Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Timeline
of Science Fiction Ideas, Technology and Inventions
(sorted by Publication Date)
Most of these items are linked to information about similar real-life inventions and inventors; click on an invention to learn more about it.
1600-1899 1900-1929 1930's 1940's 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000+
| Date | Device Name (Novel Author) |
| 2000 | Provigil-C (from A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo) A special drug that promotes wakefulness in troops. |
| 2000 | Randominoes (from Nymphomation by Jeff Noon) Dominoes that randomly generate new numbers. |
| 2000 | Floating Island (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)) Large artificial islands floating on Earth's seas. |
| 2000 | Artificial Intelligence Device (AID) (from A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo) Hand-held device responds intelligently to military intelligence requests. |
| 2000 | Anti-Virus Design Software (from Super-Cannes: A Novel by J.G. Ballard) Create a living space such that the spread of disease is less likely. |
| 2000 | Blurbflies (Sing. Blurbfly) (from Nymphomation by Jeff Noon) Small robotic/organic advertisers. |
| 2000 | Bubble (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)) An undersea elevator. |
| 2000 | Napcap Induction Cap (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)) A device that aids sleep and relaxation by working with the subject's brain waves. |
| 2000 | Napcap Capsule (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)) A handy refuge for travelers in busy terminals; a sleep aid when you really need one. |
| 2000 | Beetle (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)) A hard-shelled dirigible. |
| 2000 | Oceanic Thermal Energy Converter (from Saturn's Race by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)) A device that uses the sea to help create electricity. |
| 2001 | Weather Pod (from Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert) Imperial technology available to planetologists only. |
| 2001 | Datapack (from Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert) A compact device for carrying data. |
| 2001 | Wearables (from Fast Times At Fairmont High by Vernor Vinge) Slang for 'wearable computer.' |
| 2001 | Smart Contact Lenses (from Fast Times At Fairmont High by Vernor Vinge) Contact lenses that have a built-in computer display. |
| 2001 | Inertial Bracelet (from Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury) Device to still hand tremors. |
| 2002 | Minority Report Ads (Biometric Personalized Ads) (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) Advertisements that speak directly to the consumer in public settings. |
| 2002 | Immersive Home Video (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) Technology lets users interact with home videos. |
| 2002 | Provigil (from When the Devil Dances by John Ringo) A medication that makes the user 'untired' - not just more awake. |
| 2002 | Manna (from Manna by Marshall Brain) A software program that autonomously manages restaurants or other service industry businesses. |
| 2002 | E-paper Newspaper (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) A paper-thin, flexible LCD-style display that is large enough to display a full newspaper page. |
| 2002 | Gravity Tube (from Chindi by Jack McDevitt) A special passage way that eases the movement of material within a ship. |
| 2002 | Pocket Dome (from Chindi by Jack McDevitt) Handy easy-to-set-up shelter. |
| 2002 | Vagus Nerve Bio-Chip (from Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold) Relief from nausea without drugs. |
| 2002 | Photo-Voltaic Robes (from Snow in the Desert by Neal Asher) Outerwear made from material that absorbs sunlight and outputs electricity. |
| 2002 | Wired Glove Interface Display (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) A large screen display that uses a wired glove interface. |
| 2002 | Ditto Blank (from Kiln People by David Brin) A mentally unformed android, upon which a personality could be impressed. |
| 2002 | Imprint (A Ditto Blank) (from Kiln People by David Brin) Impress one's personality upon a 'ditto blank' android. |
| 2002 | Bullet-guard Overalls (from Kiln People by David Brin) Very tough fabric. |
| 2002 | Robofish (Mitsubishi Robot Turbot) (from Slow Life by Michael Swanwick) A powerful, meter-long robotic fish used to take samples from liquid lakes on other worlds (like Titan). |
| 2002 | E-Suit (Environmental Suit) (from Chindi by Jack McDevitt) A forcefield that encloses air and heat around the body, but does not repel objects or radiation. |
| 2002 | Poppins (from Kiln People by David Brin) An android body imprinted with the personality of a Master Nanny. |
| 2002 | Maelstrom (from Maelstrom by Peter Watts) A description of the next generation Internet |
