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
"I think we're still on that topic, still trying to figure out what computers are, how they change us, why we use them."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| Telechronometer | ||
| A watch that synchronizes itself to a remote source. |
The task of setting a chronometer has always been as much of a problem as making one run properly. Heinlein happened on a very modern solution to this task in 1940.
| Harrington glanced at his wrist watch - a bulky affair - and whistled. "Good heavens," he exclaimed, "I forgot the time!" "We are in zone plus-seven; this shows zone plus-five - it's radio-synchronized with the master clock at Washington..." "I call it a telechronometer; it's the only one of its sort to date." |
| From Blowups Happen,
by Robert Heinlein. Published by Street and Smith Publications in 1940 Additional resources -
|
Today, of course, you can actually purchase a watch like this:
Introducing the worlds first dual time zone, analog/digital atomic watch by Atomix. Both analog and digital time displays are automatically synchronized with the US atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado. The Atomix watch updates both analog and digital time ...
Want to know the right time? Visit the NIST radio station WWVB, broadcasting the correct time within about 1800 miles of colorado.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 1 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Blowups Happen
More Ideas
and Technology by Robert Heinlein
Tech news articles related to Blowups Happen
Tech news articles related to works by Robert Heinlein
Telechronometer-related
news articles:
- Seiko Astron Always Knows Your Time Zone
| Amazon Blimp Parent Drone Concept |
| Tortoise Mobile Smart Stores |
| Sony Pocket Air Conditioner Is Phil Dick's Idea! |
| ROAM Robotics Skiing Exoskeleton |
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
'The pokkecon rang again. *The coffee’s for him?* Tsuyoshi said.'
The Jetsons imagined so much future.
'Rod placed the brain inside the panel... the horse raised its head, wiggled its ears, blinked twice, gave a tentative whinny.'
'Pina2bo would have to operate full blast for many years to put as much SO2 into the stratosphere as its namesake had done in a few minutes.'
'Chain of hotels that specialized in non-human service.'
'But then... not every bulldozer operator works on the Moon.'
'Griff found the white and pink map distracting and switched it off using his tongue mouse.'
