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"None of us, no matter what continent or island or ice cap, asked to be born in the first place, and that even somebody as old as I am, which is 80, only just got here."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
 |
| Readout Skin | ||
| Normal-appearing skin that can be used as an output device for text or graphics. |
If they can make artificial skin, why can't it do more than just keep my internals internal?
| Call me old-fashioned. I'm the only reporter I know who still uses his handwriter except to take notes…I snapped the fingers of my left hand… Three rows of four colored dots appeared on the heel of my left hand. By pressing the dots in different combinations with my fingertips I was able to write the story in shorthand, and watch the loops and lines scrawl themselves on a strip of readout skin on my wrist, just where a suicide would slash himself. |
| From Steel Beach,
by John Varley. Published by Ace Putnam in 1992 Additional resources -
|
Compare to signal skin from Iain Banks' 2004 novel The Algebraist.
Now, let's take this idea a step further. If you had readout skin all over your body, you could change your tattoos whenever you want. If you had readout skin covering your upper body, you could output appropriate graphics that looked like you were wearing a suit (haven't I seen a t-shirt like that?)
Artificial skin? Here's how Integra works:
The inner layer of INTEGRA® Dermal Regeneration Template is composed of pure collagen (protein) fibers from cows and glycosaminoglycan (a natural component of human skin) made from shark cartilage. When placed on a wound where burned or scarred skin has been removed, INTEGRA Template provides the needed framework for the blood vessels and dermal skin cells to re-grow into a new skin layer. The silicone outer layer temporarily closes the wound to ward off infection and control fluid and heat loss.
Read more at www.skinhealing.com.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Steel Beach
More Ideas
and Technology by John Varley
Tech news articles related to Steel Beach
Tech news articles related to works by John Varley
Readout Skin-related
news articles:
- Skin Cells Genetically Modified To Fight Infection
- Skinput Uses Your Skin As An Input Device
- Stretchable Electronic Skin Input Device Video
- NailO Thumb-Mounted Mouse Needs John Varley's Help
- Cicret Interactive Skin Display Prototype
- Organic Photonic Skin Display
- Cicret Makes Your Skin Into A Display
- 3D Printed Stretchable Skin For Robots AND You!
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Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
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'But when Old Father Sun departs, the chromoplastic reverts to transparency in the dark.'
'It extended three of its tiny arms sideways to lock onto the registration pins...'
'The grey gas not only cut off his vision, but also his other senses...'
'Mass-produced in the orbiting factories...'
'I enjoy watching this way, but - He waved his hand and the circuit switched abruptly.'
SF writers popularized and elaborated on this idea a generation before the first patents were filed.
'The autopilot would need data before it could begin a translation...'
'Sealed to the ground along all the sides, Honey, he growled...'
