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Science Fiction
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Timeline
of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
|
Date | Device Name (Novel Author) |
1930 | Sound-Killing Air Fluid (from The Noise Killer by A.M. McNeill) A means to eliminate all of the noise made by machines in a city, leaving the voices of human beings. |
1930 | Spaceport (from The Birth of a New Republic by M. Breuer (w/J. Williamson)) A location on the surface of a planet used for launching vehicles into space. |
1930 | Puff-Pipe (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Pipe with lighting built in. |
1930 | Lux (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A bar of solidified light. |
1930 | Trans-Oceanic Rocket Ship (from Berlin to New York in One Hour by Max Valier) Rocket-propelled airplanes making short work of long trips on Earth. |
1930 | Artificial Gravity (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Procuring gravitational forces without a suitably large mass. |
1930 | Artificial Gravity System (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) Producing a gravity field without a large nearby mass. |
1930 | Theater Seat Indicators (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Vacant seats are clearly shown. |
1930 | Vacuum Armor (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An armor-plated space suit. |
1930 | Spectrumoscope (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Provides sight directly to the brain-cells of the sightless. |
1930 | Artificial Eyes (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) Eyes that are the duplicate of what humans are born with, produced entirely artificially from elements. |
1930 | Synthetic Life (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) Living animals made from scratch using inorganic elements. |
1930 | Electric Plane (from Synthetic by Charles Cloukey) An airplane powered entirely by electricity. |
1930 | Brain Rejuvenation (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) Erase unnecessary parts of memory to make room for new impressions. |
1930 | Planet City (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) A planet the surface of which is entirely covered over, forming one single city. |
1930 | Glassite (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A transparent material of great strength. |
1930 | Artificial Transparent Element (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) A substance as strong as metal that you can see through. |
1930 | Leading Machine (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) An exploratory device; it takes the form of an autonomous motorcycle. |
1930 | Ring-Table (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton) A device that creates a 'group mind', a single mind, from the many gathered around it. |
1930 | Space-Walker (from The Universe Wreckers by Edmond Hamilton) Tall cylinder with a window at eye-level, and pincer-claws controlled by the wearer. |
1930 | Visiphone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) Visual as well as audio communication. |
1930 | Helicops (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Small, private flyers for business commuting. |
1930 | Gyroscope Seats (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Your best bet for remaining at the right angle to the force of acceleration. |
1930 | Tight-Beam (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A method of communication that uses a very narrowly-focused stream of energy. |
1930 | Indoor Stadium (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) An entirely enclosed baseball stadium. |
1930 | Vision-Based Autonomous Cars (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) A vehicle that uses a visual sensor to gather information sufficient to safely drive. |
1930 | Automatic Car (Autonomous) (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) A car that drives itself; an autonomous vehicle. |
1930 | Supervision Robot (Squid) (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) A wheeled device with tentacular grasping limbs. |
1930 | House Cleaning Device (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) A robotic means of thorough home cleaning. |
1930 | Autonomous Ship (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) A sea-going vessel that can leave port, traverse vast distances, and then dock, entirely without human assistance. |
1930 | Solar-Powered Aircraft (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A plane powered entirely by solar energy. |
1930 | The Cosmic Express (from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson) A means of transmitting matter wirelessly. |
1930 | Bird-Like Robots (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Robotic birds used in a stage play. |
1930 | Electrical Brain (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) A mechanism that grants memory an intelligence to machines. |
1930 | Automatic Cultivators (from Piracy Preferred by John W. Campbell) Agricultural robots. |
1930 | Air-Shoes (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg) Footgear provides the wearer with the ability to "walk" through the air, climbing as needed. |
1930 | Shock-Absorbing Seats (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Perfect for the many gravities of acceleration upon take-off. |
1930 | Rubber Soled Feet (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff) Silent padding for clanky robots. |
1930 | One-Man Rocket (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) A small rocket ship with only a pilot. |
1930 | Space Pirate (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Space ships taken against their will. |
1930 | Visiplate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A flat screen for viewing remote images. |
1930 | Nose-Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) Rocket blasts from the front of a ship, to brake it. |
1930 | Ray Pistol (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A handheld device for projecting radiative force of some kind. |
1930 | Planets Made Habitable (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) A plan to "terraform" a planet to improve its habitability by human beings. |
1930 | Life Tubes (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny) Escape pods for space ships. |
1930 | Face-Plate (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) The transparent front of a space suit helmet. |
1930 | Artificial Island For Ocean Rocket Launch (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein) An entirely artificial, floating island used as a launch platform. |
1930 | Asteroid From Outside Solar System (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) An asteroid or similar body that comes from outside the solar system; an interstellar body. |
1930 | Oxygen Space Flare (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A flare that burns inside a glass bulb with oxygen. |
1930 | No Steering Wheel Autonomous Car (from Paradise and Iron by Miles J. Breuer) An autonomous vehicle without a wheel for human drivers. |
1930 | Altitude Suit (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) Special gear for venturing out at high altitude or even space. |
1930 | Spherical Tires (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Tires that are shaped like balls, rather than like squat cylinders. |
1930 | Neutronium (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Extremely dense material. |
1930 | Exodus Ship (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves) A generation ship to save a culture from extinction. |
1930 | Space Lock (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) An airlock on a spacecraft. |
1930 | Funnel-Shaped Landing Framework (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) A special purpose landing dock area that is wider at the top until the craft is captured toward the bottom. |
1930 | Ascension-Framework (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) A tower to which the space craft is attached, holding it vertical for its flight upward. |
1930 | Space-Phone (from The Message From Space by David M. Speaker) A device for communicating with space ships, both ship-to-ship and ground-to-ship. |
1930 | Rocket Side Tubes (from Evans of the Earth-Guard by Edmond Hamilton) An early description of attitude jets, course correction by small emissions of gas. |
1930 | Astronaut (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) A person who travels in space. |
1930 | The Sleep (from Tani of Ekkis by Judson W. Reeves) Use of a special technique to lessen the supplies required for long space voyages. |
1930 | Asteroid Space Flyer (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Specialized one-man craft for exploring asteroids. |
1930 | Anti-Glare Coated Glass (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Special coated glass for space craft. |
1930 | Iron Fingers (from The Death's Head Meteor by Neil R. Jones) Special metal manipulators set on the hull of a space craft, and manipulated from the inside. |
1930 | Robot Waiter (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) Robotic restaurant servitor. |
1930 | Death Projector (from The Stolen Mind by M.L. Staley) Wide angle Ray of death! |
1930 | Magnalloy (from The Cave of Horror by S.P. Meek) A durable form of magnesium. |
1930 | Robot Doctor (from Flamingo: A Drama of A.D. 1950 by Clarence Edward Heller) A mechanical physician. |
1930 | Artificial Skin (from Between Earth and Moon by Otfrid von Hanstein) Tight-fitting material that keeps the heat of the body from escaping into space. |
1930 | Space Fleet (from Through the Meteors by L.H. Morrow) A group of mighty ships capable of space travel - and fighting. |
1930 | Shuttle (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny) A space craft that travels point to point in space. |
1930 | Interplanetary-Liner (from Liners of Space by Jim Vanny) A vast passenger ship in space. |
1930 | Warp of Space (from In 20000 A.D.! by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A fault or pucker in spacetime. |
1930 | Low-scale Detectors (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Magnifies even the smallest sound. |
1930 | Matched-Frequency Separable Units (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Devices that can draw power wirelessly from a matched source. |
1930 | Group Mind (from Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon) A shared consciousness between a number of individuals. |
1930 | Tabletop Display (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg) A display monitor built into a flat, horizontal table surface. |
1930 | Ray Gun (Handheld) (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A weapon shaped like a handgun that shoots rays of energy. |
1930 | Shield (from Skylark Three by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Early name for a defensive force field. |
1930 | Television 'Phone (from The Sword and the Atopen by Taylor H. Greenfield) A video call. |
1930 | Engineless Automobile Hover (from An Adventure in Time by Francis Flagg) No engine, no steering wheel, yet it runs. |
1930 | Moon Walk (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Very early realistic depiction of walking on the moon in low gravity. |
1930 | Lunar Mining (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Very early (first?) reference to mining operations on the moon. |
1930 | Dome Shelter (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A permanent domed structure for living on the Moon. |
1930 | Invisible Cloak (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A cloak that renders the wearer invisible. |
1930 | Eavesdropping Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A device that allows others to hear from outside ordinary locked rooms. |
1930 | Paralyzing Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Stops body motions. |
1930 | Radio-Controlled Mechanical Man (from The Robot Terror by Melbourne Huff) A remote-controlled robot. |
1930 | Pencil Heat Ray (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) An offensive, man-portable heat ray. |
1930 | Electromagnetic Gun (from The Moon Conquerors by R.H. Romans) An electromagnetic railgun angled up a mountainside, which uses electricity for the power to launch a space ship. |
1930 | Nearside (Near Side) (from The Moon Master by Charles W. Diffin) The side of the moon closest to the earth. |
1930 | Force-Field (from A Subterranean Adventure by George Paul Bauer) A barrier to objects, created by projected forces. |
1930 | Mother Ship (from The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell) A large spacecraft that serves as home base for other (usually smaller) ships. |
1930 | Gravity Assist (from Brigands of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Using the gravity and orbital speed of a celestial body to change speed and course of a spacecraft. |
1931 | Reflected Artificial Sun (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau) Sending light to another planet via mirror. |
