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"...a lot of people find adventure on the Internet. That's their idea of being interactive. My idea of being interactive is going on out and doing it on the street."
- Harlan Ellison
 |
| Toy Testing Dummy | ||
| A child-sized device used to test suspect toys. |
The Terran Bureau of Import Standards had one essential job; to make sure that toys from those rebellious outer planets and moons didn't try to sneak in some kind of weapon disguised as a toy.
| "Do you believe there's anything in this caution, or is it more paranoia about "alien milieux?"
Pinario said, "It's justified, especially where children's artifacts are concerned." A few hand-signals, and a slab of wall exposed a side room. Propped up in the center was a sight that caused Wiseman to halt. A plastic life-size dummy of a child, perhaps five years old in appearance, wearing ordinary clothes, sat surrounded by toys. At this moment, the dummy was saying, "I'm tired of that. Do something else." It paused a short time, and then repeated, "I'm tired of that. Do something else." The toys on the floor, triggered to respond to oral instructions, gave up their various occupations, and started fresh. "It saves on labor costs," Pinario explained. |
| Technovelgy from War Game,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Galaxy Publishing in 1959 Additional resources -
|
They force the toys to go through their entire repertoire; experts view the tapes if it becomes necessary.
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- PETMAN Humanoid Robot
| Harrison Bergeron, Illustrated And Practiced |
| Buy A Galaxy? Maybe Start Smaller |
| Is There A Global Problem With Who Is Having Children? |
| Warfare Goes Underground In Ukraine |
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'The answer to the dumb student's prayer.'
'He had travelled the space-lanes of the solar system for the greater part of his life...'
'The dinner was excellent. It was completely vegetarian — grown in specially prepared gardens in this Moon base...'
'Telepaths had their sensitiveness enlarged to an immense range by the pin-sets, which were telepathic amplifiers adapted to the mammal mind.'
'It was a relief to enter one of the comfortable autos, whisper a direction down the tube, and just know that you would be taken to your destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest manner.'
'But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts. George winced...'
'The vast spinning sphere of Factory in the Sky loomed above and ahead of us, gleaming white against the unfathomable jet depths of surrounding space.'
'And if it doesn’t work,' inquired Lazarus, 'what does that make us? Sunspots?'
'The Dillard people had performed a miracle and put all the works in a girl-modeled case.'