| 2002 | Hyperpig (from Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds) A genetic chimera of pig and human. |
| 2002 | Halo (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) Device that incapacitates a person by inducing unconsciousness. |
| 2002 | Mobile Persocom (from Chobits by Manga Clamp) A personal computer in human form. |
| 2002 | Reggie the Bartending Machine (from The Outpost by Mike Resnick) A mechanism able to mix drinks; a robot bartender. |
| 2002 | Sick Stick (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) Baton that induces vomiting upon contact. |
| 2002 | Public Iris Scanner (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) A device that uses iris-scanning for identification, and does not require subject awareness. |
| 2002 | Spider Robot (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) Tiny spider-sized robots that are able to search buildings and identify occupants. |
| 2002 | Data Tiles (from Minority Report (Movie) by Steven Spielberg) Transparent panes that contain data and programs. |
| 2002 | Durachrome (from Honor of the Regiment by Keith Laumer) Very hard alloy for tanks. |
| 2002 | Workplace Distancing (from Manna by Marshall Brain) A computer application that arranges that workers never encounter each other, to reduce gossiping and wasted time. |
| 2002 | Terrafoam Dorm Building (from Manna by Marshall Brain) Maximum people in minimum space. |
| 2002 | AI-Based Hiring and Firing (from Manna by Marshall Brain) Letting a computer system handle the hiring and firing of employees. |
| 2002 | Folding Computer Terminal (from The Merchants of Souls by John Barnes) A foldable pocket computer. |
| 2003 | External Eyelenses (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) Way retro means of correcting vision problems in human beings. |
| 2003 | Synthetic Sleeve (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) An artificial body, into which a person can be downloaded. |
| 2003 | Illuminum (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) A metal that glows with its own light. |
| 2003 | Cortical Stack (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) Implanted hardware device that contains a backup copy of your mental self. |
| 2003 | Olfactory Wakeup Call (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) An alarm clock that works by wafting scents your way. |
| 2003 | Needlecast (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) A tightbeam transmission of your very being. |
| 2003 | Touch Tablet (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) Another name for a wireless Tablet PC. |
| 2003 | Mandroid (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) A humanoid robot; a robot in the shape of a person. |
| 2003 | Speaker Chips (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) Integrated circuit chips placed in books; they could read the book and advertise it. |
| 2003 | Ideator (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) A computer device specifically made to help model genes and proteins for identification. |
| 2003 | Specimen Track (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) A means for transporting laboratory specimens from one workstation to another in an automated lab. |
| 2003 | Little Bird (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) A remote-control "eye-in-the-sky" miniature drone plane (UAV). |
| 2003 | E-Sheet (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) A disposable medium for reading electronic messages. |
| 2003 | Email Shirt (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) See your email on your shirt. |
| 2003 | Goat/Spider Silk (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) High tensile strength fibers from - goats. |
| 2003 | Automated Sentry (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) A biometric device that scans facial features for identification. |
| 2003 | Smart Wallpaper (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) Wallpaper that can sense your mood and provide an appropriate color scheme. |
| 2003 | Pigoon (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) A transgenic pig, bred to grow replacement organs for humans. |
| 2003 | Municipal Darwinism (from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve) The process by which smaller towns were eaten by larger ones. |
| 2003 | Traction City Gut (from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve) The area of a Traction City used for taking apart and consuming captured prey cities. |
| 2003 | Autosurgeon (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) A mechanical aid to physicians, performing surgical procedures with surgeons present. |
| 2003 | Spray-on Surgical Gloves (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) Effective glove for surgeons that is skin tight. |
| 2003 | Automatic Hotel (Hotel Hendrix) (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) A fully automated hotel; complete services provided from check-in to check-out. |
