Dictionary of Culture Terms in Science Fiction
(Technovelgy items at top: skip down to News)

Name

Author (Publication Date)

Cranial Amplified Programming CAP
An aid to learning, which you apply directly to your skull.

Greg Bear (2015)
Mental Radio-Handicap
A device that destroys concentration.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1961)
Uptime
Forward in time.

John Baxter (1964)
Accelerated Schooling
Knowledge force-fed directly into the brain.

James Blish (1957)
Accelerated Schooling Helmet
A device that stimulates the brain and imparts knowledge directly.

James Blish (1957)
Adjustment
Making sure the man fits the job!

Keith Laumer (1964)
Adoption of Television
Prediction of TV penetration in homes and the death of movie houses.

Bernard Brown (1931)
Aeroplane Baseball
A standard-sized baseball making possible non-standard pitches.

Bob Olsen (1928)
Agony Box - testing for humans
A device for causing non-lethal, non-injuring pain by nerve induction.

Frank Herbert (1984)
Alcoholic Reliever
Mechanized relief from alcoholism.

Robert Sheckley (1956)
Alien Self-Government
Rules to assure intelligent aliens the right to govern themselves in freedom.

A.E. van Vogt (1942)
Aliens Speak English
The skeleton men of Mercury speak English, but have a good reason for it.

Maurice G. Hugi (1934)
Amtal Rule
Testing to destruction

Frank Herbert (1965)
Asterite
A person who was born and lived amongst the asteroids.

Jack Williamson (1942)
Automatic Judge
Automatically listens to the plaintiff and defendant and provides a just verdict.

Clement Fezandie (1926)
Babel-17 - words are telling
An alien weapon in the form of a language.

Samuel R. Delany (1966)
Belter
A person who was born and raised in the asteroid belt around Sol.

Larry Niven (1966)
Bohemias - a cultural incubator
A place where the ordinary rules of society don't apply; the "next big thing" often comes from these places.

William Gibson (1999)
Book of the Kalends - no author, no title
The ever-changing book without a title; the documented history of a world.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Booklegger
A smuggler of books.

Robert Heinlein (1951)
Brain Erasure
Deleting selected knowledge from the brain using electrical impulses.

Edmond Hamilton (1948)
Brainlock - life in the now
A technique to focus the attention of prisoners on a limited task, precluding the possibility of escape.

William Gibson (1988)
Breed Humans For Machines
Carefully cull the strong, resilient humans in favor of weakness, that the human race might be more adapted to life in the Machine.

E.M. Forster (1909)
Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy
Futuristic children's game.

Aldous Huxley (1932)
Checker-City
A city planned as a checker-board of alternating vegetation and buildings.

Edmond Hamilton (1933)
Citizen Journalism - silence dogood lives!
The notion that ordinary people can make use of technological tools like cellphone cameras and the Internet to provide information.

David Brin (1990)
Cloud Sculpting - remake the clouds
Using gliders and chemical showers to shape clouds artistically.

J.G. Ballard (1967)
Coder
Specialized humans who excel at engineering tasks.

Chris Wooding (2006)
Cold-Pac Bin
A special coffin-sized chamber used to maintain half-life.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Coley Group
A musical form that involves dancing in a field of weak microwaves.

John Brunner (1975)
Frank Herbert (1964)
Credibility Rating
How believable are your blog posts? your emails? your tweets?

David Brin (1990)
Credit - first use
A basic unit of currency.

John W. Campbell (1934)
Cyberethics
Philosophy detailing how computers work within human communities.

Sid Meier (1999)
Darkdawn City - the venue is musical
An entire city that is tuned to be played by the winds.

George RR Martin (1977)
Death Bath
A suicide chamber.

Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat) (1931)
Delphi Pool
A large group of people used as a statistical sampling resource; even if the correct answer is not known, responses tend to cluster around the correct answer.

John Brunner (1975)
Diaspar Memory - everyone gets a copy
The city's memory could store works of art, and reproduce them upon request.

Arthur C. Clarke (1956)
Didge-Ital
Digital music.

Bruce Sterling (1988)
Discorporate Sector
An electronic afterlife.

Samuel R. Delany (1966)
Disney Therapy
Letting people retreat to a simpler time, for their mental health.

John Varley (1992)
Downtime
Traveling back in time.

John Baxter (1964)
Dream Console - used by he who shapes
Device allows a therapist to enter and create dreams in patients.

Roger Zelazny (1966)
Dream-Adventures
Dreams sent directly to the brain are more popular than movies.

Edmond Hamilton (1940)
Dream-House
An establishment wherein one could find the finest dream adventures placed in his own mind.

Edmond Hamilton (1940)
Dream-Machine
The mechanism that sent standardized dreams into the brain.

Edmond Hamilton (1940)
Drink the Fungi
A method of suicide or criminal punishment involving ingestion of spores.

Edwin K. Sloat (1933)
Earplug Decision (Restraint of Advertising)
A Supreme Court judgement that declared that earplugs used to block advertising were unconstitutional.

Anne Warren Griffith (1953)
Eetee (E.T - extraterrestrial)
A sentient being not of this Earth.

Robert Heinlein (1956)
Electro-Education
The latest thing in electrically stimulated learning.

Edmond Hamilton (1948)
Electromechanical Educator
An automated teaching machine.

George O. Smith (1959)
Electronic Book Store
A place to pick up your electronic books.

Stanislaw Lem (1961)
Electronic Cash
A digital currency, like Bitcoin.

Bruce Sterling (1994)
Emotion Meter
A device for empirically determining human emotion.

W. Varick Nevins, III (1935)
Environmental Happening
Weather created as a work of art.

John Varley (1976)
Esper
A person to perceive the contents of another person's mind.

Alfred Bester (1952)
Ethical Calculus
Mathematics used to determine positive social conduct.

Sid Meier (1999)
Ethical Suicide Parlor - don't be a drupelet
A comfy environment in which you might commit ethical suicide, and thereby serve society.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1958)
EverRest Cryotorium - cryonics in orbit
Rest forever in cryonic suspension among the stars.

Roger Zelazny (1992)
Extra-Factual Memory - an implanted memory
A "memory" placed in a person's mind by artifice, rather than by real life experience.

Philip K. Dick (1966)
Filter Program - live in your own world
Using programs to filter Internet results; a person need see only what they want to see.

David Brin (1990)
Flash Crowd (Flash Mob) - or flash mob
What you call a group of people who suddenly appear at an interesting location.

Larry Niven (1972)
Flatscreen Movie - old-fashioned 2D entertainment
Like holographic or three-dimensional recordings, but showing only two dimensions.

John Barnes (1991)
Floating Spherical Pool
Control of gravity permits mid-air pools of water.

Jack Williamson (1939)
Forced Scholars
Hothouse intellectuals.

Emile Souvestre (1846)
Free Play (The Mind Game)
A computer simulation that presents an enjoyable game for young people that is also used for psychological evaluation.

Orson Scott Card (1985)
Fyunch(click)
An alien assigned to become an expert in just one person.

Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle) (1974)
General Intelligence Machine
News and information from one device.

H.G. Wells (1899)
Geriatric Rooming-House - swept aside
An apartment building with rooms built especially with the very senior citizen in mind.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Government Lethal Chamber
A legal suicide booth.

Robert W. Chambers (1895)
Grok - a Martian sees and knows
To understand fully; become one with (from the Martial verb "to drink").

Robert Heinlein (1961)
Group Ego - a kind of group mind
A group mind; a single entity that shares a number of bodies.

Robert Heinlein (1941)
Group Mind
A shared consciousness between a number of individuals.

Olaf Stapledon (1930)
Hall of Euthanasia - a death trap
A place for (mostly) voluntary suicide.

Jack Williamson (1939)
High-Frequency Oven - essence of the microwave
This describes the essence of a microwave.

Robert Heinlein (1948)
Histo-Research - best possible evidence
Historical research using a time machine.

Philip K. Dick (1954)
Hive Mind
A group mind.

Edmond Hamilton (1942)
Home Ad Blocker
Device insulates house against intrusion by 3D advertisements.

Alfred Bester (1974)
Horsten Psychomat
Re-creates a mental scene for the viewer.

Stanley G. Weinbaum (1935)
House Records Archivist - forget holographic memories
A specialist who correlated information within the House Records of the Bene Gesserit.

Frank Herbert (1984)
House Voice - Thurber's nightmare
A house-based system that mediates technologies (like phone) with a verbal interface directed to the inhabitants of the house.

William Gibson (1988)
Human Quarter
A ghetto for human beings; in this case, in a world of robots.

Philip K. Dick (1954)
Human Serial Number
A unique number tattooed on body of a person.

David H. Keller (1933)
Humanoid
An alien with a human-like shape and appearance.

Isaac Asimov (1940)
Hypnobioscope - learn while you sleep
The first fictional reference to sleep teaching.

Hugo Gernsback (1911)
Hypno-Encyclopedic Techniques
If you plan to live for centuries, you need to organize your memories.

Robert Heinlein (1973)
Hypno-Ligation
A means of psychological control over an individual.

Frank Herbert (1965)
Hypnopædia (Sleep-Teaching) - learn while asleep
The idea that a person can learn explicit subject matter while sleeping.

Aldous Huxley (1932)
Immersive Home Video
Technology lets users interact with home videos.

Steven Spielberg (2002)
Improve Memory
Help immortals make sense of their memories.

Robert Heinlein (1941)
Indestructible Contract
Legal document in which can't be easily altered or damaged.

Gordon R. Dickson (1960)
Indoor Stadium
An entirely enclosed baseball stadium.

Clarence Edward Heller (1930)
Inflatable Church
A church using an inflatable projection screen as an altar.

John Brunner (1975)
Interactive Suicide Note
A last message for the people you are leaving behind - that encourages their participation.

John Varley (1984)
International Fantasy Gaming Society (IFGS) - the fictional basis for the real one
A group dedicated to playing live action role-playing games.

Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes) (1981)
Interplanetary Clearance
Bureaucratic red tape associated with busy space ports.

Robert Heinlein (1941)
Interplanetary Passport
Required document for space travelers.

Edmond Hamilton (1938)
Inurbanity (Inurbane)
Criminal penalties for persons who are unable to behave properly in crowded cubic cities.

Louis Tucker, D.D. (1929)
Key Club - by booth id only
A social club made exclusive by teleportation booth; may be in a chain with other physically identical locations.

Larry Niven (1972)
Kingdom in a Box
An entire civilization in miniature - in an interactive box.

Stanislaw Lem (1965)
Korsakov's - mind control
A type of mind control imposed on prisoners to make them more manageable during their prison time.

William Gibson (1988)
Law Expert System (LEX) - law software
Software capable of rendering a legal opinion.

Greg Egan (1991)
Law of Contact
Non-interference in the development of other worlds.

Orville Shaara (1952)
Lawyer Program - AI goes to the dark side
Software that could listen to legal argument.

David Brin (1990)
Learning-Cap - for thinking
A special metal helmet for electro-education.

Edmond Hamilton (1948)
Legislation Analyzer - torn from the headlines
Device analyzes potentially biased bills.

Philip K. Dick (1953)
Lifebox
A device that captures a person's life experience in software.

Rudy Rucker (1986)
Lunar Advertisement
An 'ad' on the lunar surface that can be seen by its audience on Earth.

Arthur C. Clarke (1957)
Lunar Disneyland - underground playground
A vast cavern excavated on the Moon - used for entertainment. Very large scale entertainment.

John Varley (1976)
Magnetically Floating Furniture - like sitting on a cloud
Furniture that is suspended at the proper height using magnetic forces.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1959)
Massive Open Learning
Teach using standard videos prepared by the best teachers.

David H. Keller (1929)
Master Ventriloquism Corporation (MV)
A central source of product advertising, commercials sent out to every product.

Anne Warren Griffith (1953)
Mechanical Funeral
An entirely autonomous burial rite.

Ray Bradbury (1947)
Mechanical Judge
A device that makes legal decisions.

Stanton A. Coblentz (1939)
Mechanical Tune-Maker
An electromechanical device that created unique music.

Philip K. Dick (1954)
Mechanotherapy
A mechanism or device-based therapy that cures (or palliates) alcoholism.

Robert Sheckley (1956)
Memory Hole
A receptacle for unwanted documents.

George Orwell (1948)
Mental Static Device
Cloak the minds of individuals with a kind of 'noise'.

Isaac Asimov (1953)
Mentat
A person who has been specially trained and conditioned for excellence in

Frank Herbert (1965)
Metal Foil Advertisement
An advertising circular made out of metal.

Ray Bradbury (1951)
Micro Book (Microbook) - perfect for space travel
A very small volume, possibly an electronic book.

Anthony Boucher (1943)
Millenniaire
A person with much more Time than an ordinary person.

Hannu Rajaniemi (2010)
Mind-Shield - internal mind control
A mental defense or barrier that prevents access to one brain by another person or device.

A.E. van Vogt (1940)
Mnemonic Flutter System (Pulse-Sychronizer)
A device to imprint particular facts from a book upon the brain of the reader.

Frank Herbert (1969)
Mnemonic Pulse
A feature of filmbook recordings that helps imprint knowledge on the mind of the user.

Frank Herbert (1965)
Mnemonic Service
Dedicated humans who collected bits of data in hopes of catching key correlations between fields of study.

