
Timeline
of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
(sorted by Publication Date)
Most of these items are linked to information about similar real-life inventions and inventors; click on an invention to learn more about it.
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| Date | Device Name (Novel Author) |
| 1900 | Aerocar (from The Abduction of Alexandra Seine by Fred C. Smale) A personal flying vehicle. |
| 1901 | Cavorite (from The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells) An antigravity metal; when it cools, whatever it covers will be impervious to gravitational forces. |
| 1901 | Homeworld (Home-World) (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith) One's planet of origin. |
| 1901 | Breathing Dresses (from A Honeymoon In Space by George Griffith) A special suit and apparatus for survival on the surface of the Moon. |
| 1901 | Translatophone (from My Translatophone by Frank Stockton) A device that performs mechanical translation of one language into another. |
| 1903 | Joystick Controls w/Remote Display (from The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells) A fire-by-wire remote-controlled weapon system. |
| 1903 | Absolute Black (from The Shadow and the Flash by Jack London) A material which, when covering an object, will reflect no light whatsoever. |
| 1903 | Vandelite Gun (from The World Masters by George Griffith) An artillery device that freezes the explosive material for firing so it doesn't explode in the gun when it fires. |
| 1903 | Aerial Navies (from The World Masters by George Griffith) Use of vast numbers of air-ships (planes) to overwhelm land defenses. |
| 1903 | Death-Ray (from The World Masters by George Griffith) A thin ray of electric light that melts flesh away from the bone. |
| 1904 | The Terror (from Master of the World by Jules Verne) An amazing vehicle capable of attaining tremendous speeds - in many different ways. |
| 1905 | Glass Dome (from A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells) Protective cover for cities. |
| 1907 | Interplanetary Radiograph Station (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) Network of communication in the solar system. |
| 1907 | Neutral (Point) (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) The point at which the gravitational pull of the sun and that of a planet cancel each other out. |
| 1907 | Gravitation Screen (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) Shields a spacecraft from the gravity of a planetary body. |
| 1907 | Lifeboat (from On The Martian Way by Harry Gore Bishop) A small space-worthy craft that can be jettisoned from a larger ship, to save its crew. |
| 1907 | Tik-Tok (from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum) A mechanical man. |
| 1908 | Etheroneph (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov) Spacefraft fueled by radioactive materials. |
| 1908 | Minus-Matter (from Red Star by Aleksandr Bogdanov) Material that negates weight. |
| 1909 | The Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) A single vast contrivance that supplied all the needs of the world's millions of solitary inhabitants. |
| 1909 | Video Communicator (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) A device that carried both voice and image, letting the two parties see each other. |
| 1909 | Telemedicine Apparatus (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) First reference to a device that allows physicians to examine or aid patients at a distance. |
| 1909 | Cinematophote (Blue Optic Plate) (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) The first reference to a tablet-sized, handheld screen. |
| 1909 | Public Call (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) A form of communication in which a group of people would remain isolated, but through technology could see and hear each other. |
| 1909 | Machine Music (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) Entertainment from the Great Machine. |
| 1909 | Breed Humans For Machines (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) Carefully cull the strong, resilient humans in favor of weakness, that the human race might be more adapted to life in the Machine. |
| 1909 | The Book of the Machine (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) The only book needed for life in the vast Machine. |
| 1909 | Machine Apartment (from The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster) Each person lives isolated in their own room, supported by a vast planetary machine. |
| 1910 | Automaton Chessplayer (from Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce) The first chess-playing computer. |
| 1911 | Aerocab (Aeroflyer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A electric flying taxi, or car. |
| 1911 | Telephot (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A device that combined the functions of telephone and television; a phone with a screen. |
| 1911 | Gravity Nullification (Gravity Screen) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Gravity annulled in its entirety in a small area. |
| 1911 | Radar (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Detection of objects at a distance. |
| 1911 | Appetizer (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) An amazing adjunct to science-based restaurants; a room that increases appetite with gas! |