1931 | Time Stream (from Time Stream by John Taine) The total sequence of events considered as a kind of flow. |
1931 | Ten Million Mile Searchlight (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau) You need to see where you're going. |
1931 | Air-Dock (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau) A docking mechanism that seems to catch a descending space-ship in mid-air. |
1931 | Robot Revolt (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) Robots to throw off the yoke of Man? |
1931 | Time-Telespectroscope. (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) See other time-travelers. |
1931 | Mutation (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton) An organism that has come into being through genetic mutation. |
1931 | Zeta-Ray (from The Death Cloud by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Makes and maintains vast holes - even in ocean water! |
1931 | Motor Torpedo (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A terrestrial torpedo, driven by ion beams. |
1931 | Matter Transmitter and Receiver (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) A device that transports matter through space. |
1931 | Sound Nullifier (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) A barrier to sound; the cancellation of sound waves. |
1931 | Lens-Tube (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson) A kind of seeing device like a short-range telescope. |
1931 | Metal Monster with Jointed Limbs (from The Doom From Planet 4 by Jack Williamson) A large robotic device with legs. |
1931 | Control Disk (from The Slave Ship From Space by A.R. Holmes) |
1931 | Ultra-Telescope Ray (from The Moon Weed by Harl Vincent) A transporter Ray that works over interplanetary distances. |
1931 | Telucid (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) A holographic projector. |
1931 | Thought-receptor Vote-counting Machine (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) That's one way to do a plebiscite. |
1931 | Vita-Light (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) A special form of bulb or light source that could keep people who were never exposed to the sun perfectly healthy. |
1931 | Satellite Photography for Surveillance (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Use of pictures taken from near Earth orbit for reconnaissance in a military operation. |
1931 | Invasion Gate For Aliens (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) Using alien instructions to create a gate for alien invasion. |
1931 | Tractor Beam (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A force field used to pull objects. |
1931 | Master Machine (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) One single machine to run a civilization! |
1931 | Thought Coil (Machine Intelligence) (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Specially designed hardware that imparts intelligence to machines. |
1931 | Death Bath (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A suicide chamber. |
1931 | Message Cylinder (Message Bomb) (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel) A means of sending dispatches from space via a small projectile dropped from orbit; effectively a message rocket. |
1931 | Telephotography (from The Cosmic Cloud by Bruno H. Burgel) Sending pictures over a distance, displaying them on a vast screen. |
1931 | Dressing Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Semi-autonomous guided devices that could dress a person in ordinary clothing. |
1931 | Zero-Ray (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Inflicts a fatal frostbite on living tissue. |
1931 | Ultra-Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Originating from some world other than Earth. |
1931 | Heliocar (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Ground vehicle that can also lift off like a helicopter. |
1931 | Multigyros (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau) Allows known stable movement in four dimensions, thus making space travel possible. |
1931 | Pentavalent Nitrogen (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A high explosive formed from nitrogen. |
1931 | Jetta Tube (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau) Spray causes immediately a trance-like state where a person’s body becomes rigid. |
1931 | Ownership of Machines (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Who will own the machines that produce material abundance? |
1931 | Astrogator (from The Conquest of Space by David Lasser) A person who acts as navigator for s space ship. |
1931 | Paralyzing Blast (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) A red Ray of light that freezes those it falls upon. |
1931 | Magnetic Boots (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) Special footgear holds spacemen to the metal deck in spite of the lack of gravity. |
1931 | Prison Planet (Penal Settlement) (from Revolt on Inferno by Victor Rousseau) A prison so far from Earth. |
1931 | Adoption of Television (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) Prediction of TV penetration in homes and the death of movie houses. |
1931 | Robotic Microhands (from Microhands (Микроруки) by Boris Zhitkov) Mechanical replica of hands, that mimic the movements of actual human hands. |
1931 | Perfect Voice Modulation (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) Artificially creating the perfect human singing voice. |
1931 | Braking Disks (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Used when the ship is falling through a planetary atmosphere. |
1931 | Space Liner (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A large, passenger-carrying space ship. |
1931 | Rocket Liner (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A rocket designed for point-to-point Earth journeys; it goes well into the stratosphere. |
1931 | Conveyor Ribbon (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A moving sidewalk. |
1931 | Food Factory (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Mechanized production of food by entirely artificial means. |
1931 | Communication Disk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A wearable device that told the time as updated from a central source. |
1931 | Stationary Sidewalk (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A sidewalk that is fixed permanently in one location; not a sliding walkway. |
1931 | Telectroscope (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A much better telescope than yours. |
1931 | Pressor (Pressor Beam) (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A force-field beam that pushes, rather than pulls. |
1931 | Selective Electric Eye (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A facial recognition device. |
1931 | Alpha Insert (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A special compound used to seal punctures in space craft. |
1931 | Photograph of Earth from Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) An aerial photograph from outside the atmosphere. |
1931 | Centrifugal Force Creates 'Artificial Gravity' (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Using centrifugal force in a rotating cylinder as a substitute for gravity. |
1931 | Groundling (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A person who does not fly, especially into space. |
1931 | Sodaluminum (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Lightweight and tough! |
1931 | Recoil Pistol (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A handheld device that permits a spaceman to manuever in zero gravity. |
1931 | Thought Shield (from Back to 20,000 A.D. by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that removes intrusive thoughts from your mind. |
1931 | Tele-Audiovized Meeting (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Teleconferencing done right. |
1931 | Moon Run (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An accurate representation of running on the moon. |
1931 | Light Speed (from Out Around Rigel by Clyde Wilson) Using the speed of light at a unit of velocity. |
1931 | Synthetic Food Factories (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Food production without soil. |
1931 | Kundrenaline (from The Hands of Aten by H.G. Winter) Revives even a dead man's heart. |
1931 | City of Space (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A very early reference to an enormous cylindrical space station. |
1931 | Integral Calculator (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that accepts complex equations and solves them. |
1931 | Beam-Powered Propulsion (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Using a powerful energy source as motive power for a projectile. |
1931 | Virtual Assembly (from If The Sun Died by R.F. Starzl) Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people. |
1931 | Sensitive Robot Fingers (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) Special sensory capabilities of robotic appendages. |
1931 | Space Madness (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) The monotony of space travel could drive you crazy. |
1931 | Ship's Telescope (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) A large telescope built into the main axis of the ship. |
1931 | Selenium Photo-Electric Televisor (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) A specialized photo-electric cell. |
1931 | Ozone Radiation Shield (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Filling the gap between the inner and outer hull with ozone. |
1931 | Filling Station Moon (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) The idea that Man could first go to the Moon to obtain fuel or propellant. |
1931 | Iron Inlay Plates (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) Works perfectly with an electromagnetic table to maintain place settings. |
1931 | Solar Power Apparatus (from A Daring Trip To Mars by Max Valier) An ingenious device to gather solar energy, melt water, power a turbine and get hydrogen and oxygen fuel from ice. |
1931 | Pneumatic Tube Station (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Passengers are sealed into a narrow cylinder that is shot through a pressurized tube to their destination. |
1931 | Energy Curtain Key (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A small handheld "key" to shut off a force field. |
1931 | Teleradio Control (Hand Flash) (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that can call a vehicle to a driver; it drives itself in a near-autonomous fashion to the caller. |
1931 | Terrene (from An Adventure in Futurity by Clark Ashton Smith) Pertaining to the Earth. |
1931 | Positive Ray Propulsion (Ion Drive) (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) An ion drive. |
1931 | Normal Space (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) As opposed to hyperspace. |
1931 | Vitalium (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A rare radioactive metal which enables solar power cells. |
1931 | Sunship (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A space craft powered entirely by the sun. |
1931 | Televisiophone (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A device that combines picture with sound for personal communication. |
1931 | Robot Vending Machine (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) Machinery displaces news boys selling papers on street corners. |
1931 | Radio Meteor Detector (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) A device carried by space ships that could detect meteors in space early enough to avoid them. |
1931 | Flame Pistol (from Invisible Ships by Harl Vincent) A hand-held weapon that incinerates opponents. |
1931 | Self-Sustaining Space Craft (from The Prince of Space by Jack Williamson) A spacecraft ecosystem. |
1931 | Sapience (from The Planet Entity by E.M. Johnson (w/C.A. Smith)) The ability of a species to think, to reason with discernment and wisdom. |
1931 | Attractor (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A beam capable of holding objects motionless, as well as adjusting their position. |
1931 | Space Navy (from Pirates of Space by B.X. Barry) Spacefaring professional soldiers. |
1931 | Robot-Deranger (from The Exile of Time by Ray Cummings) A ray that discombobulates robots of all kinds. |
1931 | Gravity Neutralizers (from Pirates of Space by B.X. Barry) The force of gravity is suspended! |
1931 | Matter Transmitter (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) Device which causes a physical object to disappear from one place and reappear in another. |
1931 | Needle Gun (from In the Spacesphere by Charles Cloukey) A weapon that fires thin slivers of metal. |
1931 | Disruptor Tube (Disruptor Ray) (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that interrupted the very bonds between atoms. |
1931 | Gravity Detector (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device capable of detecting the gravitational field of a distant mass. |
1931 | Foot Loops (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Hold yourself down in zero gravity situations with this low-tech device. |
1931 | Rocket Float (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent) A sea-going floating platform for rocket launches. |
