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
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"I myself feel that our country, for whose Constitution I fought in a just war, might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
 |
| Barytrine Field | ||
| Very large scale stasis field. |
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the Earth was demolished because it stood in the way of galactic progress. The superintelligent race in Troubled Star, however, was a bit nicer; they offered to tow the Earth to a new star.
| "...We put a barytrine field around Earth and tow the planet to some star similar to Sol. The barytrine field is a sort of time stasis - we don't know all about them yet but we're learning - which will make it seem as though there was a sudden cosmic wink...
"...You won't notice it. We've got maybe a half-dozen planets in the barytrine field right now... It stops all time - not dead-still but damned near... I assure you that if you drop a marble just before the barytrine field goes on , it will land after the field is off and you will have traversed a thousand years." |
| Technovelgy from Troubled Star,
by George O. Smith. Published by Better Publications in 1952 Additional resources -
|
Compare this item to the Slaver stasis field from Larry Niven's 1970 novel Ringworld and the nullentropy bin from Frank Herbert's 1984 novel Heretics of Dune.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Troubled Star
More Ideas
and Technology by George O. Smith
Tech news articles related to Troubled Star
Tech news articles related to works by George O. Smith
| Biomimetic Tendons From Rochu Robotics |
| You Will Eat The Cookies Made From Plastic... |
| ICE Buys Shock Gloves Like Batman's |
| When Colds Threaten You Can't Do This - Or Can You? |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Our study of your race has convinced us that you are not fitted to leave your planet in the present state of your civilization.'
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.'
'Within seconds the material was spread out over fifty yards, in a matter of hours it might occupy several cubic miles of space...'
'The men are dead, but their acquired wisdom lives on and I am the beneficiary.'
'Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting.'
'After twenty generations of shillyshallying...'