| 1911 | Iridium Spirals (Street Lights) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Streetlights provide sunlight at night. |
| 1911 | Gas-Accumulators (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Storage for electricity enough to power a city. |
| 1911 | Gyrocar (from Two Boys in a Gyrocar the story of a New York to Paris motor race by Kenneth Brown) A two-wheeled, self-balancing automobile. |
| 1911 | Space-Sick (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Uneasiness associated with space travel. |
| 1911 | Menograph (Mind-Writer) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Direct translation of thought to paper. |
| 1911 | Demagnitizing Ray (from The Lord of Labour by George Griffith) A beam of radiation that makes even the strongest steel as brittle as chalk. |
| 1911 | Helio-Dynamophores (Sun-Power-Generators) (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Photo-electric elements which transformed the solar heat direct into electric energy. |
| 1911 | Automatic-Electric Packing Machine (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A device able to pack randomly shaped objects combined into a single package automatically. |
| 1911 | Steelonium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A remarkable kind of steel that did not rust or corrode. |
| 1911 | Artificial Cloth (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The creation of fabrics without organic natural fibers. |
| 1911 | Alohydrolium (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The lightest metal. |
| 1911 | Actinoscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A device that used a pulsating polarized ether wave to judge the distance to an object (a RADAR) |
| 1911 | Telautograph (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First fictional reference to a fax machine. |
| 1911 | Language Rectifier (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The first reference to machine-translation of human languages. |
| 1911 | Tele-Motor-Coasters (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) Powered skates for personal transportation. |
| 1911 | Personalized News (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First reference to news that is customized to the needs of each individual subscriber. |
| 1911 | Sub-Atlantic Tube (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) A tunnel under the ocean; the shortest distance between the two points. |
| 1911 | Hypnobioscope (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) The first fictional reference to sleep teaching. |
| 1911 | Electric Rifle (from Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle by Victor Appleton) A device that shoots an electrical charge. |
| 1911 | Detectophone (from Ralph 124c 41 + by Hugo Gernsback) First use of the idea of a voice-activated machine. |
| 1912 | Automated Restaurant (from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Food is prepared and served entirely automatically. |
| 1913 | Poison Space Cloud (Etheric Poison) (from The Poison Belt by Arthur Conan Doyle) A deadly cloud of gas large enough to envelop the solar system. |
| 1914 | Atomic Bomb (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) A weapon that uses an atomic chain reaction as an explosive force. |
| 1914 | Artificial Food (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) Food produced without soil, chemically. |
| 1914 | Atomic Engine (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) A motor running on atomic fuel. |
| 1914 | Sustained Atomic Reaction (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) The idea that a sustained reaction could lead to an atomic explosion. |
| 1914 | Sunray Tank (from Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) A device that stores sunlight itself for use as an energy source. |
| 1914 | Radioactive Ruin (from The World Set Free by H.G. Wells) The aftermath of atomic war is generations of ruin. |
| 1915 | Zoom Call Visaphone System (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler) An amazingly early description of a modern zoom call on a big screen monitor. |
| 1915 | Pocket wireless phone (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler) An entirely portable, pocket-sized, telephone. |
| 1915 | Food Tablet (from John Jones's Dollar by Harry Stephen Keeler) All of your nutrients in one easy-to-swallow form factor. |
| 1916 | Scientifiction (from Thought Transmission on Mars by Hugo Gernsback) Writing that combines science and fiction. |
| 1917 | Ray gun (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A weapon that projects a beam of destructive force. |
| 1917 | Telephone Funnel (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A kind of two-way public loudspeaker. |
| 1917 | Tele-Photophonic Attachment (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) A device that permits a telephone funnel to see as well as hear. |
| 1917 | Open-Air Moving Picture Shows (from The Messiah of the Cylinder by Victor Rousseau) Public news outlets |
| 1918 | Magnetic Elevator (from The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs) A device that uses very powerful electromagnets for propulsion. |
| 1918 | Aero Bus (Flying Bus) (from What Not: A Prophetic Comedy by Rose Macaulay) A flying bus. |