1931 | Air Tank Flying (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Using little blasts of compressed air to fly around inside a space station. |
1931 | Mechanical Thought Transformers (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) Machinery to expedite the process of thought transfer. |
1931 | Meteor Hulls Ship (from Moon People Of Jupiter by Isaac R. Nathanson) A small meteor tears all the way through a ship |
1931 | Curtain (Force Barrier) (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An easily set-up protective force barrier. |
1931 | Machine Masters (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton) Humans did less and less, and machines did more and more, until machines became the masters. |
1931 | Spacehound (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An experienced spaceman. |
1931 | Ultra-Light Vision System (from Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A viewing technology able to see through and even within most objects. |
1931 | Space-Tent (from The Lunar Chrysalis by Raymond Z. Gallun) A small, portable air-tight structure used on the lunar surface. |
1931 | Space Suit (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Special protective gear worn as protection in space. |
1931 | Telepadion Instructor (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard) A device that places an entire sensory experience directly into the brain. |
1931 | Space Men (from The Exiles of Venus by Jim Vanny) Beings who travel and work in space. |
1931 | Evolution Machine (from The Man Who Evolved by Edmond Hamilton) A device that accelerates the process of evolution by millions of times. |
1931 | Scanning-Disk Telescope (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A telescope which uses a television-like monitor instead of an eyepiece. |
1931 | Meteorite Deflector (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A means of pushing aside asteroids that get in the path of your space ship. |
1931 | Atmosphere Tester (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device used to test the composition of a sample of the atmosphere on another planet, to see if it is breathable by humans. |
1931 | Transparent Spherical Ship (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A huge sphere of quartz housing a platform for space use. |
1931 | Thought Screen (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A material screen that is worn by the user, upon which are projected the mental images of the user. |
1931 | Emergency Corrective Rockets (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Used when you seem to be off-course in your spaceship. |
1931 | Annihilator Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A deadly ray that literally dissolved matter! |
1931 | Deviatoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) A device that registered how much your course diverged from what you intended. |
1931 | Sargasso of Space (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A "dead area" in which the gravitational fields of the planets are cancelled out. |
1931 | Landing Stage (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) Parking spot for space craft. |
1931 | Terminator Zone (from Exiles of the Moon by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) The area between solar illumination and shade. |
1931 | Gravograph (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A graphical representation of gravitational fields. |
1931 | Skycar (from Prima Donna 1980 by Bernard Brown) A personal means of transportation that flies. |
1931 | Suit-Phone (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A means of wireless communication between individuals dressed in space suits. |
1931 | Object-Finder Beam (from The Conquest of Gola by L.F. Stone) A unique device that projected a beam that found what you wanted. |
1931 | Gravito-Statoscope (from The Emperor of the Stars by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) An instrument used to detect the gravitational influences on a space ship. |
1931 | Magnetic Ray (from The Exiles of Venus by Jim Vanny) A powerful magnetic beam. |
1931 | Faster-Than-Light (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) Describes something that exceeds the usual speed limit on physical objects of 186,282 miles per second in vacuum. |
1931 | Space-Liner (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A passenger ship in space. |
1931 | Reaction-Motors (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A spacecraft engine that works by firing matter out at high speed. |
1931 | Matter Annihilation Ray (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) A beam that forces electrons into protons, thereby destroying ordinary matter. |
1931 | Protonite (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) Radioactive fuel for spacecraft. |
1931 | Thigh Grips (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Special chair feature for space ships undergoing accelerations. |
1931 | Spacegram (from An Adventure on Eros by J. Harvey Haggard) Telegrams of the space lanes. |
1931 | Blue Beam (from The Reign of the Masters by Edmond Hamilton) A pitiless pale blue beam of death! |
1931 | Wreck-Pack (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) An agglomeration of wrecked spacecraft drawn together by mutual gravitational attraction in the 'dead area' of the solar system. |
1931 | Neutronic Dust (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) What's left over when you've annihilated matter. |
1931 | Asteroid Belt (from The Disc-Men of Jupiter by Manly Wade Wellman) The circular region of space containing many small celestial bodies. |
1931 | Cometeering (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton) Exploring a comet! |
1931 | Porter Televox-Robot (from On Board the Martian Liner by Miles J. Breuer) A robot that carries your bags through the passageways of space liners. |
1931 | Helio-Beryllium (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson) Unusual alloy combines a metal and a gas. |
1931 | Landing Arms (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton) Arms that poke out from a space craft to allow it to land on solid ground, in gravity. |
1931 | Photoelectric Course Warning (from Out Around Rigel by Robert H. Wilson) A means of keeping a spaceship on course using a selected star and a photoelectric cell. |
1931 | Dimensoscope (from The Fifth-Dimension Catapult by Murray Leinster) A telescope for peering into other dimensions. |
1931 | Magnetic Clamps (from Twelve Hours To Live by Jack Williamson) Used for attaching your craft to a larger spaceship. |
1931 | Power Planet (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A satellite that supplies the Earth with power. |
1931 | Dark Side (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) Referring to the unlit part of a planet's surface. |
1931 | Space-Helmet (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) A 'fishbowl-style' head covering for space explorers. |
1931 | Spaceyacht (from The Sargasso of Space by Edmond Hamilton) Interplanetary spacecraft for the well-to-do. |
1931 | Radium Repeller ray (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Move inbound asteroids aside to keep ships safe. |
1931 | Reaction Attachment (from The Asteroid of Death by Neil R. Jones) Independent maneuvering for space suits. |
1931 | Observation Room Recreation Center (from The Power Planet by Murray Leinster) A vast internal space in a space station, often used for exercise and amusement. |
1931 | Centipede-Machine (from Monsters of Mars by Edmond Hamilton) Multi-legged transport. |
1931 | Gate (from The Gate to Xoran by Hal K. Wells) A opening through spacetime to other worlds. |
1931 | Jovium (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Rocket fuel catalyst that makes space travel commercially practical. |
1931 | Hand Grip (from Islands of Space by John W. Campbell) Means of pulling oneself through a space ship at zero gravity. |
1931 | Gravity Belt (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Adds 'weight' for walking on asteroids. |
1931 | Optophone (Opto) (from Too Many Boards! by Harl Vincent) A video call system. |
1931 | Artificial Atmosphere Machine (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Not just oxygen, this gives you what you need in space. |
1931 | Disintegrator Plate Ray (from The Revolt of the Machines by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Ray cuts through metal like butter. |
1931 | Argento-Platinoid Dispatch Box (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) Impenetrable message carriers. |
1931 | Command-Disk (from Creatures of the Comet by Edmond Hamilton) A device that sends out audible tones to control flesh-monsters. |
1931 | Self-Sustaining Nuclear Reaction (from Atomic Fire by Raymond Z. Gallun) An 'atomic fire' is started that consumes all matter in reach! |
1931 | Propulsion Gun (from Venus Mines, Incorporated by Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat)) What can you push against in space? |
1932 | Reaction Pistol (from Martian Guns by Stanley D. Bell) A hand-held device for maneuvering in zero gravity in a space suit. |
1932 | Space-Tanned (from Slaves of Mercury by Warren Hammond) The characteristic darkening of the men of the spaceways. |
1932 | Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) A small space-worthy craft for use in emergencies. |
1932 | Super-Photon (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Three photons in one. |
1932 | Ship's Magnetic Plates (Magnetic Mooring) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak) Keeps a mining ship attached to the surface of an asteroid. |
1932 | Asteroid Mining (Blasting) (from Asteroid of Gold by Clifford Simak) Setting charges on an asteroid. |
1932 | Automatics (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Machinery capable of running some aspect of a space ship's operation on its own. |
1932 | Antigravity (from The Vanguard of Neptune by J.M. Walsh) A force opposed to gravity. |
1932 | Pent House (from The Pent House by David H. Keller) An island in the sky - a hermetically sealed skyscraper isolated entirely from its surroundings. |
1932 | Government Machine (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) The automata that constitute the entire government, all in one building. |
1932 | Surta (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) A base material for synthetic food. |
1932 | Manufactured Planet (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger) Is that a moon - or a space station? |
1932 | Spaceship Garden (from The Heritage of the Earth by Harley S. Aldinger) A fully-enclosed garden on a spaceship producing edible foodstuffs. |
1932 | Quartzite Leak Foil (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) Special material for space dome leaks. |
1932 | Smoke Jets (Air Leak Detection) (from The Great Dome of Mercury by Leo Zagat) A means of determining the location of air leaks in a building built on an airless moon. |
1932 | Space Force (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) That branch of the military with a presence outside the atmosphere. |
1932 | Isolation Barrage (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Device prevents eavesdropping. |
1932 | Automatic Truck (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) A cargo-carrying vehicle that autonomously drives to the selected destination. |
1932 | Space Freighter (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) A large spacecraft used for heavy cargo; can lift off from the Earth or other planets. |
1932 | Search Beams (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) Penetrating rays that disclose the contents of rooms, ships, etc. |
1932 | Torpoon (from Seed of the Arctic Ice by H.G. Winter) Clever portmanteau of "torpedo" and "harpoon", an underwater whaling craft. |
1932 | Meteor Warning System (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) A system that provided rockets in flight with early warning of meteors. |
1932 | Electro-Gun (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) It shoots electro-bullets. |
1932 | Electro-Bullet (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) Fired by an electro-gun. |
1932 | Attraction Ray (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) In effect, a tractor beam. |
1932 | Space-Boots (from The Passing of Ku Sui by Anthony Gilmore) Special footgear for spacemen. |
1932 | Sunward (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) The direction leading toward the center of the solar system. |
1932 | Sun-Tube (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A slicing ray of death! |
1932 | Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Futuristic children's game. |
1932 | Space-Armor (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) Special shielding worn against rays and explosives. |
1932 | News-Dispenser (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg) Audio news ready when you are. |