Isaac Asimov (1954)
Mood Organ - play your partner
A device which allows you to dial the mood you would like to have.

Philip K. Dick (1968)
Moon-Terror
A syndrome common to people who live in less than half Earth-normal gravity.

Jack Williamson (1941)
Mother World
One's home planet, or the origin world of one's species.

Earl L. Bell (1928)
Movie Pill
Gives you the experience of having seen a movie.

Don Wilcox (1939)
Municipal Darwinism
The process by which smaller towns were eaten by larger ones.

Philip Reeve (2003)
Navicloud Custom Debinder
A machine that pulls books apart and scans the contents.

Vernor Vinge (2006)
News Clown - they're all the rage
A person who delivers specially selected light news.

Philip K. Dick (1963)
News Receptor - listens for news
Devices used by homeostatic newspapers to gather news autonomically.

Philip K. Dick (1953)
Nexialist
A person with a coordinative knowledge across a variety of sciences.

A.E. van Vogt (1950)
Novel-Writing Machines
A device that automatically produces fiction.

George Orwell (1948)
Nowhen
At no time.

Poul and Karen Anderson (1971)
OLED Body Film
Attaching or implanting flexible screen material to the body as decoration.

Chen Qiufan (2019)
Online Employability Profile Testing - get the right job first
An online test that determines the best areas in which you might search for a job.

Frederik Pohl (1966)
Out-Worlder
A person from another planet.

Harry Bates (1934)
Overmind
A consciousness that supersedes the minds of many individuals.

Francis Flagg (1929)
Padre Booth
Device that provides religious aid and comfort on demand.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Painted Respirator Masks
Children choose to decorate otherwise uniform equipment masks.

Robert Heinlein (1949)
Paint-to-Order Robot Artist
A robotic mechanism that could produce a unique picture, given subject and artistic style.

F.L. Wallace (1953)
Palm Flower - what color
It's like a life clock.

William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson) (1967)
Parenthood Lottery
A means of restricting population growth.

Brian Aldiss (1969)
Personality Alteration
Permanent alternation of personality, the tools of the trade.

Fritz Leiber (1943)
Personality Death - you're dead to yourself
Punishment leaves the body intact.

Harry Harrison (1959)
Phone-Grid Transex Network
Addictive network-enhanced sexuality.

Philip K. Dick (1974)
Photosensitive Pigment
Special paint that stays 'blank' until exposed to a scene.

J.G. Ballard (1966)
Planetary ID Card
Identification for every person on every planet in the solar system.

Edmond Hamilton (1940)
Pocket-Sized Ad-Blocker
A device that prevented targeted advertisements from reaching you.

Alan Dean Foster (2006)
Post-Crime - you're still a criminal
Criminal activities after they have actually happened.

Philip K. Dick (1956)
Pray-o-Mat - coin-based religion
A device that would offer prayers in exchange for a few coins properly deposited.

Roger Zelazny (1967)
Predictable Crime
A criminal act that computers were able to foresee in advance.

Isaac Asimov (1958)
Predictions Registry - if you're sure
An organization that keeps track of predictions made by individuals.

David Brin (1990)
Prime Directive
The first and most important rule; usually protective.

Jack Williamson (1947)
Print-Book
You’ve seen them.

Isaac Asimov (1988)
Psychic Probe
A device capable of discerning truthful information in a living human brain.

Isaac Asimov (1952)
Psychohistory
Branch of mathematics describes the behavior of human beings en masses.

Isaac Asimov (1951)
Psycho-History
The application of psychology to historical data.

Eric Frank Russell (1941)
Puff-Pipe
Pipe with lighting built in.

Clarence Edward Heller (1930)
Purple Wage
Guaranteed subsidy paid to every citizen.

Philip Jose Farmer (1967)
Randominoes
Dominoes that randomly generate new numbers.

Jeff Noon (2000)
Reactive Walls - club scene 2020
Wall surfaces designed for use in clubs; they reacted to the music played in the room.

John Shirley (1985)
Recorded Books
Electronically recorded books.

Isaac Asimov (1952)
Relations with Extraterrestrial Life - before the Prime Directive
Instructions to earth citizens on how to behave when encountering alien civilizations.

Clifford Simak (1944)
Replaced Worker Benefits
Compensation for people whose jobs are taken by robots.

John Twelve Hawks (2014)
Rewriting History
Use of sophisticated technology to continuously rewrite the historical record.

George Orwell (1948)
Rhetorizer - the writer's assistant
A computerized assistant for writers.

Philip K. Dick (1964)
Robots Take Human Jobs
Robots displace human beings in the workforce.

David H. Keller (1929)
Rocket-Polo
Polo played with rocket-powered craft.

John Victor Peterson (1938)
Ro-Womb - enfold the patient.
Device enfolds the patient during therapy.

Roger Zelazny (1966)
Royalties For Machine Learning Subjects
A payment to people who are used as subjects for imitation learning by robots.

Anthony Boucher (1943)
Sapience
The ability of a species to think, to reason with discernment and wisdom.

E.M. Johnson (w/C.A. Smith) (1931)
Scent-Organ
A device that output specified odors.

Aldous Huxley (1932)
Self-Opening Box
Don't show this to Apple.

William Tenn (1947)
Sensory-Syrynx
A complex musical instrument.

Samuel R. Delany (1968)
Shadow People
Alien knowledge leads to alien results - for humans.

Clifford Simak (1963)
Single Sheet Molecule
A counterfeit-proof way to output unique documents.

Gordon R. Dickson (1960)
Singularity
In science, a condition in which spacetime breaks down; in society, a technological advance causes social conditions to break down.

Arthur C. Clarke (1952)
Skin Toning
Using artificial means to effect a temporary change in skin color.

Jack Vance (1964)
Sky Ceiling - long before Hogwarts
Ceilings that consist of large screens, on which are presented images of the sky.

Stanislaw Lem (1961)
Sleepshop
A quiet place to die.

William Nolan (w/G.C. Johnson) (1967)
Smarter People Having Fewer Children
The original argument that less suitable human pairs are having proportionally more children.

C.M. Kornbluth (1951)
Sol-Ido
The universal language of interplanetary travelers.

Harl Vincent (1932)
Space Lawyer (Sky-Lawyer) - space laws
A lawyer with special knowledge of space law.

Nat Schachner (1941)
Space Madness
The monotony of space travel could drive you crazy.

Max Valier (1931)
Space-Court
The place of judgement for crimes committed in interstellar space.

Edmond Hamilton (1938)
Spark Plug (Systematician)
A person who draws information from diverse areas of knowledge.

Stephen Lawhead (1983)
SPOOKS - go on a LARP for a lark
A live-action role playing (LARP) game that lets ordinary people play at being secret agents.

Charles Stross (2007)
SSA Machine
A machine that compares two people for compatibility; it sees sub specie aeternitatis, literally 'under the aspect of eternity' or outside of time.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Strakh - prestige in payment
The prestige or social prominence which serves as a medium of exchange on the planet Sirene.

Jack Vance (1976)
Subdermal Microchannels - dayglo body mod
A means of personal adornment; think of day glow tattoos.

Paul Di Filippo (1985)
Subjunctivisor
Projects a possible future, based on your own impressions.

Stanley G. Weinbaum (1935)
Synthesist - the Dilettante Dept
A person who did nothing but make cross-references between one field and another.

John Brunner (1968)
Synthetic Personality
A artificial identity, a legal fiction of a person.

Robert Heinlein (1940)
Synthony
A musical performance by robots.

F.L. Wallace (1953)
Talisman - focus on your hopes
Device that causes beings nearby to experience truth and peace; works only in the hands of rare adepts.

Clifford Simak (1963)
Tand - an abstract venerated sculpture
A metal sculpture, made in contemplation, which has great meaning for the initiates.

Jack Vance (1962)
TANSTAAFL - and there isn't
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Robert Heinlein (1966)
Teaching Chair
No-frills teaching machine.

Larry Niven (1991)
Teaching Machine
A helmet placed on the head focuses illimitable knowledge into even the head of an earth man.

Nat Schachner (1936)
Teep Rod - give me your thoughts
A device that gathers the thoughts of an individual.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Telepadion Instructor
A device that places an entire sensory experience directly into the brain.

J. Harvey Haggard (1931)
Telephonic Music Room
Places where a person could go, at any time, to share in musical performances happening at some distance away.

Edward Bellamy (1888)
The Book of the Machine
The only book needed for life in the vast Machine.

E.M. Forster (1909)
The Krang - instrument or weapon?
An enormous musical instrument (or weapon).

Alan Dean Foster (1972)
Theater Seat Indicators
Vacant seats are clearly shown.

Clarence Edward Heller (1930)
Thought Screen
A material screen that is worn by the user, upon which are projected the mental images of the user.

Nat Schachner (w. AL Zagat) (1931)
Thought-receptor Vote-counting Machine
That's one way to do a plebiscite.

R.F. Starzl (1931)
Thought-Record Helmet
A wearable history book.

Robert Randall (1958)
Threat Team (of sf writers)
Gathering together a group of science fiction writers to try to predict what will happen, or to understand an unknown threat.

Larry Niven (w/J. Pournelle) (1985)
Three Generation Work (Century Piece)
An artwork created by three consecutive generations of artists, in exactly one century.

Jack Vance (1949)
Tiersian Therapy
A therapeutic discipline in which the patient chooses a character from a book and then attempts to be that character.

Philip Jose Farmer (1991)
Timebroker - trading fungible time
A person who traded in the commodity of other people's time.

Paul Di Filippo (2006)
Timeslip
When humans keep time on Mars, they must work with the extra forty minutes in each day.

Spider Robinson (1992)
Toposcope
A special helmet used in a form of sleep teaching.

James Blish (1957)
Toy Testing Dummy
A child-sized device used to test suspect toys.

Philip K. Dick (1959)
Transdress - transparent clothing
A transparent dress upon which thousands of patterns may be projected.

Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes) (1992)
Treatment of Extramundane Aborigines
Laws for aliens on their own planet.

Eric Frank Russell (1943)
Tune-Maker
Automated music production.

Philip K. Dick (1956)
Ultimate Football League (UFL)
A football league without restrictions on human modification.

Chris Nakashima-Brown (2008)
Undersea Restaurant
A restaurant located in its entirety under the sea.

Jack Vance (1964)
Unichapel (Robotic Confession Booth) - automated religion
Automated religious confessional with monotone, programmed responses.

George Lucas (1970)
Van Goom's Gambit
A chessboard pattern that unhinges the mind of any player who sees it.

Victor Contoski (1966)
Verse Transcriber
A device that would produce perfect poetry, given the necessary parameters.

J.G. Ballard (1971)
Versificator
A device that composes words to music.

George Orwell (1948)
Virtual Assembly
Use of holograms to accomplish an assembly of people.

R.F. Starzl (1931)
Virtual Childrearing - long distance childcare
Learn childcare the virtual way; maybe long distance childcare, too.

David Brin (1994)
Visible Halo
Providing a religious figure with a technological sign of grace.

Anson MacDonald (1941)
Visicastor
A person who presents video broadcasts.

Isaac Asimov (1953)
Visigraphic Crowd Emotional Record
A graphic record of the emotions of a crowd.

Fritz Leiber (1943)
Voice
Combines exceptional insight into personalty with voice modulation to achieve control over individuals.

Frank Herbert (1965)
Voice Encyclopedia - a robot has answers
Access to information via robotic voice recognition over the phone.

Philip K. Dick (1969)
Voight-Kampff Empathy Test - can you pass?
A test consisting of a set of images and questions, asked while the subject's biometric data are gathered; intended to separate humans from non-humans.

Philip K. Dick (1968)
Voight-Kampff Test - are you human?
A test intended to distinguish human beings from replicants.

Ridley Scott (1982)
Wende
A change, a turning point, a reversal of culture and politics.

Bruce Sterling (1993)
Whuffie
A system in which one's actions, as perceived by others, directly procure the necessities of life; reputation-based currency.

Cory Doctorow (2003)
Wire Act
A person with special hardware modifications that allow him or her to create music by bodily movement.