| 1918 | Photophone (from The Planeteer by Homer Eon Flint) A device that provided a view of the other booth. |
| 1920 | Spinning Mill for Veins (Artificial Organs) (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) The manufacture of artificial organs, digestive tract, veins - body parts. |
| 1920 | Robotess (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) A female robot. |
| 1920 | Robot (from R.U.R. by Karel Capek) A (usually human-shaped) artifact with the same kinds of abilities as a human - this is the first use of the word 'robot'. |
| 1920 | Living Metal Cubes (from The Metal Monster by Abraham Merritt) Tiny metal cubes and pyramids that work together to create larger shapes. |
| 1921 | Pocket-Wings (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie) Individual powered flight. |
| 1921 | Phonographic Locks (from A Journey to the Year 2025 by Clement Fezandie) Doors that open using voice recognition. |
| 1922 | Membrane (from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin) A listening device. |
| 1923 | Acoustic Apparatus (Osophone) (from Acoustic Apparatus by Hugo Gernsback) A device that used bone conduction to transmit sound. |
| 1923 | Parallel Universe (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells) An entirely separate realm or universe that exists along with our own; it may be wildly different or vary from ours by only a tiny degree. |
| 1923 | Clockwork Man (from The Clockwork Man by E.V. Odle) A man from the future with an embedded mechanism to manipulate time. |
| 1923 | Wireless Access Point (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells) Infrastructure that provides power and wireless communication. |
| 1923 | Networked Telephone Answering Machine (from Men Like Gods by H.G. Wells) A device that would accept verbal messages and store them for replay from any remote station. |
| 1924 | Hyperspace (from The Statement of Archibald Swayne by Burton Peter Thom) A realm or parallel universe in which it may be possible to travel much faster than light. |
| 1925 | Quadraturin (from Quadraturin by Sigizmund Krzhizhanowsky) Substance that creates more space when applied to walls, floors and ceilings. |
| 1925 | Blaster (from When the Green Star Waned by Nictzin Dyalhis) A device that shoots a beam of energy that destroys whatever is in its path. |
| 1926 | Automatic Judge (from Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets Some Minor Inventions by Clement Fezandie) Automatically listens to the plaintiff and defendant and provides a just verdict. |
| 1926 | Blue Ray of Death (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton) A ray that reduces an organic being to ash instantly. |
| 1926 | Gyro-Hat (from An Experiment in Gyro-Hats by Ellis Parker Butler) Hidden in a top hat, this device cures staggering and reeling, for whatever reason. |
| 1926 | Bolognium (from Transactions of Amer Soc for Steel Treating by Edgar Bain) Very early fictional element, courtesy of metallurgists. |
| 1926 | Artificial Life (from Across Space by Edmond Hamilton) Creating living beings from inorganic elements. |
| 1926 | Computer Vision (Artificial Eye) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) A device which, attached to a suitable computer, will allow the device to see. |
| 1926 | Electric Typewriter (from Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets Some Minor Inventions by Clement Fezandie) A typewriter that used the power of electricity to strike the letters onto the paper, rather than the finger muscles of the typist. |
| 1926 | Vocal Typewriter (from Dr. Hackensaw's Secrets Some Minor Inventions by Clement Fezandie) A device that accepts spoken dictation and produces printed copy. |
| 1926 | Starship (from War in Space by Raymond Quiex) A vehicle for space travel. |
| 1926 | Artificial Brain (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) A non-organic device structured like a human brain. |
| 1926 | Liquid Metal Telescope (Solid) (from The Infinite Vision by Charles C. Winn) A large LMT made solid. |
| 1926 | Flexible Metal Arms (Tentacles) (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) An interesting description of how mechanical tentacles might function. |
| 1926 | Robot Wheel (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) An enormous vehicular robot in the shape of a gigantic wheel. |
| 1926 | Tentacle Machines (from The Metal Giants by Edmond Hamilton) Enormous robots, cylindrical of body, tentacular of arms, autonomous of brain, sinister of intent. |
| 1926 | Vacuum Suit (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) An early description of a space suit, and the first use of this now archaic phrase. |
| 1926 | Transparent Dome Helmet (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A spacesuit helmet that can be seen through. |
| 1926 | Atomic Machine (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A device that shrinks and expands its wearer. |
| 1926 | Atomic Energy Motor (from The Man from the Atom by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) An engine which utilizes atomic energy. |
| 1927 | Weather in Space (from Around the Universe by Ray Cummings) The idea that weather concepts could be applied to interplanetary space. |
