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"the [science fiction] writer should be able to convince the reader (and himself) that the wonders he is describing really can come true...and that gets tricky when you take a good, hard look at the world around you."
- Frederik Pohl
 |
| Odalarm | ||
| An alarm clock that awakens the sleeper with a selected odor. |
Why can't I buy one of these?* Not that I want it for myself; I'm just thinking of all those aromatherapy people I know. Just imagine waking up to a pleasant scent of - whatever it is that they use.
| "The odalarm awoke Jorj X. McKie with a whiff of lemon. For just an instant his mind played tricks on him. He thought he was on Tutalsee's gentle planetary ocean floating softly on his garlanded island. There were lemons on his floating island, banks of Hibiscus and carpets of spicy Alyssum. His bowered cottage lay in the path of perfumed breezes ..." |
| From The Dosadi Experiment,
by Frank Herbert. Published by Berkley Putnam in 1977 Additional resources -
|
Given the fact that odors are wired into our brain even better than sound or sight, you ought to be able to really key in something that gives you the wake-up you need. Need to feel self-confident and alert for that big meeting? No problem. Need to relax for the first day of vacation? Got you covered.
There are several companies who are working on the idea of a multi-purpose (multi-scent) device; kind of like a printer for smells. Trisenx has actually released a product, the Scent Dome, a 20-channel serial port device that enables olfactory diffusion (online or offline). The unit is equipped with 20 CH-aroma cartridges, providing the user with a selection of 60 primary aromas. These aromas are like an alphabet of smells; combine the "letters" to create the distinctive smell of leaves in the fall, apple pie, etc. The device should have a variety of applications for consumers (haven't you noticed how certain stores always smell the same? and wouldn't you expect the Starbucks website to smell like coffee brewing?) as well as business (mechanics can smell burnt wiring or other sign of serious trouble). Take a closer look at the Trisenx Scent Dome for olfactory diffusion.
However, if you're just trying to get up in the morning, you might also want to try a more traditional, gravity based way to get yourself up. See the entry for mattress sleep sensor from Dream Park by Larry Niven.
* Check out the Hakugen Scent Alarm Clock!
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Dosadi Experiment
More Ideas
and Technology by Frank Herbert
Tech news articles related to The Dosadi Experiment
Tech news articles related to works by Frank Herbert
Odalarm-related
news articles:
- Frank Herbert's Odalarm - Scent-Based Alarm Clock Update
- Sad Day For Odor Alarm Clock Enthusiasts
- Wasabi-Based Odor Alarm
- Wasabi Smoke Alarm Now Available
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