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"I think a lot of kids whose mental growth outruns their maturity gravitate to science fiction."
- Dan Simmons

Information Sharing (Watchbird Network)  
  Watchbird drones can see and learn and then share new information, methods and definitions.  

"...Well, I'm really damned. Those watchbirds work!"

He stared until the wings disappeared in the sky. Then he telephoned the police.

The watchbird returned to his search curve. His thinking center correlated the new facts he had learned about murder. Several of these he hadn't known before.


(Watchbird from 'Watchbird' by Robert Sheckley)

This new information was simultaneously flashed to all the other watchbirds and their information was flashed back to him.

New information, methods, definitions were constantly passing between them...

The watchbird stood on guard, fluttering in mid-air —

Making sure no murder was done.

New data flashed along the watchbird network. Unmonitored, independent, the thousands of watchbirds received and acted Upon it.

Technovelgy from Watchbird, by Robert Sheckley.
Published by Galaxy in 1953
Additional resources -

Compare to Talk Between Robots from The Midas Plague (1954) by Frederik Pohl, the Robot-Control Wave Band from Rex (1934) by Harl Vincent, mentanical communication from The Mentanicals (1934) by Francis Flagg and Autonomous Car Intercommunication from Sally (1953) by Isaac Asimov.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Watchbird
  More Ideas and Technology by Robert Sheckley
  Tech news articles related to Watchbird
  Tech news articles related to works by Robert Sheckley

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Science Fiction in the News

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'He came to as the ship went into free flight, arching in a high parabola over the plains...'

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'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'

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‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.

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This is nothing new for science fiction fans!

Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...'

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'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'

Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'

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'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'

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