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"The wealth of the universe is all over your head. We need to take command of the solar system to gain that wealth..."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Bubble | ||
| An undersea elevator. |
This is real imaginative thinking. We think of elevators as utilitarian spaces; they do not need to offer more, because we only occupy them for a few moments, and space is at a premium. However, what if you were going to occupy the elevator for many minutes?
| His class took one of the dozen bubbles back to the surface: slow-moving pressurized elevators that traveled up and down Xanadu's gigantic tether chains, ferrying work crews, researchers, and students. Each was large enough for ten people to lounge comfortably, with food processors, entertainment centers, Napcaps, and linking facilities. They had spent less than four hours down on the floor; the trip back would be a leisurely lunch. |
| Technovelgy from Saturn's Race,
by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes). Published by Tor in 2000 Additional resources -
|
I think there are restaurants that start at the bottom of a tall pole, then spiral slowly upward while dinner is served, then back down again during dessert.
I was thinking about the idea that ideally you should be able to state your business idea in the length of time it takes to go three floors. What if you could bribe the elevator to go slower if you realized you had a potential client to talk to?
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Tech news articles related to works by Larry Niven (w/S. Barnes)
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| Japan Automated Cargo Transport |
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'Twoflower's Luggage, which was currently ambling along on its little legs...'
'He came to as the ship went into free flight, arching in a high parabola over the plains...'
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
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