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"Science fiction has gotten more accurate as we've gotten closer to the present, because science fiction stories have not only attracted, but also generated current scientists."
- Larry Niven
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| Vibration Screen | ||
| Subtle rays prevent electronic surveillance. |
In an era when techniques exist to see inside enclosed spaces (and even solid objects), what can be done when you want your research kept private?
| "...Hugh, you are working on a secret invention. Over there!" He pointed to the tiny proto-steel hut at the farther end of the trench. It was blank, windowless, and a faint shimmer of rays played over its smooth surface...
That faint electric discharge playing over its surface was a vibration screen, which had repelled even the subphoton search ray of the enemy. |
| Technovelgy from The Shining One,
by Nat Schachner. Published by Astounding Science-Fiction in 1937 Additional resources -
|
To see what the vibration screen was intended to defend against, see the subphoton search ray from the same story.
For those who think that vibration screens are a purely sfnal mattter (who needs one?), take a look at current work in seeing through walls into hidden chambers or rooms; DARPA Radar Scope Can Sense Thru Walls and LEXID Sees Through Walls To Next Apartment.
See also this article on looking inside solid objects - Diamond Light Source Illuminates Manuscripts.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Shining One
More Ideas
and Technology by Nat Schachner
Tech news articles related to The Shining One
Tech news articles related to works by Nat Schachner
| India Ponders Always-On Smartphone Location Tracking |
| LingYuan Vehicle Roof Drones Now Available, ala Blade Runner 2049 |
| Chameleon Personalized Privacy Protection Mask |
| Spherical Police Robot Rolls In China |
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'Power could be compressed thus into an inch-square cube of what looked like blue-white ice'
'It's so light that you can set it up in five minutes by yourself...'
'Heavy penalties... were to be applied to any one found driving manually-controlled machines.'
'Buy a Little Dingbat... electropen, wrist watch, pocketphone, pocket radio, billfold ... all in one.'
'... an elastic, tinted material that had all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.'
'It is remarkable that the long leverages of their machines are in most cases actuated by a sort of sham musculature...'
