Home | Glossary | Timeline | New

Science Fiction in the News Articles
Related to material in The War of the Worlds
by H.G. Wells

This marvelous novel is one of the classics of science fiction; it can still send a chill down your spine more than one hundred years after publication. The Martians invade a pre-WWI Earth - how can they be stopped? (BTW, even though the book at left has a cool cover, you can read this classic for free here.)

Science fiction in the News articles describe real-world events that relate to the ideas and inventions in sf novels and movies. Select a news article:

Active Denial Technology: Directed Energy Weapons
   Active Denial Technology disables enemy soldiers or crowds with a painful beam of electromagnetic energy that inflicts a disabling, burning pain over the body by triggering heat receptors in the skin.

MTHEL - Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser
   The Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) successfully tracked and destroyed a large-caliber test rocket at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Active Denial System Has Researchers Worried
   The 'Sheriff' Active Denial System (ADS), due to be implemented in Iraq by 2006, has some scientists and researchers expressing concerns.

Octarms - Robotic Tentacle Bot From Mars!
   A robotic tentacle funded by DARPA proves adept at manipulating irregularly shaped (ie natural) objects; just like the Tripod tentacles from War of the Worlds.

Snake-Arm Robots From OCRobotics Reach Out
   Nifty snake-arm joy-stick controlled robot can find its way into a variety of tight spaces.

Snake-Arm Robot In A Plane
   No, really. There are snake-arm robots in planes - not on planes, but in them.

Martians Could Kill Life On Earth, Says Scientist
   A prominent UK scientist apparently believes that it is possible that Martian water harbors life - maybe dangerous life.

Active Denial Sytem Heat Ray Warming Up
   Raytheon finally gets this nonlethal crowd-dispersing weapon out in public view.

DIY Snake Arm Robot Prototype
   Neat little snake arm robot prototype done by a student; what have you been doing for your robotics projects?

Airborne Laser Destroys Missile
   Ray gun fans, rejoice! A successful test of the Airborne Laser Testbed has been accomplished.

Still Dreaming Of Tentacle Arms
   Beware the 'long, flexible, glittering tentacles...'

Festo Biomimetic Bionic Handling Systems
   Oh, those guys at Festo are doing more than just dreaming about tentacle arms!

Robotic Tentacle Manipulator
   HG Wells described snake-like tentacle manipulators in his 1898 classic War of the Worlds. And what does this device look like if you turn it upside down?

Festo Bionic Handling Assistant Video
   Terrific video presents Festo's robotics work, as described by the engineers who created it.

Marvin Minsky's Tentacle Arm Video
   Even in 1968, it was time to 'Beware the 'long, flexible, glittering tentacles...''

Technovelgy.com is devoted to the creative inventions of science fiction authors and movie makers. Look for the Science Fiction Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary of Science Fiction Inventions, the Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions, or see what's New.
Find new authors and technologies - Shop for yourself, your library and your lab.

Science Fiction
in the News

More SF in the News