Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"...being predictive, being right about the future, is not the point of any given story or novel. The point is about exploring as wide a range of possibilities as possible."
- Peter Watts
 |
| Hypnotic injunction | ||
| A method of hypnosis that prevents people from revealing particular information. |
In Methuselah's Children, a significant part of the population has achieved a relatively long lifespan; as long as 200 years. These people are hidden among the general population, their secret having been kept hidden.
After some years, a small number of this group decided to reveal themselves and their capacity for long life. The political leaders of the general population decide to take the secret of long life from this group by force.
| "On the advice of Ralph Schultz the trustees have been preceding quietly for the past three months to persuade revealed Members to undergo hypnotic instruction. We were largely successful." He paused. "Make in march, Zack," Lazarus urged. "Are we covered? Or not?" "We are not. At least two of our cousins certain to be arrested are not so protected." Lazarus shrugged. "That tears it. Kinfolk, the game's over. One shot in the arm of babble juice and the 'masquerade' is over. It's a new situation or will be in a few hours. What you propose to do about it?" |
| Technovelgy from Methuselah's Children,
by Robert Heinlein. Published by Astounding Science-Fiction in 1941 Additional resources -
|
Hypnosis has a surprising long history. The ancient Egyptians used it in temples; a 3rd century (CE) manuscript has this interesting procedure:
The modern history of hypnosis begins with a student of Franz Anton Mesmer used some of his techniques of "animal magnetism" to place people in an unusual state in the early 1800's. It looked like sleep, but the person could still respond to questions or commands. The term "hypnotism" was coined in 1843 by James Braid, a Scottish surgeon.
The idea of using hypnosis to plant a deep inhibition against revealing information is also explored in the novel the stars my destination by Alfred Bester, published in 1957 (see sympathetic block).
"You take a boy and sit him upon another new brick, his face being turned to the lamp and you close his eyes and recite these things which are written above down into the boy's head, seven times. You make him open his eyes. You say to him: 'Do you see the light?' When he says to you, 'I see the light in the flame of the lamp', you cry at that moment, saying 'Heoue' nine times. You ask him concerning everything that you wish."
Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Methuselah's Children
More Ideas
and Technology by Robert Heinlein
Tech news articles related to Methuselah's Children
Tech news articles related to works by Robert Heinlein
| Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea. |
| Heart Patches Grown In The Lab Repair Hearts |
| Pixel Watch 'Loss of Pulse Detection' And Philip K. Dick |
| ErythroMer Artificial Blood |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
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 Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'...small electric motors at the principal joints worked the prosthetic framework by means of steel cables...'
'Living protoplasm incorporated into the Ampek F-a2 recording system...'
'Twoflower's Luggage, which was currently ambling along on its little legs...'
'He came to as the ship went into free flight, arching in a high parabola over the plains...'
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