1932 | Polarization Apparatus (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A device that caused a space ship to repel the Earth and send a space ship on its way. |
1932 | Battle Sphere (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) An armored space ship using the simplest geometric shape. |
1932 | Magnet Grapnel (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) Used to pull another vessel closer when boarding in space. |
1932 | Artificial Womb (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A room in which a human embryo waits for the necessary months as a fetus, preparing for birth (decanting). |
1932 | Diskoid (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A huge flying saucer. |
1932 | Speed Belt (Ribbon Conveyor) (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A great moving belt carrying people between cities. |
1932 | Space Marine (from Captain Brink of the Space Marines by Bob Olsen) A space-based military force, or members of such a force. |
1932 | Feelies (Feely) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Device adds the tactile element to entertainment. |
1932 | Atomic Pistol (from Mutiny on Mercury by Clifford Simak) Reduces the target to atomic dust. |
1932 | Electro-Magnet Anchor (from The Space Rover by Edwin K. Sloat) Attach a line to a spacecraft hull. |
1932 | Weather Machine (from Slaves of Mercury by Nat Schachner) A device for controlling the weather. |
1932 | Mirror Grid Multiple-View Surveillance Panel (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Very modern presentation combining multiple camera viewpoints, selectable using one monitor screen. |
1932 | Vacuum Cylinder (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) Traveling first class, but like mail, in a tube system. |
1932 | Rigid Metallic Clothing (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) An early exoskeleton. |
1932 | Water Pool Cushions Acceleration (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell) The use of water to cushion and protect against extreme ship accelerations. |
1932 | Scent-Organ (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A device that output specified odors. |
1932 | Bone-Building Compounds (from A Conquest of Two Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Combat heavy gravity on other planets by building greater bone density in workers and colonists. |
1932 | Bokanovsky's Process (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) A very early description of cloning. |
1932 | Hypnopædia (Sleep-Teaching) (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping. |
1932 | Negative Gravity Field (from 50th Century Revolt by A.G. Stangland) Antigravity effect produced for space ship propulsion. |
1932 | Wandering Worlds (from When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer (w/P. Wylie)) Planets that are attached to no sun, and roam interstellar space. |
1932 | Alpha Plus (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Intervening in the physical development of humans can result in enhancements. |
1932 | Tele-Screen (from After Armageddon by Francis Flagg) A display screen for live events. |
1932 | Pocket-Planet (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott)) An asteroid. |
1932 | Gravity-Plates (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) Reliable, controllable gravity force. |
1932 | Emergency Space-Boat (from Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun) An escape ship. |
1932 | Ether-Traffic (from The Duel on the Asteroid by P. Schuyler Miller (w/D. McDermott)) The communications spectrum of the solar system. |
1932 | Light Beam Propulsion (Light-Ship) (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) Use of brilliant light as motive power for a space ship. |
1932 | Landing-Cradle (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) A supporting structure for a space craft landing on a planetary surface. |
1932 | Ostler Insulation Beam (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) A beam of energy stretching from one planet to another that protects space craft from radiation. |
1932 | Shock-Rod (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) Knock out stick. |
1932 | Hinged Mittens (for Space Suit) (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) Space worthy mittens for space suits. |
1932 | Daisy Projector (from The Derelicts of Ganymede by John W. Campbell) Beam of energy penetrates the Heaviside layer to enable communication from planet to planet. |
1932 | Self-Propulsive Space Suit (from The Bluff of the Hawk by Anthony Gilmore) A space suit outfitted with its own means of movement. |
1932 | Disk-Shaped Landing Pads (from The Swordsman of Sarvon by Charles Cloukey) Used instead of typical landing gear with wheels. |
1932 | Transfer Tube Between Ships (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell) A means of going between ships in space without needing space suits. |
1932 | Space-Drive (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A means of providing propulsion for a spacecraft. |
1932 | Pneumatic-Tube Zone (from Mechanocracy by Miles J. Breuer) The portion of a city that is served by direct tubes to each dwelling. |
1932 | Jump (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Instantaneous movement over vast distances, points many light-years apart. |
1932 | Anti-Gravity Drive (from The Last Evolution by John W. Campbell) Electric force curves space. |
1932 | Violet Shrink Ray (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) A miniaturization ray. |
1932 | Neo-Crystal (from Master of the Asteroid by Clark Ashton Smith) Unbreakable transparent window material. |
1932 | Gravity Beam (from Wandl, The Invader by Ray Cummings) An conical attractive ray, it pulls ships to their doom. |
1932 | Emergency Space-Suit (from Pirates of the Gorm by Nat Schachner) A compacted space-suit stored for emergency use. |
1932 | Time-Space Television (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) A device for seeing into the past. |
1932 | Sol-Ido (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) The universal language of interplanetary travelers. |
1932 | Spaceboat (from Waves of Compulsion by Raymond Z. Gallun) Runabout for outer space. |
1932 | Negrian Death Ray (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) A ray that causes the cessation of life processes. |
1932 | Luminous Stake-Markers (from The Radium World by Frank K. Kelly) Illuminated pole designating a staked claim on the surface of a planet, moon or asteroid. |
1932 | Laboratory Planet (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) A toy planet created in a laboratory; a fully functional world in miniature. |
1932 | Intergalactic (from Invaders From The Infinite by John W. Campbell) Going between galaxies. |
1932 | Rotating Hollow Planetoid Habitat (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell) An asteroid (or planetoid) hollowed out, spun for artificial gravity, used as a habitat. |
1932 | Protolectric Gun (from Electronic Siege by John W. Campbell) Fires twin beams of protons and electrons. |
1932 | Earth Normal (from The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson) Using the earth standard. |
1932 | Electric Boat (from The Great Drought by S.P. Meek) A surface vessel powered by electricity. |
1932 | Flame Projector (from Water-Bound World by Harl Vincent) Handheld device shoots flame. |
1932 | Malthusian Belt (from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) Readily available oral contraceptives. |
1933 | Synthetic Food (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) Edible food for humans, grown in the laboratory. |
1933 | Magnetic Anchor (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson) A means of affixing an anchor point on a spacecraft hull. |
1933 | Space-Sailor (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A spaceman; someone who makes his living by voyaging in space. |
1933 | Etheric Propulsion-Vibrations (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) Faster-than-light travel. |
1933 | Electric Machine Gun (Railgun) (from The Battery of Hate by John W. Campbell) A device that accelerates small projectiles magnetically using a strong electric current. |
1933 | Granton Motor (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) Spacecraft propulsion system based on gravital radiation. |
1933 | Vibra-Transmitter (Teleportation) (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) An early use of the notion of matter transmission. |
1933 | Belt Automatic-Equalizers (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) The wearer's experience of gravity will be just like Earth's. |
1933 | Landing on an Asteroid (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) An elaborate flight plan for landing a space ship on an asteroid. |
1933 | Globular Glass Helmet (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A bowl-shaped space helmet. |
1933 | Checker-City (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A city planned as a checker-board of alternating vegetation and buildings. |
1933 | Space Tug (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A small vessel used to maneuver other ships. |
1933 | Spaceways (from Shambleau by C.L. Moore) A set route though space. |
1933 | Food Preparation Machine (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) An automated device for the production of complete meals. |
1933 | Tubular Space-Gangway (from The Star-Roamers by Edmond Hamilton) A means of traversing the short distance between two ships in space. |
1933 | Historical Listening Machine (from The Machine That Knew Too Much by A.T. Locke) Device can hear sounds from down through the ages. |
1933 | Solar-Powered Electric Helicopter (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by James Patrick Kelly) An electric helicopter, with sun cells. |
1933 | Space-Suit Rockets (from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank K. Kelly) Attached rockets allow movement in zero-gee space. |
1933 | Gateway (from Wanderer of Infinity by Harl Vincent) A device that opens a portal to another dimension. |
1933 | Vibratium Wall Time Machine (from Ancestral Voices by Nat Schachner) An element that is unstable in time makes time travel possible and enables the Grandfather Paradox. |
1933 | Iron Man Robot With Human Brain (from Iron Man by Paul Ernst) A huge robot with a tub containing a human brain. |
1933 | Cosmo-Craft (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) A spacecraft for traveling through time and space. |
1933 | Crystal Cylinder Ship (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat) A transparent space ship in the shape of a cylinder. |
1933 | Transfer Cable (from Dead Star Station by Jack Williamson) Move between two ships in space. |
1933 | Drink the Fungi (from The Three Suns of Ev by Edwin K. Sloat) A method of suicide or criminal punishment involving ingestion of spores. |
1933 | Lunar Tunnel (Human Pendulum) (from Captive of the Crater by D.D. Sharp) A tunnel through the center of the moon, and the man who fell through it. |
1933 | Human Serial Number (from Unto Us A Child Is Born by David H. Keller) A unique number tattooed on body of a person. |
1933 | Osprey Space Armor (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Space suit you can live in. |
1933 | Seleno-Cosmo-Tel (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Device to automatically avoid asteroids or other bodies. |
1933 | Flip to Brake (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) Maneuver to put the tail end (with rocket output) in the forward direction of travel to use for lowering velocity. |
1933 | Ether Boat (from Murder on the Asteroid by Eando Binder) A space craft. |
1933 | Spectro-Flash Analysis (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Device for determining the content of meteorites. |
1933 | Asteroid Rocket (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) An engine attached to an asteroid to drive it through space. |
1933 | Corporol (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Preserves and maintains the body. |
1933 | Helix Gun (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) A device for capturing ferrous meteors. |
1933 | Conscious Retarded Animation (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) A kind of hibernation, but leaves the user fully conscious, but aging at an incredibly slow rate. |
1933 | Meteor Miner (from Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson) Someone who roams the solar system, hunting for metal in meteors. |
1933 | Anadrenalin (from A Race Through Time by Donald Wandrei) Has the opposite effect of adrenalin. |
1934 | Robot Skin Covering (from Rex by Harl Vincent) Realistic covering for the bodies of robots. |
1934 | Laws Against Human Drivers (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown) The idea that autonomous vehicles should be the only cars on the road, for safety. |
1934 | Communicator (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A small device that works to communicate over large distances. |
1934 | Silica Sphere (Dyson sphere) (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent) An enclosed environment, excavated on Mars, and then placed into the heavens (it's Phobos) |