John Shirley (1985)

Related Science Fiction in the News

SensorWake Scent-Based Alarm Clock
'The odalarm awoke Jorj X. McKie with a whiff of lemon.' - Frank Herbert, 1977.
(re: Frank Herbert, 2/22/2024 )
Ulm Sleep Pods For The Homeless
'The lid lifted and she crawled inside...' - Larry Niven, 2000.
(re: Larry Niven, 2/14/2024 )
Prophetic Offers Lucid Dreaming Halo With Morpheus-1 AI
''Leads trail away from insertion points on her face and wrist... to a lucid dreamer...' - Peter Watts, 1999.
(re: Peter Watts, 2/12/2024 )
Navajo Say Human Cremains On The Moon Is 'Desecration'
'Like all loonies, we conserve our dead...' - Robert Heinlein, 1966.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 1/6/2024 )
Drones Participate In Buddhist Rites
'...a prayer wheel swung into view and began spinning at a furious pace.' - Roger Zelazny, 1967.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 11/21/2023 )
Peyton Manning's French Bread Olympics - Science Fiction Style
'the inauguration of the helium-filled loaf...'
(re: Fritz Leiber, 10/5/2023 )
Do Aliens Have A 'Non-Interference' Prime Directive?
'... it was against the law for our people to visit Earth.' - George Parsons Lathrup, 1897.
(re: George Parsons Lathrup (w/T. Edison), 7/17/2023 )
Collie Dog Suit Fulfills His Dream - Of Walking In Public As A Dog
'The Lon Chaney of the interstellar set.' - Roger Zelazny, 1976.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 7/9/2023 )
Jonathan Swift in 1726 Predicted AI-Generated Crap Overwhelming Amazon In 2023
'...the most ignorant person... might write books... without the least assistance from genius or study.' - Jonathan Swift, 1726.
(re: Jonathan Swift, 7/3/2023 )
Virtual Reality: Is Technology Alone Enough To Fully Enter A New World?
'Otherwise what good are the Perky Pat layouts to them?' - Philip K. Dick, 1969.
(re: Phillip K. Dick, 4/11/2023 )
Amitabh Bachchan Wins Personality Protection
'He led me down the Hall of Portraits to the ego-likeness of the Duke Leto Atreides.' - Frank Herbert, 1964.
(re: Frank Herbert, 2/25/2023 )
Bubloons May Be The Start Of Something Much Bigger
'Spurgle kicked at the letter G... It was a monstrous white thing, ten feet thick, half a city block long...' - Alan Nelson, 1953.
(re: Alan Nelson, 2/11/2023 )
Sleeping Pods In Tokyo Railway Stations
'... she was asleep before the lid sealed fully back in place.' - Larry Niven, 2003.
(re: Larry Niven, 2/9/2023 )
Wist Labs Makes Minority Report Family Videos Come True
Step inside your memory - it's immersive.
(re: Steven Spielberg, 2/7/2023 )
Is It Better To Be Short?
'He was one of the smaller, energy-saving new breed...' - Frank Herbert, 1972.
(re: Frank Herbert, 1/7/2023 )
The Coming Hell Of ChatGPT Salesbots
'Robot-salesmen were everywhere, gesturing, pleading, shrilling...' - Philip K. Dick, 1954.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 12/19/2022 )
Holly+ Processes Your Singing In Holly Herndon's Voice
'The perfect voice is the voice of science.' - Bernard Brown, 1931.
(re: Bernard Brown, 12/3/2022 )
Megachurches Catch Up To Heinlein
'Mars,' the kid repeated, threw Boone a Scout salute and made a sixty-foot leap over the crowd. - Robert Heinlein, 1961.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 11/27/2022 )
Soulaje Self-Administered Euthanasia Wearable Prototype
'A young man... advanced with nervous strides along the gravel path which leads to the bronze doors of the Lethal Chamber.' - Robert Chambers, 1895.
(re: Robert W. Chambers, 8/27/2022 )
Musk: Defeat The Bots, Authenticate The Humans
'I'm not a peace officer,' Rick said. 'I'm a bounty hunter.' - Philip K. Dick, 1968.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 5/20/2022 )
SUCHO Saving Ukraine's Libraries Digitally
'No human mind could ever hope to master even a small portion of what was being received every second, Sam thought, but it would all be there...' - George Zebrowski, 1979.
(re: George Zebrowski, 4/9/2022 )
Your Inner Sleeping Landscape Is An Advertiser's Dream
'The principle of the dream-machine was old.' - Edmond Hamilton, 1940.
(re: Edmond Hamilton, 3/21/2022 )
Gas Prices Worse Than In 'I Am Legend'
Yes, I remember when gas was thirty cents per gallon; but that's about $1.75 in 2015 dollars. Ah, inflation.
(re: Richard Matheson, 3/11/2022 )
Cooler Screens Deliver Ads To You, Their Captive Audience
'What was it Grandmother used to call their supermarket? Hell on earth, hell on wheels, something like that.' - Anne Warren Griffith, 1953.
(re: Pohl and Kornbluth, 3/3/2022 )
Scientifiction, Searchlight of Science
'And science goes on, with scientifiction as its searchlight.'
(re: Jack Williamson, 12/31/2021 )
Betty Crocker, The First Company Avatar
'After six months of surgery and psycho-conditioning, he was identical with the other 496 Mr. Prestos...' - Alfred Bester, 1956.
(re: Alfred Bester, 12/21/2021 )
Motessense - NTT Defines Your Attractive Personality
'...portraiture reproduced through a shigawire projector that is ... said to convey the ego essence.'- Frank Herbert, 1965.
(re: Frank Herbert, 12/3/2021 )
Self-Serve Sarco Suicide Pod
'... the black chip of admission to your own Euthanasia Clinic!' - Jack Williamson, 1939.
(re: Jack Williamson, 12/1/2021 )
iBand+ Headband Helps With Lucid Dreams
'Alice Nakata lies twitching on her bunk, eyes closed...' - Peter Watts, 1999.
(re: Peter Watts, 11/29/2021 )
'Seabreeze' Apple And UCLA Project To Beat Depression
'It's illegal to hold back information during a psyche test,' the machine said peevishly.' - Philip K. Dick, 1953.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 9/29/2021 )
John Lennon Would Have Loved Auto-Tune - Paul McCartney
'It is the perfect voice.' Bernard Brown, 1931.
(re: Bernard Brown, 8/3/2021 )
Reading Ancient Records Of Humanity, With AI's Help
'You could never consult Archival Records in a straightforward manner.' - Frank Herbert, 1984.
(re: Frank Herbert, 7/29/2021 )
Amazen ZenBooth Dispenses Serenity At Amazon
'That's what I get for dialing zen, Joe said to himself.' - Philip K. Dick, 1969.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 5/25/2021 )
Ford's In-Car Ads From Billboards
'It would soon squeeze in and harangue him in the cranky, garbagey fashion of the Nitz advertisements.' Philip K. Dick, 1964.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 5/3/2021 )
China Requires Social Credit Codes Of Live Stream Users
'Every man has his characteristic strakh...' - Jack Vance, 1976.
(re: Jack Vance, 4/15/2021 )
Sheepskin Parchment Helped Medieval Lawyers Prevent Fraud
'The single sheet he held, and even the words and signatures upon it, were all integral parts of a single giant molecule...' - Gordon R. Dickson, 1960.
(re: Gordon R. Dickson, 3/15/2021 )
Glad 2020 Is Over
Maybe you missed one of these?
(re: Various, 12/31/2020 )
'Black Friday' Online Shopping - In 1899!
'In your days they showed you a fashion-plate,' said the tailor, 'but this is our modern development.' HG Wells, 1899.
(re: HG Wells, 11/21/2020 )
What Does A Tesla Full Self-Driving Car See?
'All objects within my panoramic gaze trembled and vibrated like quick motion pictures...' - Paramahansa Yogananda, 1946.
(re: Paramahansa Yogananda, 10/13/2020 )
Satoshi Tomizu Creates Pocket Universes And Worldcraft Bubbles In Glass
'The Worldcraft bubble glittered, catching the light...' - Philip K. Dick, 1953.
(re: Philip K Dick, 10/3/2020 )
Personalized Masks Appear
'The tiger stripes on Jim's mask... made the young people easy to identify.' - Robert Heinlein, 1949.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 7/23/2020 )
Science Fiction Helps Young Readers Build Resiliency
'Reading science fiction and fantasy can help readers make sense of the world.'
(re: Various, 5/11/2020 )
Unwanted Cruise Ships Huddle Together Out At Sea
'On the screen they passed in an endless, boundaryless flood of green specks...' - James Blish, 1957.
(re: James Blish, 5/3/2020 )
News Mood Filter Web Extension
'He adjusted the n, the r and b knobs, and hopefully anticipated a turn for the better...'
(re: Philip K. Dick, 4/29/2020 )
Maybe We Could Hibernate Until The Covid-19 Pandemic's End
'Cold-rest was a common last resort therapy for functional psychoses.' - Robert Heinlein, 1941.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 4/15/2020 )
reLive Memorial Come Back As A Tree
'It was time - time to go again. She touched the leaf. She was wanted.' - Philip K. Dick, 1954.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 3/15/2020 )
Arkangel: Automatic Visual Censoring
It's whatever the Party says it is, Winston.
(re: George Orwell, 3/9/2020 )
Virtual Whitney Houston In Concert
Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
(re: Various, 2/21/2020 )
Singing Ringing Tree Wind-Powered Sculpture
'It was like no music Dirk had ever heard, It was eerie and wild...' - George RR Martin, 1977.
(re: George R.R. Martin, 12/1/2019 )
Magic Mushroom Nose Spray From Silo Wellness
'I don't need help... that's not my diagnosis!'
(re: Various, 11/27/2019 )
FlyZoo Robot Hotel By Alibaba
'... hotels that specialized in non-human service.'- Harry Harrison, 1970.
(re: Harry Harrison, 10/3/2019 )
Implanted Memories Provide Songs To Birds
Finches can't tell the difference.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 10/1/2019 )
Google Commits To Fighting Deepfakes
'The program raced up the screen one scan line at a time, subtly smoothing, deleting and coloring.' - Bruce Sterling, 1995.
(re: Bruce Sterling, 9/25/2019 )
Mindar The Robot Buddhist Priest Offers A Blessing
'Not working is the hardest work of all.' - Philip K. Dick, 1969.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 9/15/2019 )
First Artificial Memory Formed In Animals
'Is an extra-factual memory that convincing?' Quail asked. - Philip K. Dick, 1966.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 8/29/2019 )
China's Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Education
'The grey gas not only cut off his vision, but also his other senses...' - James Blish, 1951.
(re: James Blish, 8/5/2019 )
France's 'Red Team' Of Science Fiction Authors
'They're the only experts we have.' - Niven and Pournelle, 1985.
(re: Niven and Pournelle, 7/19/2019 )
BrainNet Triple Telepathic Gaming Threat
'In the gloomy half-darkness the three idiots sat babbling.' Philip K Dick, 1956.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 6/27/2019 )
Project Dylan - Amazon's Voice-Activated Wearable That Recognizes Human Emotions
Life imitates anime art.
(re: Shoji Kawamori, 5/11/2019 )
Kazahk Ironist Protester Arrested For Blank Sign Protest
'...a man carried a white rectangular sign, blank on both sides.' - Larry Niven, 1972.
(re: Larry Niven, 4/27/2019 )
Bitcoin Surges Again, To $7,000
'... electronic, private cash, unbacked by any government, untraceable, completely anonymous.' - Bruce Sterling, 1994.
(re: Bruce Sterling, 4/25/2019 )
North Sea Stone Age Reconstruction And Philip K Dick
'Your Dip digs back into antiquity. Rome. Greece. Dust and old volumes.' - Philip K Dick, 1954.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 4/21/2019 )
Amazon Warehouse Computer Can Fire People Now
'The system has already fired five people...' - Marshall Brain, 2002.
(re: Marshall Brain, 4/9/2019 )
China Social Credit System Like State-Run Whuffie
'At least there was no mandatory Whuffie check on the monorail platform...' - Cory Doctorow, 2003.
(re: Cory Doctorow, 2/27/2019 )
Sex In Driverless Cars? Updated With Video!
'...admirable for petting.' - David H. Keller, 1935.
(re: David H. Keller, 11/17/2018 )
Xinhua AI Anchor Puts CGI Face To Automated News
'...a congeries of software agents.' - William Gibson, 1996.
(re: William Gibson, 11/1/2018 )
Wirewax Watching You Watch, Adjusting Your Experience
'He adjusted the n, the r and b knobs, and hopefully anticipated a turn for the better...' - Philip K. Dick, 1964.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 10/30/2018 )
Disney Keeps Backups Of Star Wars Franchise Actors
'She is a personality-construct, a congeries of software agents...' - William Gibson, 1996.
(re: William Gibson, 10/16/2018 )
Deepfakes Imperil Democracy (George Orwell, Right Again)
'All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary.' - George Orwell, 1948.
(re: George Orwell, 9/17/2018 )
Inspired By Japan, Nap Pods For Hajj
It's always a good time for a nap.
(re: Larry Niven, 9/7/2018 )
'Snapchat Dysmorphia' Now A Thing, Say Plastic Surgeons
'The program raced up the screen one scan line at a time, subtly smoothing, deleting and coloring.' - Bruce Sterling, 1985.
(re: Bruce Sterling, 8/3/2018 )
Bot Tweets Venmo Drug Transactions
An alarming item to find on your twitter feed.
(re: John Brunner, 7/11/2018 )
Ontario Starts Guaranteed Minimum Income
'Earned by just being born.'- Philip Jose Farmer, 1967.
(re: Philip Jose Farmer, 7/5/2018 )
Save Your Brain's Connectome, Upload Yourself Elsewhere
'You've got remote storage. How regular is the update?' - Richard Morgan, 2003.
(re: Richard Morgan, 3/15/2018 )
TMS Decreases Belief In God, Increases Belief In Immigrants
'... Setting up the same currents, the same basic ideas, in them all.' - Edmond Hamilton, 1938.
(re: Edmond Hamilton, 3/14/2018 )
Blockchain Used To Verify Election Results
'Any adult could punch into the phone his or her code, followed by a yes or no.' - John Brunner, 1975.
(re: John Brunner, 3/6/2018 )
We Could Downgrade Puerto Rico - And Thereby Save It