| 1927 | Cold Ray (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton) A device that pulled warmth from anything it was aimed at. |
| 1927 | Paralyzing Cone (from The Atomic Conquerors by Edmond Hamilton) A device that paralyzes the muscles. |
| 1927 | Tin Foil Hat (Metal Foil Caps) (from The Tissue-Culture King by Julian Huxley) A metal device that protects the user from unwanted telepathic intrusions. |
| 1927 | Repulsor Ray (from The Time-Raider by Edmond Hamilton) Fires an invisible beam of electrons for propulsion. |
| 1927 | Artificial Sun (from The Bride of Osirus by Otis Adelbert Kline) Use of a single large artifact to provide sunlight to a city or a world. |
| 1928 | Chest Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A voice activated wireless transmitter. |
| 1928 | Floater (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A device that allows the user to literally float in the air |
| 1928 | Telechart (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) An interactive metal plate upon which were displayed celestial objects for interstellar navigation. |
| 1928 | Attractive Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A beam of radiation that pulls. |
| 1928 | Space-Lanes (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Well-traveled routes through outer space. |
| 1928 | Steering a Star (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Steering a star, altering its path, taking it to a new location. |
| 1928 | Grantline Comptometer (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) Key-driven computer/calculator that easily solves even calculus problems. |
| 1928 | Raytron Apparatus (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) A device for aerial surveillance; the image was transmitted back to the user. |
| 1928 | Needle Pipe (from Beyond the Stars by Ray Cummings) A device that could project slivers of metal at near light speed. |
| 1928 | Synthetic Babies (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) A means of gestating eggs to term is found. |
| 1928 | Videophone (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A person-to-person communication device offering sight as well as sound. |
| 1928 | Heat Transmitter (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Device which captures solar energy close to the source and then beams it in concentrated form to outer planets. |
| 1928 | Ultraphone Ear-Disc (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Wireless receivers that fit directly over the ears; they also offered noise reduction. |
| 1928 | Ultron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Very handy material is invisible and non-reflective. |
| 1928 | Meteorometer (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A device that warned space ships in flight about oncoming meteors. |
| 1928 | Pain Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Creates pain by nerve induction. |
| 1928 | Jumper (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Inertron belt results in effective weightlessness. |
| 1928 | Atomobile (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell) An atomic-powered car. |
| 1928 | Ultron Wire (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Invisible metal makes the thinnest, strongest wire. |
| 1928 | Fur Pressure-Suit (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A warm pressurized suit for use in the airless void of space. |
| 1928 | Rocket Gun (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) In essence, a bazooka. |
| 1928 | Private Space Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A fully space-worthy ship under private ownership. |
| 1928 | Viewplate (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A flat panel viewing display. |
| 1928 | Flying Harness (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Device allows free movement in the air. |
| 1928 | Repellor Anti-Gravity Rays (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Device provides support for planet-side air travel. |
| 1928 | Anti-Gravity Belt (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A device which, when worn, reduces exposure to the effects of gravitation. |
| 1928 | Gravity-Screen (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A device that shields an object from the effects of gravity. |
| 1928 | Ultrophone (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A means of communication that transmits and receives simultaneously. |
| 1928 | Airlock (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An intermediate chamber between airless space and the interior of a space craft. |
| 1928 | Disintegrator Ray (Dis Ray) (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) A device that projects a beam reducing matter to nothingness. |
| 1928 | Concentro (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Concentrated synthetic food rations. |
| 1928 | Vibration-Propelled Cruiser (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A spacecraft with a propulsion system relying on waves in spacetime itself. |
| 1928 | De-atomizing Ray (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Beam of energy causes matter to fly apart. |
| 1928 | Electric Diaper (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller) A diaper that will indicate when it is wet. |
