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"But the problem with reincarnation is that it's hard to imagine what the storage medium for past lives would be. Not to mention the input-output device. I hesitate to rule it out completely, but I'd need pretty definite proof."
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The idea of being able to harness random or stray energy, whether of mechanical vibration or electromagnetic impulses is an important one, and this is the first reference to this idea that I know about, in science fiction or otherwise.
Here's a description of this marvelous device:
In the front of the room was the control platform.
Two or three control levers, a periscope arrangement
for obtaining unobstructed vision in all directions, and
a glass case containing the navigating instruments completed the equipment of this pilot house.
“You have observed the sphere and the conical object
trained upon it. Both are of adamite, the alloy which
I mentioned. When in operation, the sphere is protonically charged, and the truncated cone of adamite collects the electrons, taking them from their regular orbits
and redirecting them in a continuous stream against
whichever portion of the sphere it is pointed at. If you
remember your ancient history, you will recall that in the early twentieth century a vessel for travel on the
ocean surface was invented by one Flettner. This vessel obtained its driving force from the winds by means
of two large vertical rotors on the deck. In much the
same way as these forces were transmitted to the hull
of Flettner’s vessel, we utilize the stray electronic energy to drive our aero.
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Science Fiction
Timeline
SpaceX Intros Extravehicular Activity Suit
'Provision had been made to meet the terrific cold which we knew would be encountered the moment we had passed beyond the atmosphere.'
Athena Smart Security Guard Robot With Face Recognition
'You are who we say you are, Dr. Dakin,' Turner said.'
The FLUTE Project - A Huge Liquid Mirror In Space
'It's area, and its consequent light-gathering capacity, was many times greater than any rigid mirror...'
Robot Preachers Found To Undermine Religious Commitment
'Tell me your torments,' the Padre said, in an elderly voice marked with compassion.
SpaceHopper Microgravity Robot Lands On Its Feet
'...a slender-legged tripod surmounted by a spherical body no larger than a football.'
Brin's 1990 Novel Earth Still Full Of Predictions
'... making the point that their likenesses, every move they made, were being transmitted.'
Gaia - Why Stop With Just The Earth?
'But the stars are only atoms in larger space, and in that larger space the star-atoms could combine to form living matter, thinking matter, couldn't they?'
Microsoft VASA-1 Creates Personal Video From A Photo
'...to build up a video picture would require, say, ten million decisions every second. Mike, you're so fast I can't even think about it. But you aren't that fast.'
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