'It was cheaper to pay the refugees to go without up-to-the-minute equipment.' - John Brunner, 1976.
(re: John Brunner, 10/16/2017 )
The Neuroon Open Sleep Tracker For Lucid Dreaming
'Leads trail away from insertion points on her face and wrist... to a lucid dreamer on the bedside shelf.' - Peter Watts, 1999.
(re: Peter Watts, 8/15/2017 )
'Do Not Pay' Chatbots To Replace Law Firm Associates?
'I want my lawyer program.' - David Brin, 1990.
(re: David Brin, 8/1/2017 )
Translate One2One From IBM's Watson Your Communication Solution
'It then excretes into the mind of its carrier a telepathic matrix...' - Douglas Adams, 1979.
(re: Douglas Adams, 7/2/2017 )
News Now Philip K. Dick's Bailiwick
'A vast complex electronic organism... responsible to no one...' - Philip K. Dick, 1963.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/1/2017 )
Wearable MRI Is Former Occulus/Facebook Exec's New Project
'Your cephalochromoscope... that you always turn on and play when you get home...' - Philip K. Dick, 1977.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 2/25/2017 )
51 Percent Of Job Activities Could Be Automated
'Mike did not have upsets, acquired sense of humor instead...' - Robert Heinlein, 1966.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 1/23/2017 )
Scotland Set To Implement Basic Income
'Earned by just being born.'- Philip Jose Farmer, 1967.
(re: Philip Jose Farmer, 1/11/2017 )
Life In Detroit's 'Agrihood' - The First In The U.S.
'countless tiny brown circles in the green fields ...occasional ruins of ancient cities...' - Philip K. Dick, 1954.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 11/29/2016 )
3RDiTEK Lifeblogging Headband Camera
'It's logging anyway - everything you see on duty goes into the black box.' - Charles Stross, 2007.
(re: Charles Stross, 6/28/2016 )
Robot Lawyers And Robot Judges Now Everywhere
'The law clerk arrived, a smallish robot with a battered stainless steel hide and dull coppery features.' - Frederik Pohl, 1954.
(re: Frederik Pohl, 6/20/2016 )
Roam-e Flying Selfie Drone Cam
'Tight mid-shot and pull out on but behind me...' -Karen Traviss, 2004.
(re: Karen Traviss, 6/19/2016 )
DoNotPay Lawyer Program Contests Parking Tickets
'I want my lawyer program.' - David Brin, 1990.
(re: David Brin, 6/16/2016 )
Beatie Wolfe's Album Is A Deck Of NFC Cards
'The greater trumps ready to step right out through those glistening surfaces.' - Roger Zelazny, 1970.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 4/21/2016 )
All Your Prior Art Are Belong To Us
'...how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts...' - Jonathan Swift, 1726.
(re: Jonathan Swift, 4/14/2016 )
One Third Of Young Canadians Prefer Robot Boss
`Sit, old son. We have a lot to talk about.' - William Gibson, 1984.
(re: William Gibson, 3/31/2016 )
Comedian Robot Named Data
'[The] capacity to distinguish between gags that are partly funny and gags that are very funny' - William Tenn, 1951.
(re: William Tenn, 3/26/2016 )
Is Space In The Brain Limited?
'...Some totally different method of memory association in order to be eclectively time-binding.' - Robert Heinlein, 1941.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 3/25/2016 )
Human Academics Recommend AIs As Teachers
'... the torrent of facts that came from the memory cells of the City Fathers...' - James Blish, 1957.
(re: James Blish, 3/4/2016 )
Apple Ring: Finally, Engineers Want To Make My Finger Watch
'Crayn glanced at his finger watch...' - HB Fyfe, 1951.
(re: HB Fyfe, 1/17/2016 )
My Basic Income (Mein Grundeinkommen)
'Earned by just being born.'- Philip Jose Farmer, 1967.
(re: Philip Jose Farmer, 12/25/2015 )
Kollektomat Tithing Machine
'He pressed buttons cast in the likenesses of animals and demons...' - Roger Zelazny, 1965.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 12/23/2015 )
Internet Needs 'Hate Spell Checker' - Eric Schmidt
'He adjusted the n, the r and b knobs, and hopefully anticipated a turn for the better...' - Philip K. Dick, 1964.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 12/1/2015 )
Niven's King's Free Park - In Toronto
'King's Free Park had been part of the San Diego Freeway...' - Larry Niven, 1970.
(re: Larry Niven, 11/23/2015 )
Police Use Predictive Maps ala 'Minority Report' Routinely
'...the data-receptors, and the computing mechanisms that studied and restructured the incoming material.' - Philip K. Dick, 1956.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 11/6/2015 )
Lumo Projector Turns Kids Rooms Into Bradbury's Veldt
'The walls began to purr and recede... and presently an African veldt appeared...'- Ray Bradbury, 1951.
(re: Ray Bradbury, 4/8/2015 )
Hologram Protest World's First
'Their bodies were in their dwelling cells, but their telucid images filled the hall.'- RF Starzl, 1931.
(re: RF Starzl, 4/4/2015 )
Norlin Shoe Drone Robot UAV In-Store Delivery Thing
'Robot-salesmen were everywhere, gesturing, pleading, shrilling.'- Philip K Dick, 1954.
(re: Philip K Dick, 3/6/2015 )
Brand Killer Helmet Blocks Real-Life Ads
'Some merely held the holos [ads] at arm's length.'- John Varley, 1977.
(re: John Varley, 1/21/2015 )
Argentine Orangutan Receives Basic Human Rights
'They wouldn't dare let the Fuzzies be proven sapient...'- Little Fuzzy, 1962.
(re: H. Beam Piper, 1/13/2015 )
Thync Mood Alteration Like PKD's Mood Organ
'I sat down at my mood organ and I experimented...'
(re: Philip K. Dick, 1/10/2015 )
VirtualGreen Putting Simulator Like Brin's Needle-Gym
'My eyes saw a tiny, off-white chamber, its coarse floor of needles mimicking a steep hillside...'- David Brin, 1994.
(re: David Brin, 1/8/2015 )
Meet 'Ross', Your Watson-Based Legal Researcher
'Why don't we just feed the bloody thing to LEX and ask for a summary?'- Greg Egan, 1991.
(re: Greg Egan, 1/3/2015 )
A Basic Income TED Talk
'They de-emphasized what lack of work would do to Mr. Everyman'- Philip Jose Farmer, 1967.
(re: Philip Jose Farmer, 12/18/2014 )
FuturICT Knowledge Accelerator And Psychohistory
'The reactions of human conglomerates to fixed social and economic stimuli...'
(re: Isaac Asimov, 12/9/2014 )
Secrets Of Charismatic Speakers Revealed
'The tone, the timbre excellent - imperative, very sharp.'- Frank Herbert, 1965.
(re: Frank Herbert, 11/29/2014 )
'Digital Drugs' (Like Herbert's Semuta?) Dismays Saudis
'The effect (described as timeless, sustained ecstasy) is elicited by certain atonal vibrations...'- Frank Herbert, 1965.
(re: Frank Herbert, 11/11/2014 )
Time For A Universal Basic Income?
'Earned by just being born.'- Philip Jose Farmer, 1967.
(re: Philip Jose Farmer, 10/30/2014 )
Will You Upload Your Mind Anytime Soon?
And if so, how long will the copy last?
(re: Richard Morgan, 10/22/2014 )
Blahtherapy - You Vent Anonymously To Strangers
'It's a service. Imposing no penances, it's kinder than the confessional.'- John Brunner, 1975.
(re: John Brunner, 10/3/2014 )
Greenhouse Plugin Reveals Your Congressman's Money Sources
'Fuller details may be obtained by punching the code number...'- John Brunner, 1975
(re: John Brunner, 6/18/2014 )
Michael Jackson, Resurrected
Singing an original song, no less.
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 5/18/2014 )
Napping Station Now At UofM Library
'Then he strolled across the dayroom to the hypnoteleset...'- Pohl and Kornbluth, 1952.
(re: Pohl and Kornbluth, 5/10/2014 )
Russia Bans Cursing, Demolition Man Morality Device Next
'John Spartan, you are fined five credits for repeated violations of the verbal morality statute.'- Demolition Man, 1993.
(re: Various, 5/6/2014 )
How Do Americans See The Future Of Technology?
What is most likely to happen in the future? Do you want to participate in the future?
(re: Various, 4/17/2014 )
Updated: Flying Graffiti Drone Will Alter The Urban Landscape
The tagger's dream - lie in bed while painting at a remote location.
(re: William Gibson, 4/16/2014 )
Get Alien Vision And See New Colors!
This guy can perceive a greater color range than you can. I guarantee it.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 3/22/2014 )
Biotech Prisons - Serve A Thousand Years In a Day
'So I serve a hundred years in one day...'- Joe Haldeman, 2011.
(re: Joe Haldeman, 3/21/2014 )
HoverBall Bids Farewell To Ballistic Motion
'...the ball darted in behind him.'- George Lucas, 1976.
(re: George Lucas, 3/21/2014 )
Momo App Locates 100M Possible Dates Nearby
'Locate where she's sitting, put the cursor on it...'- Larry Niven, 1998.
(re: Larry Niven, 3/17/2014 )
Space Replay - Art Or Rover?
What is Space Replay? That would be telling.
(re: Various, 3/10/2014 )
Must Breaking Up Be Hard To Do?
'Whoever was placed inside the apparatus instantaneously experienced all the charms, lures, wiles, winks and witchery of all the fairer sex in the Universe at once.'- Stanislaw Lem, 1965.
(re: Stanislaw Lem, 2/18/2014 )
SciCast Prediction Market Offers Collaborative Forecasting
'When you consolidate their replies they tend to cluster around the actual figure…'- John Brunner, 1975.
(re: John Brunner, 1/11/2014 )
Ten Years Of Technovelgy
Thanks readers. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.
(re: Bill Christensen, 1/1/2014 )
OK2TALK Like Hearing Aid From Shockwave Rider
'Demanding no fees, it's affordable where psychotherapy is not.'- John Brunner, 1976.
(re: John Brunner, 10/6/2013 )
75 Percent Of Americans Prefer Paper Books!
'The books were crystals with recorded contents.'- Stanislaw Lem, 1961.
(re: Stanislaw Lem, 7/23/2013 )
New Global Century Center: China's Truman Show Venue
We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.- The Truman Show.
(re: Various, 7/13/2013 )
Chris Hadfield, Space Oddity And Space Lawyers
'Had incorporated himself, in fact, under the laws of Vesta.'- Nat Schachner, 1941.
(re: Nat Schachner, 5/27/2013 )
German Firm Seeks To Recruit Autistics
Large corporations seem to be learning that people with autism can have unique strengths.
(re: Elizabeth Moon, 5/22/2013 )
Personal Sniffer Robots
'...The ticking combinations of the olfactory system of the hound.'- Ray Bradbury, 1953.
(re: Ray Bradbury, 5/13/2013 )
A Big Collection Of Small Books
'Black, oblong, no larger than the end of Paul's thumb... It's a very old Orange Catholic Bible made for space travelers.'- Frank Herbert, 1965.
(re: Frank Herbert, 4/23/2013 )
SimSensei Plus Kinnect Equals PKD's Voight-Kampff?
'We know this to be a primary autonomic response...'- Philip K. Dick, 1968.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 4/2/2013 )
Elon Musk's Debt To Science Fiction Books
A marvelous vision of a national fleet of electric phaetons that would truly revolutionize motor transport. And private space craft.
(re: Various, 3/19/2013 )
Project Your Personality In Photos
'...portraiture reproduced through a shigawire projector that is ... said to convey the ego essence.'- Frank Herbert, 1965.
(re: Frank Herbert, 1/29/2013 )
First Bookless Public Library?
'No longer was it possible to browse among shelves, to weigh volumes in hand, to feel their heft, the promise of ponderous reading.'- Stanislaw Lem, 1961.
(re: Stanislaw Lem, 1/13/2013 )
E-Book Reading Up - Print Book Reading Down
'You press this button here you see and the screen lights up giving you the index.'- Douglas Adams, 1979.
(re: Douglas Adams, 1/7/2013 )
SynergyNet Multi-Touch Classroom
'Ender doodled on his desk, drawing contour maps... then telling his desk to display them in three dimensions from every angle...'- Orson Scott Card, 1985.
(re: Orson Scott Card, 11/27/2012 )
How To 'Level Up' In Psychotherapy
'THE TIERSIAN THERAPY patients form a small and elite volunteer group...'- Philip Jose Farmer, 1991.
(re: Philip Jose Farmer, 11/3/2012 )
Ethiopian Children Learn From Diamond Age Primers
'The book spoke in a lovely contralto, with an accent like the very finest Vickys.'- Neal Stephenson, 1995.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 11/1/2012 )
Machine-Generated Fiction In Fiction
'Every one knew how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts and sciences...'- Jonathan Swift, 1726
(re: Jonathan Swift, 10/30/2012 )
SF Unleashes Your Inner Asimov, Reading Or Writing
Were you inspired by science fiction to create something?
(re: , 10/28/2012 )
Global Crowd Intelligence Needs Your Help
'... while nobody knows what's going on around here, everybody knows what's going on around here.'- John Brunner, 1975.
(re: John Brunner, 10/17/2012 )
Rat Dreams Manipulated By Scientists
'Render freed his arm and lifted off his crown of Medusa-hair leads and microminiature circuitry...'
(re: Roger Zelazny, 9/6/2012 )
Syrians Ask For Help From Mars
'...enormous figures, drawn in characters of reflecting luminosity...'
(re: Jules Verne, 9/5/2012 )
The Library Of The Future
'A Filer is an amazingly intelligent robot and there aren't many being manufactured.'
(re: Stanton Coblentz, 8/21/2012 )
Trinity Chapel Offers Giving Kiosk
'A holy blue light filled the interior of the machine...'
(re: Roger Zelazny, 8/19/2012 )
PredPol Crime-Prediction A Hit In L.A.
'All day long the idiots babbled...'
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/7/2012 )
Gideon eBibles And Frank Herbert's OC Bible
The Gideons are surprising liberal in their approach, btw.
(re: Frank Herbert, 7/2/2012 )
Google Wallet Like Pohl's Joymaker Credit Card
You must know the institutional designation and account spectrum ...
(re: Frederik Pohl, 7/1/2012 )
Space Command Is In Your Hands
A most congenial project for Technovelgy readers.
(re: Various, 6/23/2012 )