| 1928 | Psychophonic Nurse (from The Psychophonic Nurse by David H. Keller) A child-care robot - a nanny bot. |
| 1928 | Telestereo (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A disk, upon which the projected image of the distant sender appears. |
| 1928 | Inertron (from Armageddon: 2419 A.D. by Philip Frances Nowlan) Material with all the properties of heavier metals, but lighter. |
| 1928 | Atomic Percolator (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) Make coffee with radiation. |
| 1928 | Mother World (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell) One's home planet, or the origin world of one's species. |
| 1928 | Atoplane (from The Moon of Doom by Earl L. Bell) An airplane powered by nuclear energy, capable of tremendous speed and distance. |
| 1928 | Psycho-Phone (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) A device that recorded and played back the thoughts of the user. |
| 1928 | Negative Acceleration (from The Skylark of Space by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Turning a torchship through a half-circle, thereby applying force in the direction of motion, slowing the ship down. |
| 1928 | Harvest Power From Stray Energy (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A means of collecting enough energy from stray electronic impulses to power a device. |
| 1928 | Neutralizing Wall (from The Golden Girl of Munan by Harl Vincent) A barrier that stops electrical and mechanical vibrations, rendering the protected area effectively invisible. |
| 1928 | Universal Sterilization Law (from A Biological Experiment by David H. Keller) All young people were sterilized, and replacement people were generated artificially. |
| 1928 | Auto-Car (from The Revolt of the Pedestrians by David H. Keller) A personal vehicle for indoor and outdoor use. |
| 1928 | Metal Worms (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius) Huge wriggling metal war engines. |
| 1928 | Decay Ray (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius) A mysterious ray that seems to hasten Time for whatever it illuminates. |
| 1928 | Stilt-Legged Chairs (Walking Chairs) (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius) An alien conveyance. |
| 1928 | Aeroplane Baseball (from The Educated Pill by Bob Olsen) A standard-sized baseball making possible non-standard pitches. |
| 1928 | Space Buoy (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) A marker in space. |
| 1928 | Death-Beam (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Ravening pale beams of light used in space battles. |
| 1928 | Meteor-Sweeps (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) Maneuver to chase down and destroy meteor showers that threaten celestial navigation. |
| 1928 | Spacecraft Landing Wings (from Vandals from the Moon by - Marius) A means of cutting speed from orbit, then landing. |
| 1928 | Hall of the Council (from Crashing Suns by Edmond Hamilton) An enormous council chamber, fit for a galaxy. |
| 1929 | Diagnostic Type Sense Transmitter (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Allows the doctor to directly feel the same sensations that the patient feels. |
| 1929 | Inurbanity (Inurbane) (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) Criminal penalties for persons who are unable to behave properly in crowded cubic cities. |
| 1929 | Sunparlor (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) A vast esplanade enclosed in glass, to permit sunbathing without leaving an immense building. |
| 1929 | Cubic City (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) A city contained in a single, immense building. |
| 1929 | Disrupter Ray (Molecule Disrupter) (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Atoms of materials no longer adhere to each other. |
| 1929 | Suitcase Airplane (from Suitcase Airplanes by E.D. Skinner) A diminutive, collapsible, two-passenger biplane. |
| 1929 | Anti-Fatigue Pill (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A pill that counteracts the effects of fatigue and lack of sleep. |
| 1929 | Local Time Clock (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A clock for use in airships that always indicates the time for the place they are flying over. |
| 1929 | Atmospheric Pressure Control Plane (from Around the World in 24 Hours by R.H. Romans) A vessel that flies by creating pockets of high and low pressure. |
| 1929 | Instant Photography (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) A photograph that develops immediately inside the camera. |
| 1929 | Chemical Brain (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg) A purely chemical artificial intelligence. |
| 1929 | Helium Tubes (from The Cubic City by Louis Tucker, D.D.) Lighting that exactly mimics the frequencies of sunlight. |
| 1929 | Governing Keyboard (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) A remote-controlled robot responds to keyboard commands. |
| 1929 | Indirect Cold Light (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Apparently source-less lighting, highly efficient, with no waste heat. |
| 1929 | Overmind (from The Chemical Brain by Francis Flagg) A consciousness that supersedes the minds of many individuals. |
| 1929 | Moon Weaponized (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A military application of moons, planetoids and asteroids; dropping them from space. |