1934 | Robot-Surgeon (from Rex by Harl Vincent) A perfect robot for perfected human beings. |
1934 | Self-Aware Robot (from Rex by Harl Vincent) A robot that thinks and reasons for itself. |
1934 | Air-Car (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A personal flying car |
1934 | Electro-Telescope (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi) A device that could clearly image space battles and space ships, even from a great distance. |
1934 | Aircab (from The Barrier by Harl Vincent) A flying autonomous taxi cab. |
1934 | Automatic Parking (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) Vehicle autonomously heads for a public hangar. |
1934 | General Strike of the Robots (from Rex by Harl Vincent) All over the world, robots cease their labors. |
1934 | Gyrocars with Photo-Electric Braking (from Photo Control by Bernard Brown) Force the tires into maximum contact with the road, then use photo-electric sensors to control braking and turns. |
1934 | Ingestible Communication Capsule (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A tiny transmitter that can be swallowed, which makes possible voice communication. |
1934 | Lewiston (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Standard blaster pistol with terrifying power. |
1934 | Artificial Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A very large constructed object in space. |
1934 | Cone of Battle (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An offensive formation of space ships providing the ultimate in firepower. |
1934 | Darkness Bomb (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A small bulb containing a vapor that causes darkness to occur. |
1934 | Robot-Control Wave Band (from Rex by Harl Vincent) Special command circuit for robots. |
1934 | Black Cube Teaching Machine (from The Flame From Mars by Jack Williamson) A device that offers recorded images, teaching the user. |
1934 | Metal Message In Space (from The Menace From Space by John Edwards) A message sent to other worlds, inscribed on metal. |
1934 | Metallic Fingers (from Rex by Harl Vincent) Robot fingers. |
1934 | Energy Weapon (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A device that fires pure energy, used as a weapon. |
1934 | Automatic Navigator (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) Device steers your spaceship to its destination without additional effort from you. |
1934 | Stratoplane (from Colossus by Donald Wandrei) An airplane that flies up to the edge of the atmosphere. |
1934 | Rocket Suit (from Flaming Frontier by Bernard Buley) A space suit with its own means of motive power. |
1934 | Standish (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A beam weapon of frightful intensity. |
1934 | Electric-Space-Strain Projector (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) Device enables the wireless transmission of power. |
1934 | Beam Car (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent) A vehicle like an elevator car, but which travels on a radio and magnetic beam, from the surface of a planet up to a satellite. |
1934 | Extradimensional (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) From another dimension. |
1934 | Space Warp (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) The very fabric of space-time. |
1934 | Spy Ray Goggles (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A form of radiation that can penetrate walls to allow the user to 'see' what is happening on the other side. |
1934 | Manual Search For Habitable Planet (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A tedious search for habitable planets by hand. |
1934 | Solar Engine (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A space ship that gets it motive power from the rays of the sun. |
1934 | Levitators (from Lost City of Mars by Harl Vincent) Allows free flight in the interior volume of a vast sphere in space. |
1934 | Invisibility Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A means of concealing a physical object to the naked eye. |
1934 | Space Mittens (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun) Protect your hands in space. |
1934 | Evacuating Arms (from Space Flotsam by Raymond Z. Gallun) Empty out the contents of an airlock exposed to space. |
1934 | Acceleration-tank (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A water-filled tank used to ease the strains of acceleration. |
1934 | Credit (from The Mightiest Machine by John W. Campbell) A basic unit of currency. |
1934 | Space Station (from Flaming Frontier by Bernard Buley) An outpost in space, usually in a fixed position or steady with respect to other bodies in space. |
1934 | Synthetic Food Dispenser (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) A machine that could make whatever food you wanted from basic elements. |
1934 | Positron Beam (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner) Vast numbers of positrons, the antimatter counterpart of the electron, are beamed around the Earth. |
1934 | Living Machines (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Robots that are able to learn. |
1934 | Wrist Search Display (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A wearable device that uses its own search beam to view scenes close by. |
1934 | Deep-Space (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Typically refers to the vast empty regions of interstellar space. |
1934 | Out-Worlder (from A Matter of Size by Harry Bates) A person from another planet. |
1934 | Needle-Ray (from Skylark of Valeron by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Very thin beam of destruction. |
1934 | Liquid Mirror Telescope on Mars (from Old Faithful by Raymond Z. Gallun) A large telescope using a spinning bowl of mercury as the mirror. |
1934 | Robot Baby (from Life Everlasting by David H. Keller) An infant robot. |
1934 | Protective Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An energy shield for one person. |
1934 | Mentanicals (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Robots capable of mentation - i.e., thought. |
1934 | Machine City (from Twilight by John W. Campbell) A city that is a self-maintaining whole entity. |
1934 | Mentanical Communication (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) Thinking, learning robots have a special means of communication. |
1934 | Electron Gun (from The Great Thirst by Nat Schachner) How to add a lot of electrons to a lot of positrons? |
1934 | Ablative Heat (Reentry) Shield (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A single-use shield or covering designed to accept the heat of reentry and burn off. |
1934 | Hypomatrin (from The Confession of Dr. DeKalb by Stanton A. Coblentz) A spinal anesthetic that allows the reformation of personality. |
1934 | Penetron (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) A synthetic substance that is opaque unless penetrated by infra-red. |
1934 | Invisibility Magnets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) They can cloak a space ship by bending light around it. |
1934 | Wine Pellets (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) Fine wine in convenient, dried form. |
1934 | Astrographer (from Flaming Frontier by Bernard Buley) A person who makes maps of space and its features, like meteors or gas clouds. |
1934 | Robots Refuse To Serve Man (from The Mentanicals by Francis Flagg) When robots evolve their own perspectives, and ultimately refuse to act as servants to human beings. |
1934 | Impermite (from Redmask of the Outlands by Nat Schachner) A substance that is impervious to penetration. |
1934 | Ultrawave (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A means of faster-than-light (FTL) communication. |
1934 | 3D Tank Display (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A transparent cube showing a three-dimensional display. |
1934 | Flying Wing (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A V-shaped plane capable of flight to the edge of the atmosphere. |
1934 | Moving a Planet (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Early use of the concept of moving a planet to a new sun. |
1934 | Bergenholm Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A device that renders a spaceship free of inertia. |
1934 | Ether-Wall (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An invisibility field. |
1934 | Twilight Belt (from The Mystery of the Twilight Belt by J.N.T. Lintott) The narrow zone of livable territory on a tidally-locked planet. |
1934 | Platinum Alloy Disc (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A silvery disc used for data record storage. |
1934 | Radio-Dirigible Torpedo (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A drone missile that is controlled remotely by an operator. |
1934 | Vibrowriter (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller) A device that translated speech and typed it out for you. |
1934 | Aliens Speak English (from The Mines of Haldar by Maurice G. Hugi) The skeleton men of Mercury speak English, but have a good reason for it. |
1934 | Inertialess Drive (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Faster-than-light travel achieved! |
1934 | Planetary Propulsion-Blasts (from Thundering Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Devices capable of moving and steering planets to new orbits or new stars. |
1934 | Sound-Transposing Machine (from The Lost Language by David H. Keller) A device that scans a printed page and reads it out loud. |
1934 | Homorium (from The Last Men by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A kind of nursery that could bring a human being to maturity in a single year. |
1934 | Glass Pistol (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A clear glass gun that fires poisoned splinters. |
1934 | Healing Crystal (from A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A small object that burns off diseased tissue, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. |
1934 | Mutant (from The 100th Generation by Nat Schachner) A new organism resulting from an alteration in the DNA sequence of its genome or chromosome. |
1934 | Emergency Lifeboat (from Triplanetary by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A small craft used as a bail-out vehicle from a large space station or spacecraft. |
1935 | Micro-Telescope (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) An astronomical instrument for looking at objects in a miniature universe. |
1935 | Air-Tight Cities (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) Cities with breathable air constructed on worlds with no atmosphere. |
1935 | Meteor Swarm Mining (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach) A fleet of ships hunting for meteoric iron - in space! |
1935 | Magno-Bars (from The Meteor Miners by L.A. Eshbach) Electromagnet-tipped rods used by meteor miners to capture iron-rich asteroids in space. |
1935 | Micro-Cosmos (Microcosm) (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) The universe in miniature. |
1935 | Unattended Factory (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) A factory that works entirely automatically, without human guidance. |
1935 | Automatic Toll Payment (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) An automated car that pays its own toll. |
1935 | Automatic Air Mail Plane (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A pilotless airplane for delivery of cargo. |
1935 | Driverless Taxi (from The Living Machine by David H. Keller) A taxi that does not require a driver. |
1935 | New Suns From Old (from The Cosmic Pantograph by Edmond Hamilton) Creating new stars by crashing together the cinders of dead stars. |
1935 | Space Traffic (from Satan in Exile by Arthur William Bernal) The movement of numbers of ships through space. |
1935 | Subjunctivisor (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions. |
1935 | Fruit-Picking Machine (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) An humanoid machine for automatic fruit picking. |
1935 | Machine (Thinking Machine) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell) A very early reference to a thinking machine in charge of a planet. |
1935 | Danler Spacial Chart (from Star Ship Invincible by Frank K. Kelly) A representation of space around a ship. |
1935 | Conscious Farm Machines (from The Hidden Colony by Otfrid von Hanstein) Farm machinery that worked on their own. |
1935 | Bloodhound Machine (from Crimes of the Year 2000 by Ray Cummings) Could positively identify a person using their scent alone. |
1935 | Emotion Meter (from The Emotion Meter by W. Varick Nevins, III) A device for empirically determining human emotion. |
1935 | Xixtline (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Venusian drug provides a rejuvenate effect. |
1935 | Thermide (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A chemical which, added to water, boiled and sterilized it instantly. |
1935 | Mudshoes (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Footgear specialized for the semisolid soil of Venus |