Elvis And Jimi To Return Hologramatically?
The Return of the King.
(re: Various, 6/13/2012 )
The Funnel Wall
'Some towers sound their notes while others fall silent...'
(re: George R.R. Martin, 6/1/2012 )
The Most Densely Populated Place On Earth
'The population density shocked McKie...'
(re: Frank Herbert, 5/6/2012 )
Tupac Hologram Performs With Snoop, Dre
'Pac's Thug Life, back from the dead.
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 4/20/2012 )
Danceroom Spectroscopy Nano Dance
Make music by interacting with the quantum world.
(re: John Brunner, 4/17/2012 )
Microsoft Universal Translator Uses Your Voice
It maintains all of your voice characteristics as you effortlessly speak other languages.
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 3/12/2012 )
$200K In Bitcoins Stolen
Wherever there are hard working gold miners, there are thieves.
(re: Charles Stross, 3/7/2012 )
Futurist Agrees With Star Trek: DS9 On Job Destruction
It's a dramatic idea, but check the evidence.
(re: Various, 3/3/2012 )
Bank Of America ATMs Are Now Truth Machines
John Brunner gave us the idea for this kind of data transparency.
(re: John Brunner, 1/17/2012 )
Can Lucid Dreaming Improve Physical Skills?
Attention dreamers! Lie down and start training.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 12/22/2011 )
'World's Heaviest Woman' Title Sought
To balance out the World's Greatest Losers, we find the world's most serious gainers.
(re: Jack Vance, 9/12/2011 )
Klout Score Measures Your Influence
Based on 10 networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare.
(re: Jack Vance, 9/11/2011 )
Interactive Storytelling On iPad
The iPad moves further into a science-fictional future.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 7/14/2011 )
Can We Control Forgetfulness?
You can forget on purpose, with proper training.
(re: , 7/6/2011 )
South Korean Students Go All Tablet By 2015
Today's textbooks weigh 5 times what they did when I was a child; we need to give children a break from the fifty pound backpack.
(re: Orson Scott Card, 7/4/2011 )
Fast Entropy, PHE And Psychohistory
Is Isaac Asimov's psychohistory a viable idea? This scholar with degrees in economics, law and physics thinks so.
(re: Isaac Asimov, 7/2/2011 )
Amazon Sells More E-Books Than Books
Truly mind-boggling development at Amazon.
(re: Stanislaw Lem, 5/27/2011 )
TellApart Ads Follow You On The Web
Can a computer predict that you will be a customer, justifying its pursuit of you across the web?
(re: William Gibson, 5/15/2011 )
Look Forward: IRS 'Pre-Audit' Would Predict Tax Cheating
'All day long the idiots babbled, imprisoned in their special high-backed chairs.' No, wait.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 4/15/2011 )
China Bans Time Travel-Based TV Shows
China's General Bureau of Radio, Film and Television has a problem with 'made up' stories.
(re: Various, 4/4/2011 )
Thanks For Being Open Apple, Amazon, Barnes And Noble
In which the author, a modern-day consumer, has a better-than-sfnal experience in shopping for a book.
(re: Stanislaw Lem, 4/1/2011 )
Google And The Psychohistorians
'A further necessary assumption is that the human conglomerate be itself unaware of psychohistoric analysis...'
(re: Isaac Asimov, 3/26/2011 )
India To Issue One Million Aadhaar Biometric IDs Per Day
Soon, every unique citizen in India will also have a unique, government-issued biometric identification card.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 2/28/2011 )
Technovelgy Has 2,000 SF Inventions, Ideas and Technologies
That's a lot of science fiction technology, ideas and inventions.
(re: Various, 2/16/2011 )
Inspired By Science Fiction?
Readers, I need your help!
(re: Various, 2/14/2011 )
Confession App For iPhone Catholic Church Approved
This app does everything but give you absolution.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 2/9/2011 )
Google Translate for iPhone App
Impressive app for Apple iPHone owners.
(re: Hugo Gernsback, 2/9/2011 )
Egypt Drops Dime, Pulls Plug On Internet
The government of Egypt made a few phone calls and poof! Its citizens have no Internet access - and we have no access into the country from outside.
(re: John Brunner, 1/28/2011 )
Cliodynamics: Modeling Complex Societies Mathematically
'The basis of all valid psychohistory lies in the development of the Seldon Plan.'
(re: Isaac Asimov, 1/19/2011 )
See Jesus? There's An App For That
AppTech intends to 'offer religious themed content through the various Smartphone operating platforms.'
(re: Roger Zelazny, 1/2/2011 )
Medical Researcher 'Discovers' Integration
Updated! Do we need a specific type of scientist or researcher that specializes in knowing the specifics of many different fields of knowledge?
(re: A.E. van Vogt, 12/14/2010 )
Synthespian Wannabe: Tron Legacy's Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges enjoyed being scanned into the movie Tron: Legacy. His original character did not enjoy being scanned into the video-game Tron.
(re: William Gibson, 11/30/2010 )
Virtual Star Hatsune Miku In 3D Hologram Concert Video
Amazing HD video of this live concert presented by an idoru, a personality-construct famous in Japan.
(re: William Gibson, 11/13/2010 )
E-Voting Simple And Verifiable
Does David Bismark have the best idea for a simple, verifiable and transparent means of electronic voting?
(re: John Brunner, 11/4/2010 )
First Cashless Society - In Somaliland?
Leave your wheelbarrow of cash at home.
(re: Frederik Pohl, 9/5/2010 )
Vivos Shelter Network Survivalist Luxury
'A family would be safe, even comfortable, during the most severe H-bomb and bacterial-spray attack.'
(re: Philip K. Dick, 8/10/2010 )
Google Adjustable Television
Google wants you to have the greatest possible freedom of choice in selecting programming. Philip K. Dick also wanted you to have freedom of choice _within_ programming.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 5/21/2010 )
Google Goggles Translates Pictured Text
The Goggles application just gained a new feature that could be a big hit in European restaurants.
(re: Hugo Gernsback, 5/6/2010 )
'Healing Blade' Game Of Sorcery And Modern Medicine
Amazing new table-top card game by two physicians teaches medical strategy in a world of apothecaries and lords of pestilence.
(re: Various, 5/2/2010 )
US Teens Embrace ASCII Text
I knew they'd come around sooner or later.
(re: Various, 4/21/2010 )
Conservation Of Tweets
Think carefully when you tweet - future generations are waiting for your 140 character masterpieces.
(re: Frank Herbert, 4/14/2010 )
Marvel's iPad Battery-Powered Comic Book
SF fans, at least, are not surprised or unprepared by Marvel's new comic book app for the iPad.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 4/3/2010 )
Dark Cloud: The Future Of (Anti-)Social Networking
In which two books, read at the same time, coincidentally make each other more interesting.
(re: Barnes/Lanier, 4/2/2010 )
HLYWD Migratory Anagram
Unusual art project suggests that the HOLLYWOOD sign letters should be allowed to roam at will.
(re: Alan Nelson, 3/23/2010 )
Chinese Netizens Demand Info To Achieve Doublethink
It should be obvious that you can't be expected to censor yourself unless you have access to information to which you shouldn't have access.
(re: George Orwell, 3/21/2010 )
Repo Men, Artiforgs And Health Care
I just wanted to make sure everyone knew where all this was coming from. And one other thing.
(re: Various, 3/19/2010 )
No Cussing Week Morality Statute
No Cussing Week is just the start.
(re: Various, 3/7/2010 )
A Timeline of Science Fiction Inventions: Weapons, Warfare and Security
Lots of people wondered if there was a place where you could get more information about these sf inventions and ideas.
(re: Various, 3/7/2010 )
Twitter 360 Augmented Reality
It's funny, but I just read about this in Daniel Suarez' new novel.
(re: Daniel Suarez, 2/27/2010 )
Augmented Reality Tattoo Flaps Wings
Well, if you can't implement it in hardware, maybe you can make it work in software.
(re: Samuel R. Delany, 2/21/2010 )
Steam Infrastructure-Powered Music
What happens when city steam infrastructure is dedicated to the production of music?
(re: Allan Dean Foster, 1/30/2010 )
James Cameron's Avatar Synthespians
Updated with comment by Jeff Kleiser and a video. Is the world ready for artificial actors? James Cameron's technology in Avatar may make this long-delayed idea a reality.
(re: William Gibson, 1/19/2010 )
Time Inc. Digital Magazine Video
Compare this video of Time's prototype digital magazine with an earlier tongue-in-cheek video of a real-world handheld device.
(re: Stanislaw Lem, 12/3/2009 )
Best Handheld Device?
Is this device the most usable handheld ever created? You be the judge after watching a short and informative video.
(re: Various, 11/30/2009 )
Man Marries Anime Game Character
See this video of an unusual marriage between a guy and his favorite anime character from the Love Plus dating simulation game for Ninendo.
(re: Various, 11/24/2009 )
Facebook Online Memorial Service
Anthropologists often point to ceremonies surrounding the treatment of the dead as evidence of civilization. What does this current news story say about us?
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 10/27/2009 )
Silicon Sunshine - Data Transparency In Government
Should the government be forced to put every last bit of information it has online, every minute of every day? Lawrence Lessig has comments, and so does John Brunner.
(re: John Brunner, 10/15/2009 )
First Bank Of Antimatter Issues Anti-Money
Interested in trading currency? Have you thought about antimatter depository notes?
(re: Various, 10/14/2009 )
Eigenharp Favored By Mos Eisley Musicians
Too good to be kept in a galaxy far, far away, the Eigenharp lets you perform complex synthesized music onstage without cumbersome keyboards.
(re: George Lucas, 10/10/2009 )
The Periodic Table Of Science Fiction Now Online
Very short stories that are somehow centered around an element are now available online from sf author Michael Swanwick.
(re: Michael Swanwick, 10/8/2009 )
Surviving In Zombieland
Do physicists hold the key to surviving zombie attacks? Probably not, but I'd take any excuse to learn more about random walks.
(re: Various, 10/1/2009 )
Jedi Persecution In Wales: General Order 66 Or 'Sith Happens'?
Jedi religion founder Morda Hehol accuses Tesco of persecution; the retail empire srikes back.
(re: George Lucas, 9/20/2009 )
Physicists Predict Shanghai Exchange Plunge
What would it be like if a culture sublimated the energy that usually goes into scientific discovery into advancing capitalism?
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 9/17/2009 )
The Whuffie Bank: Reputation-Based Currency
This new startup will track your online reputation for you.
(re: Cory Doctorow, 9/16/2009 )
Library Removes All Books
It's a radical move, getting rid of all of the books in your school library. Will they be missed?
(re: Vernor Vinge, 9/8/2009 )
'Virtual Iraq' Therapy For PTSD
This program allows the therapist to return someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to the scene of the trauma, for healing.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 8/18/2009 )
Emotion Tracking Big Comedy Brother
Finally, Big Brother will have a software option for making sure that you are really participating in the Two Minutes' Hate.
(re: George Orwell, 8/17/2009 )
Zombie Math - Modeling The Attack
What happens when professional mathematicians and statisticians get together to analyze fictional situations?
(re: Various, 8/15/2009 )
Shrink Wrapped Psychiatric Help For Avatars
Short video presents an interesting case for the therapist; Second Life avatars have complicated presentations for the therapist.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 8/13/2009 )
iPhone-Based Augmented Reality In Development
Superimpose your viewpoint on reality - not just for yourself, but for others too. Some in concept, some in beta and some in reality. Oh, and some in sf.
(re: Various, 8/12/2009 )
Therapists Plan World Of Warcraft Raid
Interesting proposal to have mental health professionals enter the game and attempt to work with players while online.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 7/30/2009 )
Asimov's Psychohistory May Be Possible
Many of us enjoyed the Foundation stories; did you think that psychohistory might actually be a workable discipline?
(re: Isaac Asimov, 7/29/2009 )
Perky Pat-Style Unemployment Layout
If you don't like your present circumstances, and long to return to the life of an employed cubicle-dweller, take this tip from Philip K. Dick.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/27/2009 )
Undersea UFOs Seen By Russian Navy
Interesting stories surface from the declassified files of the Russian Navy. During the Cold War, the Russians found more than they bargained for underwater.
(re: Various, 7/26/2009 )
Tweet Your Prayers To Jerusalem's Western Wall
This unusual site will accept your tweets and pass them on; it's an electronic extension of a practice that dates back hundreds of years.
(re: Various, 7/24/2009 )
Kindle Orwellian Nightmare Comes True!
Literary irony was substituted for e-book versions of 1984 and Animal Farm on Kindles all over America today.
(re: George Orwell, 7/17/2009 )
'Precrime' Parole System In Philadelphia
A machine learning system in Philly tries, with considerable success, to predict which inmates should be paroled.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/14/2009 )
