 |
Rolling Road
A set of fast-moving strips to move people over distances. (Read the full article)
| "Isaac Asimov also uses high-speed slidewalks in the _Caves_of_Steel_ and others set in that ficton, but they're called strips, I think." (Bronwyn 9/10/2004 12:08:49 AM ) |
| "I don't think it is a rediscovery as much as a tribute to HG Wells or an inside joke for SF fans. The description by Wells is too similar to be an independent rediscovery. Heinlein also refers to a "Babble Machine" in Stranger in a Strange Land which is exactly the same as the "Babble Machine" in the nicer apartments as described by Wells in When a Sleeper Wakes. Either Heinlein was an avid H.G. Wells fan, an outright plagiarist or a bit of both." (R Philip Reynolds 6/25/2009 10:02:33 AM ) |
| "I hadn't thought about that, but I'll bet you're right. Heinlein uses the phrase 'babble machine' or more frequently 'babble box' for a TV (or, in his case, a stereo tank)." (Bill Christensen 6/25/2009 10:28:31 AM ) |
Leave a comment:
Tediously, spammers have returned. So, send me your comments to bill at the site name (be sure to mention the page) and I'll post them. Thanks!
Current News Articles
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...'
LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'
Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'
Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'
When Your Child's Best Friend Is An AI
'Figments of his mind in one sense, of course, for he had shaped them...'
China's Drone Mothership Can Carry 100 Drones
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...'
Drones Recharge In Mid-Air Like Jets Refuel!
'...nurse drones that would cruise around dumping large amounts of power into randomly selected pods.'