1935 | Transkin (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A hooded protective suit worn on Venus. |
1935 | Electric Menu (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn) Ordering of food is automated, without waiters. |
1935 | Magic Spectacles (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Very early take on virtual reality hardware. |
1935 | Horsten Psychomat (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer. |
1935 | Sink Hole of Space (from Star Ship Invincible by Frank K. Kelly) A rip in space, a hole that pulls in passing objects. |
1935 | Floater (Vehicle) (from The Machine by John W. Campbell) A conveyance distinguished primarily by antigravity power. |
1935 | Time Line (from Liners of Time by John Russell Fearn) Time seen linearly, as a distinguishable series of events. |
1935 | Ball-Taxi (from Earth Rehabilitators, Consolidated by Henry J. Kostkos) A floating, spherical cab. |
1935 | Doughpot (from Parasite Planet by Stanley G. Weinbaum) A mass of white, dough-like protoplasm, ranging in size from a single cell to perhaps twenty tons of mushy filth. |
1935 | Trans-Oceanic Rocket (from The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum) Also, a rocket-plane. |
1935 | Galatea - Virtual Person (from Pygmalion's Spectacles by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum) An entirely artificial creation placed in the mind of the user. |
1935 | First Contact (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster) The initial encounter with a non-human race. |
1935 | Thermlectrium (from Blindness by John W. Campbell) An alloy that turns heat directly into electricity. |
1935 | Living Space Ship (from Proxima Centauri by Murray Leinster) A space ship made of a living substance, in this case cellulose. |
1936 | Planetary Engineering (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Remaking or modifying an entire planet. |
1936 | Robot Language (from Frankenstein - Unlimited by H.A. Highstone) Specialized talk that machines developed for their own use. |
1936 | Fixing Machines (from Frankenstein - Unlimited by H.A. Highstone) Machines that fix machines. |
1936 | Solar Radiant Energy Weapon (from The Weapon by Raymond Z. Gallun) The device absorbs solar rays and then emits a powerful, coherent ray. |
1936 | Shoggoths (from At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft) Bioengineered creatures, able to change shape, created for labor. |
1936 | Time Travel Back Pack (from Tryst in Time by C.L. Moore) A handy time machine you can conveniently wear. |
1936 | Multi-Generation Space Vessel (Generation Ship) (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) A space ship and voyage intended to last across multiple human generations. |
1936 | Radiation Shield (from The Ultimate Weapon by John W. Campbell) A clever use for the water you need to take anyway. |
1936 | Transparent Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A fifty-inch flat panel display that is (or can be) transparent. |
1936 | Probability Time Wave Tube (from Elimination by John W. Campbell) A device that allows the user to see every possible event. |
1936 | Starways (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) The well-traveled paths from star to star. |
1936 | Emergency Repulsion (Repulsive Ray) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A beam of force that repels one object from another. |
1936 | Zed-Ray (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A penetrating beam that would disclose the details inside of a closed object. |
1936 | Asteroid Lanes (Blasted) (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse) Actually clearing safe routes through asteroid belts. |
1936 | Time Loop (from The Time Entity by Eando Binder) A series of events repeats, the stream crosses over itself. |
1936 | Rocketrix (from Redemption Cairn by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum) A female rocket pilot. |
1936 | Desktop Flat Panel Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A small desktop screen intercom system. |
1936 | Emergency Repulsion Ray (from Earth-Venus 12 by Gabriel Wilson) A handheld means of propulsion in space. |
1936 | Lanson Screen (from The Lanson Screen by Leo Zagat) An elliptical shield of force large enough to enclose a city. |
1936 | Automated Search For Habitable Planets (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Automated use of telescopes and other devices to search the universe for Earth-like planets. |
1936 | Telespectroscope (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Device for searching for habitable (Earth-like) planets. |
1936 | Dimension Shifting Apparatus (from Cosmic Quest by Edmond Hamilton) Achieves faster than light space travel by moving into a different, parallel dimension. |
1936 | Nutrient Gelatin Tank (from The Isotope Men by Nat Schachner) Essential hardware for creating a new, improved humanity - isotope men! |
1936 | Volplane (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A small vehicle used in transporting people around the moon's surface. |
1936 | Meteor Particles (Sand Blast) (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse) Tiny sand-sized asteroids sand-blasting the hull of a spacecraft. |
1936 | Violet-Gun (Ion Gun) (from The Brain Stealers of Mars by John W. Campbell) Ultra-violet fury! |
1936 | Scarab Robot Flying Insect (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) A tiny flying robotic machine, used for surveillance. |
1936 | Giant Flat Panel Display (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) Movie screen-sized flat panel display for live televised images. |
1936 | Wireless Wrist Intercom (from The Shape of Things To Come by H.G. Wells) A portable wireless intercom, worn on the wrist. |
1936 | Paralyzing Ray (Bolar Current) (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) A beam that forces a person to remain rooted to a particular spot. |
1936 | Tubular Field of Force (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Can pull an object through space. |
1936 | Electric Tractor (from World of Purple Light by Warner Van Lorne) A farm cultivator that runs entirely on electricity. |
1936 | Geodynes (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) Spacecraft propulsion that pushes against the very fabric of space itself. |
1936 | Bladder Birds (from Redemption Cairn by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum) Alien life well adapted. |
1936 | Photoelectric Telescope (Photoelectric Eyes) (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) An astronomical telescope that uses the photoelectric effect to gather light, and then to present the finished image on a screen. |
1936 | Cartograph (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) A device that shows you a record of your travels - a GPS readout. |
1936 | Android (from The Cometeers by Jack Williamson) A synthetic being having the form of a human being. |
1936 | Indoor Weighted Belt (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Device to stay grounded in low gravity on the Moon. |
1936 | Robot With Human's Brain (from Revenge of the Robot by Otis Adelbert Kline) A very early example of encasing a human brain in a robotic body. |
1936 | Synthetic Intellect (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device for providing a robot with intelligence. |
1936 | Sounding Projectile (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) Provides a way to tell whether there’s a soldid surface on a cloudy planet. |
1936 | Chronoscope (from Elimination by John W. Campbell) A device used to see into specific internals of time. |
1936 | Molecule Replacement Lamp (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A means of attaining practical invisibility. |
1936 | Jupiter Mining Shoes (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) Specialized footgear for walking on the Great Red Spot. |
1936 | Radiation-Proof Oxygen Suit (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A specialized space suit for use in radium mining on Jupiter. |
1936 | Foam Station Sprayer (from Red Storm on Jupiter by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A device that stills the stormy Great Red Spot on Jupiter. |
1936 | Vision Tubes (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) Microminaturized vision for UAV's. |
1936 | Golden Ray of Synchronized Vibrations (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) Disrupts matter by hurling electrons out of their energy states and scattering them. |
1936 | Teaching Machine (from The Return of the Murians by Nat Schachner) A helmet placed on the head focuses illimitable knowledge into even the head of an earth man. |
1936 | Atom Compactor (Metal Earthworm) (from Death Dives Deep by Paul Ernst) A tunneling device. |
1936 | Space Legs (from Flight of the Typhoon by Clifton B. Kruse) The ability to walk under high gee acceleration on a space ship. |
1936 | Wire Gun (from Shadow Gold by Ray Cummings) Shoots a length of constricting wire. |
1936 | Dark Vapor Bubble (from Man-Jewels for Xothar by H.G. Wells) A kind of field that keeps an alien base provided with an atmosphere. |
1936 | Beckerley Electrical Field (from Smothered Seas by R.M. Farley (w/SG Weinbaum)) An energy field that can protect a city or large area. |
1936 | Needle Beam Gat (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) A thin disintegrator beam. |
1936 | Luxobe Crystals (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) They give light. |
1936 | Vitrisheen (from Moon Crystals by J. Harvey Haggard) A translucent glass-like fashion choice. |
1936 | Audiphone (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Communication between space suits in the airless void of space. |
1936 | Automat (from Mad Robot by Raymond Z. Gallun) Unusual name for an intelligent robot; short for "automaton"? |
1936 | Electronized Gravity Plate (from Blood of the Moon by Ray Cummings) Artificial gravity for use on space stations and spacecraft. |
1936 | Husk of an Atom (from The Roaring Blot by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A negative universe substance. |
1936 | Protective Energy Halo (from The Scarab by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that cast a hemisphere of protective beams. |
1937 | Miniature Universe (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) A microcosmic universe created in the laboratory. |
1937 | Near-Space Solar Energy Collectors (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Generating power from solar radiation closer to the source. |
1937 | Gold-Fish-Bowl World (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) An artificial water planet. |
1937 | Needler (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) Small palm-sized weapon firing thin bolts of energy. |
1937 | Artificial Planet (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Constructed bodies the size of planets for habitation. |
1937 | Locatimeter (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline) A method for a plane to know its location over the Earth. |
1937 | X Gun (X-Beam Projector) (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles) A device that projected soft x-rays into small planetoids to determine their composition. |
1937 | Self-Propelled Space Suit (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A vacuum suit with a means of propelling itself built in. |
1937 | Stratocar (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A vehicle intended for use in traveling through the upper atmosphere. |
1937 | Drop Shaft (Neutralization of Inertia) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) An 'elevator shaft' in which the user can fall at the speed of gravity, then be stopped without inertia (i.e., instantly). |
1937 | Thionite (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A deadly drug. |
1937 | Ether Eddy (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) A shimmering region of space marking a break-through into another universe. |
1937 | Electelscope (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) Telescope uses electronics applied to optics. |
1937 | Gravity Neutralizing Disks (from Fessenden's Worlds by Edmond Hamilton) Two plates between which Earth's gravitational influence is cancelled out. |
1937 | Rocket Tug (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) The equivalent of a tug boat for space ships. |
1937 | Vibration Screen (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance. |
1937 | Subphoton Search Ray (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) A special ray beam that penetrates into hidden bunkers; images are caught on special film cameras. |
1937 | Multiple Sample Voice (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) The use of multiple voice samples to create a single, smoothed voice. |
1937 | Blast Rifle (from Exiles of the Stratosphere by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A gun that creates a short-range energy blast. |
1937 | Blast-Off (from The Cavern of the Shining Pool by Leo Zagat) The act of firing a rocket into space. |