Smile Machines Scan and Rank Workers Daily
Message from your mechanized boss - 'I'm afraid your smile has fallen off from a 91 to an 83. Bring up the corners of that mouth, won't you?'
(re: Various, 7/8/2009 )
Self-Portrait Machine - Robotically Compelled Art
Art project prototype puts the use of machines into sharp perspective.
(re: Various, 7/2/2009 )
Google Earth Typography
What do aliens see when they look at Earth from afar? Maybe letters.
(re: Jules Verne, 6/30/2009 )
NewsXperiment Combines All Your News
Why monitor hundreds of tedious newsfeeds when you can read them all in one blog post?
(re: Various, 6/6/2009 )
Geek Saints
In worshipful adoration, we humbly present our saints for worship.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 5/22/2009 )
The Longest Story Ever Told?
Updated with interview. This story will take many generations of human beings to believe and yet it fits on the cover of a standard magazine.
(re: Various, 5/20/2009 )
Walk-In Cocktail Available In London
What appears to be the first walk-in cocktail is now available in a pub in Britain.
(re: Frank Herbert, 4/23/2009 )
Iceland's Krona Worth More In MMORG EVE Online?
As we move back and forth between real and virtual worlds, it gets harder to tell where the real money is.
(re: Various, 4/10/2009 )
Plant Is First Person Shooter
Who knows, perhaps border vegetation has more of a role to play in Homeland Security than we thought.
(re: Various, 4/10/2009 )
Wrong Tomorrow - A Brin Predictions Registry?
This site keeps track of predictions, and might help us separate the seers from the blowhards.
(re: David Brin, 4/2/2009 )
Watchmen Science
Physicist Jim Kakalios discusses the science of Watchmen in this video; he uses science fiction to sneak in a lot of interesting science.
(re: Various, 3/27/2009 )
Information Age Prayer Pray-O-Mat
Can a machine say prayers for you? Now, you can test it out.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 3/22/2009 )
UK SF Writers On Science Fact
Science fiction writers discuss science and science fiction.
(re: Various, 3/18/2009 )
Your Blade Runner Technology Is Ready, Rick Deckard
Take a look at seven! classic science fiction tech items, and their real-life counterparts, in this, your Blade Runner future.
(re: Ridley Scott, 3/15/2009 )
U.N. Hosts Intergalactic Representatives
The United Nations is looking for insight into problems that face its members.
(re: Various, 3/15/2009 )
TASC - DARPA's Psychohistory
Interesting effort to develop 'branch of mathematics which deals with the reactions of human conglomerates to fixed social and economic stimuli.'
(re: Isaac, 3/8/2009 )
Mii Avatar Wanted Poster For Non-Virtual Manhunt
This story could go in either of two ways - not surprisingly, I like them both. With a surprise reference to Michael Crichton's Runaway.
(re: Michael Crichton, 2/19/2009 )
Reputation As Property
Whether you say 'whuffie' or 'strakh,' young and old sf fans understand the value of reputation.
(re: Jack Vance, 2/3/2009 )
Tetris Reduces Emotional Scars
No wonder people in advanced technological societies have been playing so much Tetris - and no wonder it was invented in the former Soviet Union.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 1/7/2009 )
Cymascope CymaGlyphs - Dolphin Picture Words
How can we translate the language of another species? The CymaScope may give the answer.
(re: Various, 1/2/2009 )
Virtual Body-Swapping Tech
Can you accept the illusion of having swapped bodies with someone or something else? Yes you can!
(re: William Gibson, 12/19/2008 )
'Comical Robot' An Aid To Conversations
Ah... how do you fill those awkward silences? This little robot can help.
(re: William Tenn, 12/16/2008 )
Reactogon Synthesizer - Chain Reactive Performance Arpeggiator
Fascinating musical interface is a cross between a board game and an instrument.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/6/2008 )
The Truman Syndrome
An interesting example of the connection between popular culture and mental health.
(re: Various, 12/3/2008 )
Smule Ocarina First iPhone Instrument
This amazing application for the iPhone not only makes the first true iPhone musical instrument possible, it broadcasts your music around the world.
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 11/19/2008 )
Tivo, Facebook: Online Pizza Deliverators Proliferate
Why pause for even a moment from your electronic nirvana; now digital ordering leads to real world satisfaction - pizza-wise.
(re: Various, 11/17/2008 )
Bach Organ Recital - On Mars
Sure, space probes have cameras, and that's great. But what about... microphones?
(re: Various, 11/12/2008 )
Top Footballers Face 7/7 Testing
Top flight soccer players in the UK now face Olympic-style restrictions during the season. What if there was a league that embraced performance enhancement?
(re: Chris Nakashima-Brown, 11/11/2008 )
Vote Flipping Video Shows Poor Electronic Plebiscite
Video of how a voting machine fails to properly register a voter's choices makes me think that paper ballots might have a future.
(re: John Brunner, 10/30/2008 )
Australia Building Real 'Eureka' Tech City
The University of Queensland, in Australia has been watching Eureka, the TV series about a town full of geniuses - or so it appears - because they want to build one for real.
(re: Various, 10/28/2008 )
Virtual Wife Nags Via Email
Solicitous correction and help from your virtual wife, presented with helpful sfnal references.
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 10/22/2008 )
3rd Space Vests Lets You Feel Game Hits
Any engineer will tell you that a system with no negative feedback goes out of control. Feel the pain in your game and stop the spiral.
(re: Various, 10/20/2008 )
Alien Languages Translated By Computer Program?
Interesting effort by British researcher to take a shot at understanding alien languages - when we actually get a sample.
(re: Various, 10/18/2008 )
Paul Krugman's Asimov Inspiration
Dr. Paul Krugman has an interesting connection with sf; his career choice was inspired by a well-known work by Isaac Asimov.
(re: Isaac Asimov, 10/14/2008 )
Zhu Bot Zhejiang Scrap Metal Transformer Sculptures
Transformers are near and dear to the hearts of scrap metal enthusiasts in China. As you can see.
(re: Various, 10/12/2008 )
NeuroSky MindSet Brainwave-Controlled Game Demoed
My son can't wait for the MindSet version of the The Force Unleashed game. Don't think it will happen? I find your lack of faith disturbing...
(re: Various, 10/8/2008 )
Blogging Houseplant Midori-San
Maybe you don't listen to your plants, but you can read what this one has to say.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 10/7/2008 )
Tributes.com Digital Obituary News
Want to live forever on the web? This site intends to bring obituary notices to the web, with the potential to offer multi-media tributes to comfort the bereaved.
(re: Rudy Rucker, 9/16/2008 )
Atheon Temple To Science Open For Worship Soon
Interesting art project that presents a scientific alternative to worship; fans of Neal Stephenson will hear echoes of his new book 'Anathem.'
(re: Various, 9/15/2008 )
reCAPTCHA Old Manuscripts Now!
Humans come to the rescue of the machines; this program takes a human priority (sensing human input) and adds value.
(re: Harry Harrison, 8/18/2008 )
Tesla Coil Used As Guitar Amp
Many uses have been proposed for the Tesla coil; this one seems very fitting for guitar enthusiasts.
(re: Various, 8/5/2008 )
Bent Pikachu Hellraiser Borg
This isn't what you'd call a prediction; it's more of a ghastly mashup.
(re: Various, 8/4/2008 )
'Pitvertising' Armpit Ad Dispay
A really bad idea from the folks in advertising.
(re: Various, 7/22/2008 )
Wikipedia Encyclopedia And Dick's Book Of The Kalends
This book is exceptional not just because of the number of articles or its concept. Phip K. Dick fans might find the general idea familiar.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/21/2008 )
Invasion By Technologically Advanced Civilization Reported
A tragic story going on far from your local megaplex.
(re: Various, 7/18/2008 )
Avatars United: Facebook For Avatars
New website promises to bring the avatars together from across all virtual worlds; read the exclusive Technovelgy interview. Sorry, no real people allowed.
(re: Various, 6/26/2008 )
Space Sportilization Earth-Based Sports In Space
Interesting effort to involve kids in doing fitness exercises on Earth while predicting what would happen if you tried it in free fall. It also has a name more dorky than 'technovelgy.'
(re: Various, 6/21/2008 )
Lessons To Be Downloaded Into Brains Of Schoolchildren
Forward-thinking schoolmen get a jolt from the Matrix.
(re: James Blish, 6/3/2008 )
Ikea Stuff Packs For Sims 2 'Perky Pat' Layouts
You may not be able to afford the furniture, or an apartment with enough space to put it, but you can have your Ikea furniture in your Sims 2 'microworld.'
(re: Philip K. Dick, 5/29/2008 )
Useful Body Modifications - The Ruler Tattoo
Do you have a useful body modification? I could really have used a nice ruler tattoo when building decks over summer vacations.
(re: Samuel R. Delany, 5/28/2008 )
Fortress World Barbarism Via Climate Change
Sudden changes in the desirability of land are never a good sign; how will we adapt?
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 5/27/2008 )
Do Aliens Have Souls?
The Vatican's chief astronomer thinks that the existence of aliens would not contradict Catholic belief. But what about their souls?
(re: James Blish, 5/18/2008 )
So You Want To Be A Mentat
What does it take to develop yourself into a Mentat, the human computers from Frank Herbert's Dune?
(re: Frank Herbert, 5/13/2008 )
First Space Lawyer (2008 and 1941)
Michael Dodge may be the first real American space lawyer, but he still has to take a backseat to Kerry Dale, sky-lawyer.
(re: Nat Schachner, 5/13/2008 )
Keyboard Pants
I think I understand the jackets - and even lederhosen - with controls for your MP3 player built into them. But keyboard pants?
(re: Murray Leinster, 4/27/2008 )
Flogo Clouds Are Floating Ads
I know you're going to think that nobody could have predicted this - but you're wrong.
(re: Alan Nelson, 4/16/2008 )
Nokia Shoot-to-Translate Camera
This is a pretty neat application; see a sign in Chinese, take a picture and then read the English translation.
(re: Various, 4/10/2008 )
Plagiarism In Science Fiction
When is it plagiarism to borrow from another writer? An aspiring sf writer wants to know.
(re: Various, 4/10/2008 )
AND The Kitchen Sync
Interesting idea for a different kind of appliance in your kitchen - a more usable cookbook.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 4/4/2008 )
Zoltan's Fembot Wife
Zoltan says that he is not very good with relationships; that's why he built himself a girlfriend that he could get along with.
(re: Fritz Leiber, 3/31/2008 )
Sajjdah 1426 LED Prayer Rug Has Mecca-Glow
This prayer rug always knows how to orient itself.
(re: Frank Herbert, 3/26/2008 )
Emotiv Headset Mental Gaming Is All In Your Head
Not really a spectator sport, mindgaming may come into its own this year with the introduction of a new headset from Emotiv. Almost as cool as those Krell headsets.
(re: , 3/25/2008 )
NovaDreamer Dream Induction
This little kit can provide you with some measure of control over your own dreaming sensorium - the ultimate virtual reality device.
(re: Peter Watts, 3/21/2008 )
DIY Robotic Suicide Booth Used In Australia
An Australian man facing life in assisted living chooses to build a suicide robot instead.
(re: Various, 3/21/2008 )
Break a Glass With Your Voice
If you want your own weirding module, you should start small - on a glass - before testing it out on Sardaukar.
(re: Frank Herbert, 3/12/2008 )
BodyMod In Old School SF - Quant Suff!
Phantasmagoric body modification may be new in the meat space near you, but sf writers have been thinking about it for generations.
(re: Samuel R. Delany, 2/15/2008 )
Voxonic Software Lets You Sing, Speak In Any Language
This software-based translation method can take a sample of your voice, and then translate you into any of almost 1,500 different languages.
(re: Hugo Gernsback, 2/1/2008 )
Rush Japan Mixes Tourism, Treasure And Nintendo DS
Don't throw away that DS - you'll need it to find the treasure.
(re: Various, 2/1/2008 )
Japanese Water Horse Goes Back To The Future
Very striking video of the 3D advertisement created in Japan for the premiere of the film The Water Horse; the idea for 3D ad effects premiered in what movie?
(re: Steven Spielberg, 1/29/2008 )
Cyberattack Blacked Out Cities, CIA Admits
This is apparently the first time that the government has confirmed that cyberattacks have caused a power outage.
(re: Various, 1/25/2008 )
'Electronic Mufti' May Issue Machine Fatwas
A machine intelligence - an artificial intelligence apparatus - could look through thousands of examples to guide individuals.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 1/22/2008 )
Kraft Programmable Food - With Nano-Capsules!
Processed food giant Kraft is at it again, this time with nano-capsules full of flavor.
(re: Jeff Noon, 1/4/2008 )
Jinsei Ginko Life Bank Brings Virtual Prosperity
This nifty little piggy bank lets your virtual family live in virtual luxury - if you can pay the price.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 12/27/2007 )
Alien Musical Instruments?