| 2003 | Tuned-Laser Decontamination (from Hybrids (Neanderthal Parallax) by Robert J. Sawyer) Process to destroy foreign biomolecules within the body. |
| 2003 | Whuffie (from Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow) A system in which one's actions, as perceived by others, directly procure the necessities of life; reputation-based currency. |
| 2003 | Alibi Archive (from Hominids (Neanderthal Parallax) by Robert J. Sawyer) A recording made of transmissions from a personal implant that perceived everything that happened to that individual. |
| 2003 | Interway (from The Tels by Paul Black) Computer-controlled highway. |
| 2003 | ChickieNobs (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) Chicken meat sliced from a transgenic organism. |
| 2003 | Self-Cleaning Gym Suit (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) Removes the source of odor. |
| 2003 | Happicuppa Coffee Bush (from Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood) A species of coffee bush designed for ease of harvesting. |
| 2003 | Slow Gun (from Singularity Sky by Charles Stross) Device shoots slow projectiles that use neurotoxin. |
| 2003 | Alien Tarantula (from Engine City by Ken MacLeod) Interesting illustration of an animal with gecko-like manipulative capabilities. |
| 2003 | E-paper Hologram (from Darwin's Children by Greg Bear) A cover image that really pops out at the viewer. |
| 2003 | Traction City (from Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve) Cities re-engineered as enormous, lumbering machines. |
| 2003 | Philips Squeeze Gun (from Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan) A handheld railgun |
| 2003 | Handipad (from Wyrmhole by Jay Caselberg) An electronic tablet for information browsing. |
| 2003 | Biolution (from The Tels by Paul Black) The revolution in biological manufacturing techniques. |
| 2003 | Causality-violation Device (or Weapon) (from Singularity Sky by Charles Stross) Any of a variety of technologies intended to exploit time travel as a weapon. |
| 2003 | Companion Implant (from Hominids (Neanderthal Parallax) by Robert J. Sawyer) Electronic device placed within the body; it has a wide variety of uses. |
1600-1899 1900-1949 1950's 1960's 1970's 1980's 1990's 2000's
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Biohybrid Robots Made Of Living And Synthetic Materials
re: Arthur C. Clarke
(8/15/2024)
Drug Induces Hibernation-Like State In Humans
re: Robert Heinlein
(8/13/2024)
Poul Anderson's 'Brain Wave'
re: Poul Anderson
(8/11/2024)
AI Note-Taking From Google Meet
re: David H. Keller
(8/9/2024)
Qore IcePlates Are Personal Cooling Suits
re: Neal Stephenson
(8/7/2024)
P1 Just The Latest Robot To Take A Beating From Humans
re: Philip K Dick
(8/5/2024)
Waymo Cars Shout At Each Other, Autonomously
re: Isaac Asimov
(8/2/2024)
Your Solar Electric Paint Is Ready, Larry Niven
re: Larry Niven
(8/1/2024)
How Long Till We Have These Tattoos?
re: Paul Di Filippo
(7/30/2024)
Seeing Faces On Grains Of Sand (AI Pareidolia)
re: Schachner and Zagat
(7/28/2024)
Lunar Biorepository Proposed For Cryo-Preservation Of Earth Species
re: John Varley
(7/26/2024)
Tele-Driving Offers Jobs For Tele-Drivers, Not AIs
re: Charles Stross
(7/24/2024)
Autonomous Robotic Dentist - Would You Say 'Ahhh'?
re: C.M. Kornbluth
(7/22/2024)
GM Scraps Cruise Origin Robotaxi With No Steering Wheel
re: Miles J. Breuer
(7/20/2024)
Taza Aya Air-Curtain Tech Protects Turkey Workers
re: John Brunner
(7/18/2024)
Torobo Humanoid Robot Hammers A Nail
re: Michael Crichton
(7/16/2024)
Lava Tubes On Moon And Mars
re: Robert Heinlein
(7/14/2024)
CoulombFly Solar-Powered Micro Aerial Vehicle Weighs 4.1 Grams
re: Neal Stephenson
(7/12/2024)
Chaffeur Robot Musashi Will Drive Your Regular Car
re: Philip K Dick
(7/10/2024)
Space Exporers! Now, You Can Drink Your Own Urine
re: Frank Herbert
(7/8/2024)
SpaceX EVA Spacesuit Tested By Polaris Dawn Crew
re: Otto Willi Gail
(7/6/2024)
Automatic Bot Traffic Is 38 Percent Of HTTP Requests
re: John Brunner
(7/4/2024)
Shanghai Guidelines For Humanoid Robots
re: Isaac Asimov
(7/2/2024)
Desktop TARS Robot From Interstellar
re: Christopher Nolan
(6/30/2024)
Robots Can Now Have Smiling Faces With Human Skin
re: James Cameron
(6/28/2024)
Virtual Rat Predicts Actual Rat Neural Activity
re: William Callahan
(6/26/2024)
GoSun EV Solar Charger Drapes Onto Your Car
re: Robert Heinlein
(6/24/2024)
Rizon 4 Ironing Robot
re: Mikhail Mikheev
(6/22/2024)
Cognify - A Prison Of The Mind We've Seen Before In SF
re: Joe Haldeman
(6/20/2024)
Robot With Human Brain Organoid - 'A Thrilling Story Of Mechanistic Progress'
re: Otis Adelbert Kline
(6/18/2024)
Goodness Gracious Me! Google Tries Face Recognition Security
re: Schachner and Zagat
(6/16/2024)
With Mycotecture, We'll Just Grow The Space Habitats We Need
re: Larry Niven
(6/14/2024)
(See More Science Fiction in the News)