1937 | Artificial eye (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A surgically-implanted artificial eyeball. |
1937 | Light Traps (Dyson Sphere) (from Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon) Surrounding a sun, a set of devices to capture or focus solar power. |
1937 | Repulsor Screen (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) Diverts troublesome asteroids. |
1937 | Sono-Induction Coils (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) A public address system consisting of buried coils. |
1937 | Heat Generating Magnetic Disks (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) Devices used to artificially raise the temperature of the surface of moons to a reasonable level. |
1937 | Etherometer (from Spawn of the Red Giants by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A device that looked at the 'ether' pervading space as a means of determining gravitation field strength. |
1937 | Spectroscopic Robot Converter (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles) Accepted the return of soft x-ray radiation, and translated it into Fraunhofer spectra. |
1937 | Ultra-microrobot (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun) A nanomachine; a machine whose parts are no bigger than atoms. |
1937 | Automatic Reversed Memory (from Brain Control by Dave Cummins) A device that activates memories and plays them back in reverse order. |
1937 | Groundcar (or Ground Car) (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A non-skimming, non-flying vehicle. |
1937 | Poldek (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) Ability to sense life. |
1937 | Robot Dog (from The Iron World by Otis Adelbert Kline) A mechanical, robotic dog. |
1937 | Ultra-Communicator (from Galactic Patrol by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A communication system that transfers voice commands from one person to selected others. |
1937 | Spaceplane (from Zarnak by Max Plaisted) A craft able to land on Earth and take off directly for space. |
1937 | Mechanical Cow (Nibbler) (from Down on the Farm by Simpson Stokes) An autonomous mechanism that performs some of the actions of an ordinary bovine. |
1937 | Wind-Suncatcher (from Down on the Farm by Simpson Stokes) A combination wind turbine and solar energy gathering device. |
1937 | Opaque Helmet (from Wanderer of the Void by Dr. Arch Carr) A spacesuit helmet that has no see-through components at all; fully enclosed metal. |
1937 | Sub-Space (from Crystallized Thought by Nat Schachner) A dimension or a transmission medium other than our own, which allows faster-than-light communication or movement. |
1937 | Black Hole (from Rift in Space by Paul Ernst) A massive space object that emits no light. |
1937 | Space Laboratory (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) A specialized space station, for scientific research. |
1937 | Plani-Glass (from Crystalized Thought by Nat Schachner) Transparent and light and has the tensile strength of steel! |
1937 | Atomic Drill (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D) An atomic-powered auger, for use in drilling deep into planets and asteroids. |
1937 | Space-Sphere (from When Space Burst by Edmond Hamilton) A bubble of reality. |
1937 | Antron (from Minus Planet by John D. Clark, Ph.D) A single particle of antimatter - an antiproton. |
1937 | Space Dock (from Diamond Planetoid by Gordon A. Giles) Like a port for spacecraft; they can deliver their passengers and cargo. |
1937 | Photo-Electric Mosaic (from Beyond Which Limits by Nat Schachner) A means of capturing astronomical images. |
1937 | Concentrated Light (from The Shining One by Nat Schachner) Beam of powerfully concentrated light pressure. |
1937 | Space Bursts (from When Space Burst by Edmond Hamilton) When space itself inflates and eventually blows up. |
1937 | Alien Life Form (from The Hothouse Planet by Arthur K. Barnes) Living organisms of non-Earth origin. |
1937 | Designed Bacteria (from Seeds of the Dusk by Raymond Z. Gallun) Very early reference to the idea of bacteria designed to wipe out a particular species, and no others. |
1937 | Mercy Gas (from The Saga of Pelican West by Eric Frank Russell) Breathe it and die. |
1937 | Proton Pistol (Proton Beam) (from A Menace in Miniature by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that unleashed a 'protonic storm' of energy. |
1938 | Magnetic Flame Gun (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) Device shoots charged positive nuclei. |
1938 | Air-Blanket (from Hollywood on the Moon by Henry Kuttner) A dome-less protective air shield. |
1938 | Psychode (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) A device that enables communication by thought alone. |
1938 | Reversal Coils (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) Provide both entry into a negative universe and propulsion. |
1938 | Steel-Lined Space Boots (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) In combination with a magnetized floor, allows the user to walk in zero gravity. |
1938 | Sub-Etheric (from Legion of Time by Jack Williamson) Below the level at which ordinary light is propagated. |
1938 | Autobus (from Tidal Moon by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum) Robot-guided public transportation. |
1938 | Mech (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) An alternative name for simplified robot. |
1938 | Artificial Eye Drone (from Glimpse by Manly Wade Wellman) A remote flying device that transmits its view to the operator. |
1938 | Individual Flyer (from Asteroid Pirates by Royal W. Heckman) Personal antigravity and wing unit. |
1938 | Zero-Gravity (from If Science Reached the Earth's Core by John R. Binder) A state in which gravity is effectively absent or cancelled out. |
1938 | Rocket-Polo (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) Polo played with rocket-powered craft. |
1938 | Gyrotomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) A small gyrostabilized hovercraft. |
1938 | Helicoptomic (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) A hovering craft used by referees in rocket polo. |
1938 | Electronic Brain (from Alchemy of Outer Space by D.L. James) Inorganic matter functioning as a source of intelligence and action. |
1938 | Robot Smiles (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A robot learns to give a perfect human smile. |
1938 | Basic Robot Personality (from Simultaneous Worlds by Nat Schachner) Providing simple personalities to robots. |
1938 | Robot Animals (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak) Artificial animals created using robotic elements. |
1938 | Interplanetary Restaurant (from Asteroid Pirates by Royal W. Heckman) An eatery and watering hole designed for use by a variety of space-faring races. |
1938 | Coronium Ore (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) A radiolite substance to revolutionize industry. |
1938 | Space-Court (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space. |
1938 | Field-Projector (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton) A device that dematerializes a person and then sends forth a ray that will then rematerialize a person at the end. |
1938 | Control Helmet (from Easy Money by Edmond Hamilton) A device which causes an entire race of people to think and feel the same as the wearer. |
1938 | Cosmic Teletype (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi) A device that utilizes the fourth dimensional continuum to achieve communication at great distances. |
1938 | Tiny Atomic-Power Drive Unit (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) A very small power generator that is atomic powered. |
1938 | Atomic-Powered Lifting Suits (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) Special exoskeletons that would allow an ordinary human being to walk in doubled gravity. |
1938 | Pneumatic Bumpers (from The Brain Pirates by John W. Campbell) An inflatable bumper system for ground-based motor vehicles. |
1938 | Teleoperated Robot Surrogate (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman) A robot that is entirely controlled remotely by a person who sees with the point of view of the robot. |
1938 | Gogglelike Televisors (from The Robot and the Lady by Manly Wade Wellman) A screen technology placed very close to the eyes. |
1938 | Selective Television (from The Challenge of Atlantis by Arthur J. Burks) A special kind of 'television' that let the user choose any scene around the world. |
1938 | Alcatraz of Space (from Reunion on Ganymede by Clifford Simak) A planetoid prison. |
1938 | Preserved Brains (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Preserving a brain, and then communicating with it. |
1938 | Artificially Produced Speech (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) Speech produced by mechanical means, rather than with vocal chords. |
1938 | Automatic Commercial Deletion (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Device automatically detects commercials and turns off the set for the duration. |
1938 | Paralysis Ray (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A special ray that produces paralysis. |
1938 | Surface Car (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A specialized vehicle for traveling on a planetary surface. |
1938 | Psychoprobe (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Get to the truth. |
1938 | Air-o-Stat (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) Provides life-giving air in spacecraft. |
1938 | Liquid Metal (from The Dual World by Arthur K. Barnes) Metal that can be sprayed on. |
1938 | Vacuum-Cupped Sandals (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) Used for walking in weightless environments. |
1938 | Banning Gun (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) Shoots a pencil heat ray. |
1938 | Beam-Pistol (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A handheld ray gun. |
1938 | Time Tunnel (from Rule 18 by Clifford Simak) A gateway into the past. |
1938 | Visi-Screen (from Satellite Five by Arthur K. Barnes) A display device. |
1938 | Buggaroo (from The Secret of the Canali by Clifton B. Kruse) Martian creature for transportation. |
1938 | Teleray (from Cosmic Teletype by Carl Jacobi) Destruction over great distances. |
1938 | Robot Cook (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A household robot that can cook meals. |
1938 | Robot Emotions (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) Devices or techniques that give rise to emotions in robots. |
1938 | Helen O'Loy (from Helen O'Loy by Lester del Rey) A robot is enhanced to offer feelings and affection. |
1938 | Mass Detector (Gravitator) (from Roamer of the Stars by Clyde Wilson) A device that finds substantial masses, particularly in the path of a space craft. |
1938 | Tetrahedron Interference Projector (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth) Projects a field of force around the Solar System, bending the light of stars to make them seem more distant. |
1938 | Eros Ship-Planetoid (from The Great Illusion by Will Garth) A vast cylindrical ship, long thought to be a planetoid. |
1938 | Rocketeering (from Ra For The Rajah by John Victor Peterson) Racing around in rockets |
1938 | Cube Being (from The Infinite Enemy by Jack Williamson) A living being comprised of linked cubes. |
1938 | Emergency Air-Suit (from Voyage 13 by Ray Cummings) A light-duty space suit. |
1938 | Interplanetary Passport (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Required document for space travelers. |
1938 | Multispecies Hotel (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A hotel set up to serve beings from different planets. |
1938 | Atomic Explosive (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A handheld bomb that melted its way into an armored door, then detonated. |
1938 | Etherphone Receiver (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A special earpiece to hear coded updates. |
1938 | Lightweight Vacuum Armor (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A simplified space suit, used where conditions were similar to Earth rather than in the more rigorous conditions of space. |
1938 | Invisible Watchmen (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Automated 'home security' sentry system that targets and eliminates intruders. |
1938 | Brain-Case (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A device designed to transport a living human (or alien, if similar) brain. |
1938 | Radium Salt (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) Radioactive materials used as an assassination weapon. |
1938 | Hand-Rocket (from Murder in the Void by Edmond Hamilton) A handheld device that used reaction matter to aid explorers in space suits to move around easily in zero gee. |
1938 | Tractor Boots (from Magician of Dream Valley by Raymond Z. Gallun) Space suit footgear that has atom-driven caterpillar treads. |
1938 | Proxy Robot (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A remote-controlled floating telepresence robot, for use by aliens who cannot share an atmosphere. |
1938 | Transfer Refuge (from Hotel Cosmos by Raymond Z. Gallun) A portable environment chamber, able to support unique and different lifeforms. |