| 1929 | Space Sailing (from The World, The Flesh And The Devil by J.D. Bernal) Using the solar wind to propel a space vessel. |
| 1929 | Rescue Nets (from Flight of the Eastern Star by Ed Earl Repp) Nets raised around the circumference of a vast air transport. |
| 1929 | Position Locator Display (from Flight of the Eastern Star by Ed Earl Repp) Screen shows the position of hundreds of aircraft; |
| 1929 | Spinner Ship (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Pinwheel rockets created centrifugal forces like gravity. |
| 1929 | Aircycle (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Motorcycle for the air with gravimetric coils instead of wheels. |
| 1929 | Gyrocosmically Stabilized Interplanetary Rocket (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A mouthful, perfect for trips to the larger asteroids. |
| 1929 | O-220 (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Ultralight zeppelin |
| 1929 | Space Craft (from Night-Thing by Wilford Allen) A ship that travels through the airless void of space. |
| 1929 | Boring Heat Machine (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) Takes tunnel boring material and turns it into building material. |
| 1929 | Massive Open Learning (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) Teach using standard videos prepared by the best teachers. |
| 1929 | Robots Take Human Jobs (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) Robots displace human beings in the workforce. |
| 1929 | Television Sheet (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) A large, flat screen television set. |
| 1929 | Harbenite (from Tarzan at the Eath's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs) Ultralight metal. |
| 1929 | Pay Per View TV (from The Threat of the Robot by David H. Keller) The broadcast of games and matches to private televisions for a fee. |
| 1929 | Fan Ray (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) A protective ray screen in the shape of a cone. |
| 1929 | Shovel-Handed Digging Machines (from The Onslaught From Venus by Frank Phillips) Huge multi-legged machines used to dig and manipulate earth. |
| 1929 | Ray-Pistol (from The War of the Planets by Harl Vincent) An early version of the raygun. |
| 1929 | Brain Placed In Metal Body (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) A robotic body with a support system for a connected organic brain. |
| 1929 | Air-Freighter Cargo Plane (from The Invisible Raiders by Ed Earl Repp) An enormous airplane used for transporting cargo across the country. |
| 1929 | Electro-Culturer (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) A device used to artificially stimulate cell growth and development. |
| 1929 | Teleview (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen) A device for seeing at a distance. |
| 1929 | Steering Shot Pistol (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) The simplest way to move in space, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction. |
| 1929 | Space Travel (from A Baby on Neptune by Clare Winger Harris (w/MJ Breuer)) Human movement through outer space. |
| 1929 | Televisor (from The Phantom Teleview by Bob Olsen) A viewing screen. |
| 1929 | Transparent Aluminum (from The Space Hermit by E. Edsel Newton) Invisible light steel. |
| 1929 | Human Blood Chlorophyll (from The Murgatroyd Experiment by S.P. Meek) Replacement of elements of human blood with chlorophyll. |
| 1929 | Mechanical Men (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) Remote controlled robots used to perform dangerous work. |
| 1929 | Pneumatic Suit (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) An airtight spacesuit. |
| 1929 | Air Tunnel (from Through the Air Tunnel by Harl Vincent) A means of sending trains through the air. |
| 1929 | Ships Propelled By Light Pressure (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) Space ships that use light pressure from a distant source for propulsion |
| 1929 | Vibration Machine (from The Comet Doom by Edmond Hamilton) A device that neutralized the gravitational force of the sun on the earth. |
| 1929 | Spacesuit Testing (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) A device and method for testing spacesuits. |
| 1929 | Artificial Blood (Synthetic Blood) (from The Eternal Professors by David H. Keller) A manufactured substitute for the genuine article. |
| 1929 | Electric Kitchen (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) Food preparation in space requires safe equipment. |
| 1929 | Free Fall (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) Phrase describing how bodies move in orbit. |
| 1929 | Flying Platform (from Locked Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Simple black squares that fly and hover. |
| 1929 | Telephone Wire Tether (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) A communication line that connects people floating in space beside a spaceship with the ship and with each other. |
| 1929 | Space Ship Starting Track (from The Shot Into Infinity by Otto Willi Gail) A sloped track to assist a space ship taking off. |
| 1929 | Magnetic Shoes (from The Silent Destroyer by Henri Dahl Juve) Footgear magnetized for working on steel hulls. |
