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
"Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Dr. Smile | ||
| A suitcase-sized analyst; a machine that served as a psychotherapist. |
Barney Mayerson had a problem. He was about to be drafted, which in this future Earth means
that he was about to be selected to be resettled on another world. How to avoid this miserable
fate? Figure out some way to be declared "4F"; he was determined to develop enough neuroses to
be undraftable. All he needed was a good coach...
It fits the Dickian world perfectly; a psychiatrist is used to increase the number of neuroses.
| And there in the next room by the sofa sat a familiar suitcase, that of his psychiatrist Dr.
Smile. Barefoot, he padded into the living room, and seated himself by the suitcase; he opened it, clicked switches, and turned on Dr. Smile. Meters began to register and the mechanism hummed. "Where am I?" Barney asked it. "And how far am I from New York?" That was the main point... The mechanism which was the portable extension of Dr. Smile, connected by micro-relay to the computer itself in the basement level of Barney's own conapt building in New York, the Renown 33, tinnily declared, "Ah, Mr. Bayerson." "Mayerson," Barney corrected, smoothing his hair with fingers that shook. |
| Technovelgy from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Doubleday in 1965 Additional resources -
|
It should also be noted that this device is artificially intelligent and appears to be a distributed application, not merely a locally resident application:
Obligingly, the girl turned the psychiatrist on...
"I know a Mr. Bayerson," Dr. Smile said. "In fact I'm with him right now, via portable extension, of course, right in his office."
Later on, one of the characters has this to say about Dr. Smile:
Compare this device with
the robot psyche tester from Colony (1953) by Philip K. Dick, the unit analyst robot from The Chromium Fence (1955) by Philip K. Dick,
Sigrid von Shrink from Gateway (1970) by Frederik Pohl,
the machine psychologist from James Blish's Cities in Flight,
the mechanotherapist from Bad Medicine (a 1956 Robert Sheckley story).
"A psychiatrist? From one of those big conapts? Is it working? Turn it on."
"That's not really Dr. Smile; it's just pretend, to keep us from loneliness. It's alive but it's not connected with anything outside itself; it's what they call being on intrinsic."
Comment/Join this discussion ( 2 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
More Ideas
and Technology by Philip K. Dick
Tech news articles related to The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick
Dr. Smile-related
news articles:
- SHUTi - Automated Online Insomnia Treatment
- SPARX Fantasy Game Helps With Depression
- Computer Predicts Psychosis Better Than Psychiatrists
| Missing Jet Finally Found |
| Teslas Have Minds, Says Elon Musk |
| Are You Ready To Zoom With Dr. ChatGPT? |
| Ancient Cuneiform Texts Translated By AI - Sort Of |
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 crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
'It radiates outward in a cone which, by the time it has reached our section of space, is many lightyears across.'
'Drake was the young spatial engineer he employed to terraform the little rock.'
'... with a weird simulation of life, the ten forked ends of each arm commenced a rattling pressing of the buttons.'
'Each of the four areas is enclosed by a sonic wall...'
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
'If you surf over a bump... If you surf over a pothole...'