1939 | Meteoric Dust Cloud (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn) A vast cloud in space, through which the solar system moved for a decade. |
1939 | Atomic Torch (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An atomic-powered cutting and welding tool. |
1939 | Geopeller (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An atomic powered, miniaturized means of propulsion. |
1939 | Ballistic Calculator (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) An on-board computer for a spaceship to calculate its course and perform other related tasks. |
1939 | Synthetic Spider Silk (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Artificial fabric thread as strong as steel. |
1939 | Ideophore (from The Fortress of Utopia by Jack Williamson) A device that quickly and (almost?) painlessly transfers knowledge from one brain to another. |
1939 | Metalite (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt) Strong metal you can see through. |
1939 | Asteroid Prison (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A jail is the sole occupant of an asteroid. |
1939 | Outbound Interplanetary Traffic (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) The rules of the spacelanes. |
1939 | Spacecraft Invisibility Electronics (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A means of rendering a spacecraft invisible to detection by electromagnetic means. |
1939 | Anti-Acceleration Engine For Space Suits (from Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt) Counteracts the effects of high acceleration. |
1939 | Ultraset (Ultrawave Set) (from Habit by Lester del Rey) A device that used ultrawave faster-than-light (FTL) communication. |
1939 | Robot Rights (from The Trial of Adam Link, Robot by Eando Binder) Should robots have the rights of men? |
1939 | Synthite Food (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell) Compact food for space travelers. |
1939 | Shock Hammock (from Habit by Lester del Rey) Special netting oriented for pilots in high gee spacecraft. |
1939 | Sun-Engine (from Valley of Lost Souls by Eando Binder) A device that absorbs solar rays for power. |
1939 | Hall of Euthanasia (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A place for (mostly) voluntary suicide. |
1939 | Move an Asteroid (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Using practical techniques to change the orbit of an asteroid or small moon. |
1939 | Inflatable Roofed Valley (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) A habitat on an asteroid created by placing a tent-like roof over a natural valley or depression, and then inflating it. |
1939 | Orbiting Casino Advertising Sign (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) The mightiest billboard in the Solar System! |
1939 | Floating Spherical Pool (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water. |
1939 | New Moon Casino Satellite (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) An enormous artificial moon, it was far easier to get to than the Old Moon. |
1939 | Smoke Filter (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Allows grizzled spacemen to smoke in space ships. |
1939 | Barber Helmet (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) Cuts your hair quickly and efficiently. |
1939 | Durite (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Super-strong material used to counter reaction-blasts. |
1939 | Geofractor (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Device provides instantaneous teleportation of selected objects over vast distances. |
1939 | Robot Surgery (from Secret of the Buried City by John Russell Fearn) Robots operate an advance operating theater. |
1939 | Geofractor Shield (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Protects the bearer against unwanted geofractor use. |
1939 | Vortex Gun (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) A device that projects whirling fields of atomic instability. |
1939 | Manmade Black Hole (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Using the power of a hole in the continuum. |
1939 | Robot Observatory (from Space Rating by John Berryman) A fully automated astronomical observatory, placed on a planet (typically, one that does not support human life). |
1939 | Pleasure Planet (from After World's End by Jack Williamson) A vast world devoted to enjoyment. |
1939 | Electric-Powered Caterpillar Shovels (from The Fortress of Utopia by Jack Williamson) Mining equipment powered by electricity. |
1939 | Space-Post (from Episode On Dhee Minor by Harry Walton) A trading post in space. |
1939 | Visiwave (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Even faster than ultrawave! a means of instantaneous communication over lightyear distances. |
1939 | Chart Cabinet (from One Against The Legion by Jack Williamson) Used in astrogation, this device can see the positions of stars and planets over a thousand year period. |
1939 | Inertia Tank (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that protected its delicate contents by cushioning. |
1939 | Electrical Valet (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A robotic manservant, skilled in dressing its owner. |
1939 | Polyceltron Iconoscope Televisor (from Newscast by Harl Vincent) A portable camera and microphone setup that could broadcast on-the-spot news. |
1939 | Brain-Plate (from Women's World by David C. Cooke) Ensures the obedience of robots. |
1939 | Robot-Boss (from Women's World by David C. Cooke) A mechanical device that tells people what to do. |
1939 | Extra-Terra Bio-Institute (ETBI) Bio-Conditioning (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder) The overarching work of adapting human beings to alien worlds. |
1939 | Adaptene (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder) Parent of all hormones, it makes possible the adaptation of the human organism to alien worlds. |
1939 | Opti-Phone (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder) Yet another name for a videophone. |
1939 | Colony World (from The Impossible World by Eando Binder) A planet settled by a single group. |
1939 | Duplication Chamber (from The 4-Sided Triangle by William F. Temple) A means of precisely duplicating an object. |
1939 | Neuronic Control Apparatus (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device that communicated with a brain implant, granting both sight and control. |
1939 | Killer Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) An autonomous robot made for the express purpose of killing living creatures. |
1939 | Microsurgery Tool (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) Miniaturized device for surgical precision. |
1939 | Rocket Racing (from Habit by Lester del Rey) Use of reaction mass vehicles for races held within the solar system. |
1939 | Galaxy Superbrain (from Short-Wave Madness by Robert Castle) The idea that the galaxy itself is a conscious entity. |
1939 | Inertia Screen (from Space Rating by John Berryman) A device that canceled out the law of inertia to help decelerating space craft occupants. |
1939 | Cosmic Storm (from After World's End by Jack Williamson) A vast tempest in space! |
1939 | Space Charts (from After World's End by Jack Williamson) A pictorial representation of suns in space. |
1939 | Space-Contraction Drive (from After World's End by Jack Williamson) Slip through endless interstellar space by making the distance smaller. |
1939 | Thermalite (from Planet of Eternal Night by John W. Campbell) A transparent material that allows almost no heat to escape. |
1939 | Force-Screen (from The Dweller in Outer Darkness by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.) A variation on the force shield idea. |
1939 | Stereoscopic Vernier and Cube (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) A means of photographing in depth. |
1939 | Identification Ring (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) An apparently ordinary ring, which minutely describes and identifies its wearer. |
1939 | Super-Weapon (from Robot Nemesis by E.E. 'Doc' Smith) A generic term for an advanced destructive device or technology. |
1939 | Transparent Car Roof (from Sinister Barrier by Eric Frank Russell) You can see through the roof of the car. |
1939 | Neuronic Receptor-Transmitter (from Masson's Secret by Raymond Z. Gallun) A device which, implanted in the brain, can both transmit sight and sound, and enable control of the body by a remote operator. |
1939 | Synthetic Intellect (from The Machine That Thought by William Callahan) A machine mind, created and improved by more primitive machine minds. |
1939 | Extraecliptic Travel Lanes (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Organized interplanetary travel using routes not confined to the ecliptic. |
1939 | Spacedog (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Experienced hands on space ships. |
1939 | Metal Desk Car (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A combination work desk and vehicle for librarians and researchers; part desk part carnival ride. |
1939 | Radio-Facsimile Receiver (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A device that prints a newspaper in your home. |
1939 | Movie Pill (Movie Substitute) (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) Gives you the experience of having seen a movie. |
1939 | Air-Mine (from The Space Visitors by Edmond Hamilton) Fight invasion from above with an analogous method to mining the surface of the sea. |
1939 | Corrosite Gas (from The Machine That Thought by William Callahan) A highly corrosive gas. |
1939 | Portable Atomic Heater (from Misfit by Robert Heinlein) Compact source of energy. |
1939 | Electric Brain Stimulator (from Ben Gleed, King of Speed by Don Wilcox) A device that coordinated the waves of the brain with an external device to improve performance. |
1939 | Permalloy (from Fugitives From Earth by Nelson S. Bond) Protects ships from the hazards of space. |
1939 | Gravitic (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Relating to gravity. |
1939 | Ultra-Vibrator (from Into Another Dimension by Maurice Duclos) Transports objects into another dimension through intense vibration. |
1939 | Hand-Jetting (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Making use of hand-held rockets or other reaction devices to move through space. |
1939 | Automatic Delivery Library (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A library able to deliver any volume within a few moments. |
1939 | Directed Cars in Tunnels (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) Self-driving vehicles. |
1939 | Pseudogravity (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Gravity produced by artifice, rather than by a suitably large mass. |
1939 | Mechanical Judge (from The Lord of Tranerica by Stanton A. Coblentz) A device that makes legal decisions. |
1939 | Telescribe (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) Creates a written record of distress signals and other reports. |
1939 | Moon Valley Breathable Atmosphere (from Moon Heaven by Dom Passante) Atmosphere is retained in a deep valley on a moon or otherwise airless body. |
1939 | Space Walk (from Moon Heaven by Dom Passante) Standard term for moving through the void of space. |
1939 | Etheric Typhoon (from A Question of Salvage by Malcolm Jameson) The idea that space itself can have disturbances. |
1939 | Chronovitameter (from Lifeline by Robert Heinlein) Device that can determine a person's date of birth - and the date on which he or she will die. |
1939 | Solar-Powered Robot (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) A robot powered by sunlight. |
1939 | Visual Pattern Recognition (from Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam) A robot's ability to respond to programmed visual stimulus |
1939 | Acceleration Hammock (from Pioneer - 1957 by Henry Gade) Webbing used to cushion acceleration in spacecraft. |
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Liuzhi Process Now In Use In China
re: George Orwell
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Reflect Orbital Offers 'Sunlight on Demand' And Light Pollution
re: Theodore Sturgeon
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re: Philip K. Dick
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Chinese Tokamak Uses AI To Keep Fusion Plasma Stable
re: Various
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Time Crystals Can Now Be Seen Directly
re: NK Heming
(8/23/2025)
RoboBallet The Dance Of Cooperative Robots
re: Isaac Asimov
(8/21/2025)
Chrysalis Generation Ship to Alpha Centauri
re: Nat Schachner
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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
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Companion Caregiver ChatGPT Dolls
re: Kazuo Ishiguro
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'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
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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)
(See More Science Fiction in the News)
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