| 1929 | Atomic Shell (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A nuclear munition, fired from a cannon. |
| 1929 | Rocket Engine Moves Moon (from The Space Dwellers by Raymond Z. Gallun) Using the propulsive mechanism of a space ship to move a small moon or asteroid. |
| 1929 | Life Chamber (from The Chamber of Life by G. Peyton Wertenbaker) A machine-mediated, fully immersive experiential environment. |
| 1929 | Predictograph (from Futility by S.P. Meek) Capable combining and projecting hundreds of complex curves into the future. |
| 1929 | Sol (from Out of Void by L.F. Stone) Familiar name for our own sun. |
| 1929 | Hyperstereoscope (from The Book of Worlds by Miles J. Breuer) A book of three-dimensional pages. |
| 1929 | Mechanical Hand (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A large robotic hand or claw, large enough to grasp a person. |
| 1929 | Remote Telepresence Robot (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A very early depiction of this basic idea. |
| 1929 | Ship's Artificial Gravity (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A very early mention of the term. |
| 1929 | Personal Metallic Record Disc (from The Ancient Brain by A.G. Stangland) A stamped metal record that contains all of a person's data in a convenient form. |
| 1929 | Ships With Legs (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Space ships with mechanical limbs for walking the Earth. |
| 1929 | Deflector (from Islands in the Air by L.H. Morrow) In this case a gravity deflector, but the first use of the word 'deflector'. |
| 1929 | Reflectocosmic Spectrometer (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A device that detects and measures cosmic rays that reflect from different metals. |
| 1929 | Force-Ray (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A large, hand-held spear of force. |
| 1929 | Ship Pushes Moon (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Altering the course of a small moon by pushing on it with a rocket motor. |
| 1929 | Aerocab (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A floating taxicab. |
| 1929 | Hypnotelevisor (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A device that displays memories directly on a helmet screen. |
| 1929 | Metalloglass (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) A transparent "glass" made of metal. |
| 1929 | Robot Control Board (from The Robot Master by O.L. Beckwith) Control panel with small screens showing the point of view of different robots. |
| 1929 | Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Shields a large object from the effect of gravity. |
| 1929 | Pocket Gravity Nullifier (from The Sky Maniac by Henri Dahl Juve) Personal device stops gravity's effect. |
| 1929 | Rocket Pistol (from Buck Rogers, 2430 AD by Philip Nowlan (w/D. Calkins)) Using pistol rounds to maneuver in space. |
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RoboBallet The Dance Of Cooperative Robots
re: Isaac Asimov
(8/21/2025)
Chrysalis Generation Ship to Alpha Centauri
re: Nat Schachner
(8/19/2025)
Alexa+ And Its AI Brain Improvements
re: Philip K. Dick
(8/17/2025)
Does CloneRobotics Offer A True Android?
re: Ephraim Chambers
(8/11/2025)
Brain Implant Is Able To Capture Your Inner Dialogue
re: Daniel Suarez
(8/9/2025)
Are AIs Going Rogue Like Hal 9000
re: Arthur C. Clarke
(8/7/2025)
Animated Tumblebugs On Astounding Cover!
re: Robert Heinlein
(8/5/2025)
LingYuan Vehicle Roof Drones Now Available, ala Blade Runner 2049
re: Philip K. Dick
(8/3/2025)
China Steals Strato Airship Design From Google App Engine
re: George Griffith
(8/1/2025)
The First Space Warship For Space Force
re: Garrett P. Serviss
(7/29/2025)
Biohybrid Jellyfish Explore The Ocean
re: Thomas A. Easton
(7/27/2025)
Should AIs and AI Robots Demand Rights?
re: Eando Binder
(7/25/2025)
Robot Learns Human Tool Usage By Imitation Learning
re: Anthony Boucher
(7/23/2025)
Companion Caregiver ChatGPT Dolls
re: Kazuo Ishiguro
(7/21/2025)
'Pregnancy Humanoids' From China Replace Moms
re: David H. Keller
(7/19/2025)
Man Builds 200 Foot Basement Firing Range
re: Clifford Simak
(7/17/2025)
Russians Create Robot Tank Platoons
re: Philip Nowlan w/D. Calkins
(7/15/2025)
3D-Printed Exoskeleton Learns From Your Hand
re: Fritz Leiber
(7/13/2025)
Smartwatch Powered By Slime Mold
re: Philip K. Dick
(7/11/2025)
Unmanned Boats Attack At Sea
re: Ray Naylor
(7/9/2025)
Carpentopod Walking Table
re: Terry Pratchett
(7/7/2025)
Iron Drone Raider Counter-UAV Operations
re: Robert Sheckley
(7/5/2025)
SpaceX Rocket Shuttle Point-To-Point On Earth
re: Robert Heinlein
(7/3/2025)
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
re: Frank Stockton
(7/1/2025)
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
re: Harry Harrison
(6/29/2025)
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
re: Philip K Dick
(6/27/2025)
Robot Janitors Get To Work
re: Philip K. Dick
(6/25/2025)
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
re: Not known.
(6/23/2025)
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
re: JW Groves
(6/21/2025)
LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
re: Philip K. Dick
(6/19/2025)
Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
re: Robert Heinlein
(6/17/2025)
Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
re: Brian W. Aldiss
(6/15/2025)
(See More Science Fiction in the News)
