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"In my mind I have gone all over the universe, which may make it less important for me to make piddling little trips... I did enjoy seeing Stonehenge. It looked exactly the way I thought it would look."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Embryonic Robots | ||
| Very small robots, possibly a very early reference to nanotechnology in science fiction. |
At this point in the story, someone uses a lifelike humanoid robot to plant listening devices (and maybe more):
| The bureaucrat in Appleford had been ensnared by the bait; his attention distracted, the librarian had become oblivious to the robot and to its actions. Therefore, as Appleford read, the robot expertly slid its chair back and to the left side, close to a reference card case of impressive proportions. Lengthening its right arm, the robot crept its manual grippers of fingeroid shape into the nearest file of the case; this Appleford did of course not see, and so the robot then continued with its assigned task. It placed a miniaturized nest of embryonic robots, no larger than pinheads, within the card file, then a tiny find-circuit transmitter behind a subsequent card, then at last a potent detonating device set on a three-day command circuit. |
| From Counter Clock World,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Berkley in 1967 Additional resources -
|
The purpose of these tiny "embryonic robots" is not clear; neither is their functioning. However, the notion of a robot that is no larger than a pinhead is clearly a reference to what we today would call a "nanobot" or nanotechnology machine. See the article on autofac for an even earlier reference from Dick.
(Thanks to Rudi Martinez for this suggestion.)
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Counter Clock World
More Ideas
and Technology by Philip K. Dick
Tech news articles related to Counter Clock World
Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick
Embryonic Robots-related
news articles:
- Bush Signs Nanotech R&D Act
- Untethered Microrobots Dance, Form Self-Organized Structures
| Robots Help People Get Dressed, As Predicted In 1931 |
| Robot Snake Flies, Fights Fires |
| IPAL Chinese Robot Babysitter |
| DIY Autonomous Robot Detects Trash |
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'Merton... placed the electrodes of the sleep-inducer on his forehead.'
'... we can descend and live down there at one of those year-round aquatic resorts.'
'...she would have to be coaxed by another series of pats into a circular orbit.'
'The sleek, tapered space shuttle lay immobile upon the private landing field...'
Yes, people of the future, robots will dress you.