David Bowie played me, Ringo Starr played me, Brian Eno played me - what am I?
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 12/25/2007 )
Turbo Toaster Breakfast Blastoff
Tired of waiting for your toast? Want to apply simple engineering to a basic human need. Wait no more.
(re: Various, 12/20/2007 )
Get Inside The 100 Foot Piano
This unique exhibition, currently going on in NYC, gives you that 'mouse inside the piano' sound you've been yearning for.
(re: Alan Dean Foster, 12/14/2007 )
Dating Service Uses DNA To Find Best-Smelling Mate
Okay, so you're tired of all those endless questions about your likes and dislikes on dating sites. One cheek swab gives you the answer on this site.
(re: Various, 12/14/2007 )
'Paranormal State' Ad Billboard Makes You Hear Voices
Advertisers are now using an 'audio spotlight' to put their message right into your ears.
(re: Ray Bradbury, 12/13/2007 )
SenseCam Seems To Help Dementia Patients
The SenseCam appears to be of use to at least some patients.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 12/12/2007 )
Twin Solid State Musical Tesla Coils In Concert
Did you know that Tesla coils could be made to produce music? Musical Tesla coils? It's starting to look a little like Christmas.
(re: Alan Dean Foster, 12/6/2007 )
Virtual Marriages By 2015
If you can't wait to marry a robot by 2050, maybe you could get married in Second Life and enjoy virtual matrimonial bliss.
(re: Various, 11/28/2007 )
Motion Capture Your Life Anywhere, Anytime
I just realized this is just about exactly what William Gibson was talking about in All Tomorrow's Parties.
(re: William Gibson, 11/27/2007 )
LCDetar Laptop Guitar
How many more cool guitars can there be?
(re: Various, 11/26/2007 )
Interactive Apple Store Has Reactive Walls
Dance to the images at the Apple store in Berlin.
(re: John Shirley, 11/24/2007 )
Meat Chairs And Chairdogs
Think of a genetically engineered chairdog. Now think of a chairdog with it's furry skin removed. Now click.
(re: Frank Herbert, 11/14/2007 )
Magicmirror Augments Your Real Shopping
Interesting effort to bring people back into stores by incorporating some of their online experience.
(re: Various, 11/14/2007 )
Poker Bots No Limit Texas Turing Poker
Poker bots are getting better and better - can you spot the bot when you play online?
(re: Various, 11/14/2007 )
Got Big Ears, Large Forehead? Star Trek Needs You
If you have any one of these exceptional characteristics, you may have a future in Hollywood!
(re: Gene Roddenberry, 11/8/2007 )
Mod My Life Site Working On Meat Puppets
This is a uniquely disturbing site with a truly bizarre mission - to put you in control of another person.
(re: William Gibson, 11/6/2007 )
Kuka Robot Bible Calligraphy
Can a robot benefit from performing a devotional task?
(re: Arthur C. Clarke, 10/30/2007 )
BODiBEAT By Yamaha Lets Your Heart Pick MP3s
While you listen to the beat, it also listens to the beat - of your heart.
(re: Various, 10/25/2007 )
Mobile Journalism Toolkit By Nokia And Reuters
These companies are not the first to think about what future journalists will need; see what Niven, Varley and Dick had to say.
(re: Larry Niven, 10/24/2007 )
Blind Haptic Braille Tattoos - HiTek Scarification
As a form of communication, this technique (which has ancient origins) now has a modern twist.
(re: Various, 10/20/2007 )
Eyeball Tattoo Creates Eyes Of The Ibad
These guys look like something straight out of a Dune movie casting call.
(re: Frank Herbert, 10/18/2007 )
Big Brother Test Hall At Penn State
Since old-fashioned honor codes don't seem to be working, Penn State turns to newfangled security gadgets - which, it turns out, are an old story too.
(re: George Orwell., 10/13/2007 )
Bed-Case: Sweet Dreams, Bibliophiles
Nifty design from a student lets sf fans combine two essential items of furniture - beds and bookcases.
(re: Various, 10/9/2007 )
Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination (QUID) New Space Currency
It's a mouthful - but you can call it a QUID for short. Why can't I just call them 'credits?'
(re: Various, 10/7/2007 )
Scavenge Local Mall CCTV And Make A Movie
Remarkable film created entirely from digital movies scavenged from mall CCTVs.
(re: Various, 9/27/2007 )
Fuji Zerox Copier Automatically Translates
Remarkable device lets you copy, translate or both.
(re: Various, 9/27/2007 )
Americans Give Up Friends For Net
Would you rather get news, information and companionship from the Internet, or from friends face to face?
(re: E.M. Forster, 9/20/2007 )
Raytheon Creates Pain Box From Dune
Raytheon has unwittingly created the pain box straight out of Frank Herbert's Dune novels.
(re: Frank Herbert, 9/20/2007 )
MotionPortrait Creates 3D Zombified Version Of You From Photo
This program may be perfectly fine for creating avatars, but I'd like some control over my own likeness, thanks.
(re: Various, 9/19/2007 )
Donkey Motorcycle And Giant Lizard Rocket Launcher
Can you think of any instances in which animals carried more advanced technology than you would expect?
(re: Various, 9/17/2007 )
Bibliochaise Chair Book Throne
The do-it-yourself spirit still thrives in others - how about you.
(re: Various, 9/8/2007 )
Nokia N73 Preloaded For Ramadan
Worship aided by cellphone.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 8/27/2007 )
China To Control Reincarnation Of Tibetan Buddhists
Only science fiction fans are unsurprised by this bizarre turn of events.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 8/18/2007 )
Smart Dressing Mirror RFID-Based mi-tu Fashion
This system could make those endless hours of shopping go a lot faster.
(re: Harry Harrison, 8/10/2007 )
Martians To Receive Great SF On CD
Mars now has some reading material, in the event that you should have some down time while exploring there.
(re: Various, 8/6/2007 )
For Those Who Read In Bed
Adjust bed warmth by reading bedtime stories with this unique item.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 7/25/2007 )
Robot Taiko Drummers Give Up Factory Day Jobs
These bots are great on their own, but I know a great front man (robot) for them.
(re: Herbert Goldstone, 7/24/2007 )
Eos TV - The Death Channel
I don't think I would have thought of this one, but if you can get people to watch the weather on TV...
(re: Various, 7/20/2007 )
RapLeaf, Whuffie and Strakh
What is the best way to apportion goods between people in a society? How about starting with a reputation manager?
(re: Jack Vance, 7/18/2007 )
Notificator Robot Messenger Predates Twitter
Social networking is fully automated by the 1930's - didn't you know?
(re: Various, 7/3/2007 )
Spice Girls Live Digital Enhancement
Technology marches on, this time helping bring the Spice Girls up to their usual standard. Such as it is.
(re: Ray Bradbury, 6/29/2007 )
SuiPo Posters Call Your Cellphone
New way for otherwise inanimate objects to get to you.
(re: Steven Spielberg, 6/24/2007 )
Punched Tape Music Box Hack
This reminds me very strongly of something quite different, and yet similar.
(re: Various, 5/28/2007 )
Anti-Shredder Computer Versus Stasi Secret Police
Oh man, does Vernor Vinge have an idea for these people - talk about an anti-shredder!
(re: Vernor Vinge, 5/11/2007 )
Science Fiction Movie Plus Alt Music Mashups
Find herein a diverting trio of mashups - great sf imagery played against contemporary music.
(re: Various, 4/17/2007 )
Interview With Greg Bear On Quantico
This exclusive Technovelgy interview includes Greg Bear's comments on the ideas and devices used in his book Quantico.
(re: Greg Bear, 4/16/2007 )
Robot Painter 'Action Jackson' Mimics Jackson Pollock
This little robotic mechanism does a great job of creating works like those of Jackson Pollock.
(re: Anthony Boucher, 3/26/2007 )
Science Fiction And The Imagination of Technologists
MIT's Technology Review acknowledges the contributions of science fiction writers.
(re: Various, 3/17/2007 )
Everything Is Toy RFID-Enabled Fun
Cool prototype lets you impose music on your environment that makes you part of things, rather than distancing you from your surroundings.
(re: Vernor Vinge, 3/10/2007 )
eBayaday Sells A View On eBay
Slow light concept makes its way into the world of art.
(re: Bob Shaw, 3/10/2007 )
Pay With Your Cellphone
All you really need is your joymaker - I mean, cellphone.
(re: Frederik Pohl, 2/16/2007 )
Whereabouts Clock Set to 'Unreleased'
What ever happened to the Whereabouts Clock? I should have one by now - all my kids have cell phones.
(re: J.K. Rowling, 2/5/2007 )
Map Of World Happiness - A Global Projection of Subjective Well-Being
For the first time, a global projection of happiness is available; how happy are you?
(re: Various, 1/9/2007 )
Virtual Milgram Experiment
In this unusual twist on an iconic psych experiment of the 1960's, humans show what they are made of.
(re: Various, 12/26/2006 )
Hack Your Reality The Virtual Way
Yet another way for us to manipulate ourselves; and for others to manipulate our internal worlds, perhaps.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 12/6/2006 )
Urban Cactus Architecture
This unusual building calls other science-fictional buildings to mind.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/1/2006 )
'Precrime' Database For London Homicide Prevention Unit
London's Metropolitan Precrime ... I mean, Police Homicide Prevention Unit are looking for people who will one day commit crimes.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 11/28/2006 )
Online Magic Wardrobe From Accenture
The study that goes along with this thing has some interesting ideas in it. Even if you aren't much for fashion.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 11/28/2006 )
Smart Homes And Municipal Darwinism
Recycling and self-sufficient, self-fueling homes are one thing, but let's not let this thing get out of hand.
(re: Philip Reeve, 11/24/2006 )
Digital Bible Player
At last - a pious portable media player.
(re: Frank Herbert, 11/24/2006 )
Dattoo Personal Skinprint Technology Concept
Dattoos are a concept now, but they could be implemented with technologies we have now.
(re: John Varley, 11/16/2006 )
Reactable Electro-Acoustic Tabletop Music Synthesizer
This music synthesizer can be played by anyone; it looks as cool as it sounds.
(re: Various, 11/8/2006 )
Cabrini-Green Windy City Musical Building
The partially demolished towers of Cabrini-Green project in Chicago are now playing mournful music appropriate to the Windy City.
(re: George R.R. Martin, 11/5/2006 )
The Church of Elvis
This is not the first online church virtual experience, but you might actually be closer to Elvis.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 11/2/2006 )
Big Brother Would Like A Word With You
In a dubious zero-tolerance policy toward unwanted behavior, Britain lets Big Brother do the talking.
(re: George Orwell, 10/27/2006 )
Two Human Species In 100,000 Years? Stick With Wells
Will the human species bifurcate into Haves and Have-Nots? Eloi and Morlocks?
(re: H.G. Wells, 10/26/2006 )
Books of Hope Talk to Everyone
These talking books from Africa are a first.
(re: Harlan Ellison, 10/21/2006 )
AIC-CI Cookingrobot Chinese Robotic Chef
Chinese fast foods now prepared by robots - maybe in your home before the end of the decade.
(re: Anthony Boucher, 10/16/2006 )
Second Life Now Has Reporters, Taxes
My enthusiasm for an escape to onlife life is waning...
(re: Neal Stephenson, 10/16/2006 )
Bytes Restaurant With Touchscreen Ordering
This modern approach to making food faster meets with customer approval; waiter/waitress bargaining units not so sure.
(re: Edgar Rice Burroughs, 10/15/2006 )
Color Frequency Video Turntable At NextFest 2006
This is a very cool item; fun to look at, fun to use and great to listen to.
(re: Various, 9/30/2006 )
Remember Ring From Goldsmith's
Unique ring uses a micro thermopile to help you remember important dates - yeah, like that one.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 9/24/2006 )
Miuro Autonomous Music Robot
Rather than outfitting your house with speakers in every room, why not have a stereo that follows you around?
(re: Herbert Goldstone, 9/1/2006 )
Roentgenizdat: X-Ray Bones Jazz Recordings
Amazing find from the old Soviet union - nothing held jazz fans back in those days.
(re: Various, 8/30/2006 )
Scrollbars and Selections Make User Interface Art Scene
Here's an artist who takes graphic user interface items and imposes them on the real world in the name of art.
(re: Various, 8/29/2006 )
Cyberviolence A Growing Web Trend In South Korea
Rumors and attacks on individuals by groups of Internet users is now a serious problem in South Korea.
(re: John Brunner, 8/17/2006 )
Information-Free Zones Future Vacation Spot
Interesting artistic concept - would you pay to keep from drowning in information and connectivity (at least on vacation)?
(re: John Brunner, 8/15/2006 )
Virtual Piano Keyboard
Much easier to carry up and down stairs to your new apartment.
(re: Frederik Pohl, 8/13/2006 )
Diebold AccuVote-TS Security Flaw
Diebold is at it again, this time threatening free and verifiable elections in the US.
(re: William Gibson, 7/31/2006 )
Buddy On Demand Inflatable Friend To Women Drivers
Inflatable dolls can make a real difference to lonely women driving at night, according to Reuters.
(re: , 7/26/2006 )
Russians Enjoy 'Total Recall'-Style Fake Vacations
Philip K. Dick fans will enjoy the story of this Russian tour agency that takes a page from We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/24/2006 )
Prayer Antenna Religious Technology Artifact
Religious technology takes a step forward with the development of the prayer antenna.
(re: Roger Zelazny, 7/15/2006 )
Mr. T Pities The Fool Who Won't Turn Left
Mr. T pities the fool who won't turn left; and he don't take no back talk, sucka!
(re: Various, 7/4/2006 )
Invisible Maze Conceptual Holodek
You need to squint a little to see this invisible maze - but it really is sort of like a holodek (alpha release, that is).
(re: Various, 6/4/2006 )
Micro Reactor Systems Creates Frank Herbert's Polawindows
Frank Herbert wrote about polawindows in 1972; after just thirty short years, you can buy them.
(re: Frank Herbert, 5/31/2006 )
VeriChip Chairman Proposes RFID Chips For Immigrants
Looks like VeriChip is looking to expand its market; what works for cattle should work for guest workers, apparently.
(re: Jack Vance, 5/31/2006 )
Her Majesty's 'Web Robot' Catches Tax Dodgers
Gadzooks! Loyal subjects concealing e-commerce income from Her Majesty caught by intelligent search agent.
(re: Frederik Pohl, 5/30/2006 )
TileToy LED Puzzle And Jeff Noon's Randominoes
Ever heard of randominoes? Sounds like someone has made something pretty close.
(re: Jeff Noon, 5/18/2006 )
EtchASound - Picture Your Voice
Hands-free Etch-A-Sketch in 3D; looks like great fun.
(re: Various, 5/15/2006 )
Everybody Will Be Kung Fu Fighting In New Game
Get off the couch and into the video - defy gravity without wires - use your own moves and your own weapons.
(re: , 5/5/2006 )
Religion In Space
How can you face Mecca when circling the Earth every 90 minutes? Just one problem faced by Muslims in space.
(re: Various, 4/23/2006 )
Bibliochaise Armchairlibrary
I could sit and read for a year straight in one of these.
(re: Various, 4/22/2006 )
Banned Xbox Commercial Flash Mob Homebrew
Not to be squashed by the bulk of Microsoft, dedicated xboxers use a flash mob to brew their own version of a banned commercial. Live. In public.
(re: Larry Niven, 4/21/2006 )
Eventful Timebrokers Your Future
Science fiction and culture merge in Eventful, a site on which sf writer Paul Di Fillipo's timebrokers would feel right at home.
(re: Paul Di Fillipo, 3/26/2006 )
US Company Implants Chips In Workers
Well, it's finally happened - US workers get chipped like dogs.
(re: William Gibson, 2/14/2006 )
'Electric Sheep' Gaining On Real Pets
Cute, cuddly robotic pets bring humans some of the same benefits as real pets. Electric sheep, anyone?
(re: Philip K. Dick, 1/26/2006 )
Lucent DVR Sleep Detector
Robert Heinlein anticipated Lucent technologies by forty-five years on this one.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 1/13/2006 )
Sony Reader Electronic Paper Book
Sony tries again with the Sony Reader - much improved DRM over its lockdown predecessor the LIBRIe.
(re: Arthur C. Clarke, 1/7/2006 )
Black MA-1 Jacket Written Into Existence By William Gibson
William Gibson writes it, and they make one for him. Damn.
(re: William Gibson, 1/1/2006 )
National Archives And Dune's House Records
Who's thought about records spanning milennia? Frank Herbert, that's who.
(re: Frank Herbert, 1/1/2006 )
TREETENTS And House Trees
Interesting realization of the pod-like dwellings described generations ago by Jack Vance.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/23/2005 )
USB Bible Tougher Than Filament OC Bible
More durable than the filament paper book; good for space travellers.
(re: Frank Herbert, 12/15/2005 )
Terasem Conference On Law Of Transhuman Persons
This past weekend, the First Annual Colloquium on the Law of Transhuman Persons took place in Florida
(re: Larry Niven, 12/12/2005 )
Virtual Air Guitar Totally Rocks, Dude
Awesome virtual air guitar hack lets others hear what you've been playing for years.
(re: John Brunner, 11/29/2005 )
Space Aliens: The 'Mother' Of All Hallucinations?
What do so-called 'abductees' see when they describe that big head alien guy? A psychologist weighs in.
(re: Various, 11/22/2005 )
AI Software 'Robot' Lawyers Next Year
Software lawyers from Brin novel are just around the corner.
(re: David Brin, 11/13/2005 )
Catholic Belief And Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life
Jesuits in fact and in fiction aproach the question of whether aliens might exist, and if they have souls.
(re: James Blish, 11/10/2005 )
Second Skin Architecture: Mining Deep Mind
Architecture students go deep within and bring back visions of second skins.
(re: A.E. van Vogt, 9/25/2005 )
First Undersea Restaurant
Ithaa opened just forty years after Jack Vance wrote about them.
(re: Jack Vance, 9/20/2005 )
Weather As Art
In the aftermath of Katrina, many of us wish that we had greater control over the weather; sf writer John Varley wrote a great story about it.
(re: John Varley, 9/13/2005 )
WolframTones Cell Phone Tones From Cellular Automata
Wintermute back on your cellphone, mon.
(re: William Gibson, 9/11/2005 )
Animaris Percipiere: Walking Robotic Sculpture Stores Wind Energy
Huge clockwork automata beasts roaming the beaches - they live on wind power.
(re: Jack Vance, 8/22/2005 )
Node Explorer: Part Hitchhiker's Guide, Part Marauder's Map
A paperback book-sized location-aware media player designed for use at historical sites.
(re: Douglas Adams, 8/1/2005 )
Precrime Computer (Minus Precogs) Predicts Robbery
Police in Yonkers use a computer to predict a robbery - and it worked.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 7/24/2005 )
Robotic Singing Benches And Bins With Adam's GPP
Robotic benches and bins with Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Genuine People Personalities have been created by Greyworld, a group of London artists.
(re: Douglas Adams, 6/13/2005 )
Mars Crew Selection Fact And Fiction
According to a recent article in The Scientist, psychological factors would seriously challenge the crew of a manned Mars mission.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 4/14/2005 )
Prairie Dogs Can Talk, Says Scientist
According to Dr. Slobodchikoff, Professor of Biology at Northern Arizona University, prairie dogs are capable of referential communication.
(re: H. Beam Piper, 4/5/2005 )
Transgenic Zoo Needs Herbert's Fences
Peter Yeadon has been thinking about a Transgenic Zoo for Toronto; it is an ongoing study of nanotechnology and new medical techniques.
(re: Frank Herbert, 3/31/2005 )
ShasPod - Compact Talmud Study Aid
The ShasPod is a twenty-gigabyte iPod loaded with 2,711 shiurim, one for each page of the Talmud. A shiur is a brief (30-60 minute) discussion by a religious teacher. Each shiur is in English mixed with Aramaic (the language of the Talmud) and some h
(re: Frank Herbert, 3/17/2005 )
Augmented Reality Cemetery Tour - The Dead Speak
An Augmented Reality tour of Atlanta's Oakland cemetery will let the dead speak to visitors. In a recent trial run, users carried laptops in backpacks and used game controllers to navigate the cemetary.
(re: Rudy Rucker, 2/18/2005 )
Drive To Musical Wege House On Musical Road
Wege House is a unique house built along a Lake Michigan beach. The core of the house consists of massive beams forty feet in length. They are the basis for the core musical instruments of the house - two long stringed instruments. When played, the l
(re: George RR Martin, 2/3/2005 )
Asteroid Named After Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, now has an asteroid to call his own. Asteroid Douglasadams was among the 71 newly named celestial objects announced by the International Astronomical Union this past Tuesday.
(re: Douglas Adams, 1/27/2005 )
Hit Song Science (HSS): Finetune Your Tracks
A computer program called Hit Song Science (HSS) from Polyphonic HMI, is being used to predict success or failure for music. And it is being used by musicians around the world to "finetune" the music to which every one of us listens.
(re: William Gibson, 1/19/2005 )
A Sleeping Bag That Walks
Japanese mail-order magazine Tsuhan Seikatsu offers a new kind of sleeping bag experience for you jaded hikers and backpackers - the Arukeru Nebukuro, literally 'the sleeping bag you can walk in.'
(re: Clifford Simak, 1/10/2005 )
Shuffle Master Bets On RFID Poker Chips
Casinos have sought in vain to accurately track table game bets and rate a player's wagering tendencies - until now. Shuffle Master has acquired two RFID patents that will allow them to track every chip on the table.
(re: Bruce Sterling, 1/6/2005 )
Biojewelry Bone Ring To Go With Your Jeweleye
Looking for an accessory for your Jeweleye eyeball jewelry? Here it is!
(re: Frank Herbert, 1/4/2005 )
The Loneliest Whale and Ray Bradbury
In 1989, a very unusual set of whale calls were noticed in the North Pacific basin; the calls have been consistently recorded since 1992.
(re: Ray Bradbury, 12/31/2004 )
Gated Communities Flourish - Offline and Online
Gated communities are gaining popularity - online and off.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 12/31/2004 )
Shadow Sculptures Of Shiego Fukuda
Sculptor Shiego Fukuda created an apparently abstract three-dimensional object - However, the image that Fukuda wants you to see is the shadow of the sculpture - a motorcycle that can be seen when a light is passed through.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/24/2004 )
Man vs. Machine: Surviving Compaction In A Garbage Truck
In a classic story of man versus machine that took place right in my own home town, a homeless man in Ann Arbor, Michigan survived compaction in a garbage truck.
(re: George Lucas, 12/18/2004 )
Encyclopedia Googleactica - Google To Put All Human Knowledge Online
Google to put ten million books online; thank goodness for google. Of course, we're still waiting for Google Audio (TM) and Google Video (TM)...
(re: Robert Heinlein, 12/15/2004 )
Skeletar And Dragon Lyre ExoticGuitars - Science Fiction Instruments
Luthier Peter McGilton has used his Masters Degree in Fine Arts, and post graduate studies in classical instrument construction, to take the guitar-maker's art to truly science-fictional levels. Jack Vance would love this guy.
(re: Jack Vance, 12/7/2004 )
iBand Exchanges Data With Handshake But Lacks Hand Jive Recognition
As the makers of the new iBand remark, initial meetings and introductions build relationships, but only if you can remember whom you shook hands with. That's why the iBand gathers and processes information automatically when it registers a handshake
(re: Neal Stephenson, 11/18/2004 )
Beer Drinking Elephants Wish For Draco Tavern
Wild elephants shouldn't trample villagers to get at rice beer - they should try the Draco Tavern.
(re: Larry Niven, 11/15/2004 )
Interactive Face For Big Brother
Tired of stiff, unmoving, iconic images of Big Brother? Take a look at Jeremiah, a virtual face that interacts with the people around him.
(re: L. Frank Baum, 11/11/2004 )
WiFi Hog - Early Xmas For Nihilistic Technofetishists
Do you long to stake your claim to the wireless wide open spaces? Here's the tool for the bandwidth hog (cybersquatter?) in all of us.
(re: William Gibson, 11/9/2004 )
10x10 News Interface Cooler Than Google's By Factor Of 10
I love Google, but 10x10 is a Flash-based news interface created by Jonathan Harris that presents a grid of pictures in the news.
(re: Various, 11/8/2004 )
Future Face - The Principal Eigenface?
Will the widespread use of digital enhancement to "improve" faces in photographs suggest the kind of face that people will have in the future?
(re: William Gibson, 10/22/2004 )
Using Bad Movies To Teach Good Science
Science News has a good article on how bad science movies are being used by good science educators.
(re: Various, 10/22/2004 )
Alter Ego Exhibit - Avatars Revealed
Earlier this month, an exhibition of avatars and their real-life counterparts opened in London. Is there a relationship between the visage of the avatar and the form of the real person?
(re: Neal Stephenson, 10/19/2004 )
Northwestern Researchers Can Remember It For You Wholesale
Researchers are working on making Rekal, Inc. a reality - false memory research is progressing.
(re: Philip K. Dick, 10/15/2004 )
Is Your Candidate Human?
In San Francisco they've been testing candidates for mayor with the Voight-Kampff empathy test from Bladerunner. I think they detected a politician...
(re: Philip K. Dick, 10/10/2004 )
Smart Tag Art In London
This site showcases hundreds of examples of tag art - they're too cool to scrape off.
(re: William Gibson, 9/6/2004 )
Computer Key Rings
Marché Noir's Computer Key Rings are spring mounted to accurately reproduce the action on your favorite key - so you can hit it whenever you need to reboot your cool.
(re: Robert Heinlein, 8/29/2004 )
The Rapture Of The Avatar
The Church of Fools, the Internet's first virtual-reality place of worship, got off to an unusual start when the avatar of Reverend Jem Clines turned to face the sanctuary wall and disappeared, leaving virtual parishioners thinking about The Rapture.
(re: Neal Stephenson, 5/13/2004 )
Church of Fools: The Coming Of The Avatar?
The Church of Fools, an experiment in online, interactive worship, will open its virtual doors this coming May 11th. The service will be lead by real priests or pastors who appear as "avatars."
(re: Neal Stephenson, 4/19/2004 )
Yumemi Kobo - Lucid Dream Workshop
Takara Co of Japan claims to have a machine that allows users to have the dreams they want - a dream factory.
(re: Peter Watts, 1/15/2004 )

 

 

 

 

 

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