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"I can remember when the first pulsars were discovered. I was able to go and sit down and listen to graduate students talking about what their theories, to explain what pulsars really were."
- Vernor Vinge

Robot-Deranger  
  A ray that discombobulates robots of all kinds.  

"I could not get you because your circuit was broken," it said. "Our air-vessel Micrad; bearing the large projector of the Robot-deranger, landed on the ocean surface two hundred miles from New York harbor. It was forced down when your district air-power failed."

...

"The Micrad is coming with the long-range deranger," Tina told them briefly. After a moment they hastened away upstairs and I heard one of them shouting...

We saw a white search-beam from the Micrad come down and disclosed a group of Robots on the laboratory roof. Then the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and they stood an instant transfixed, stricken, with wildly flailing arms. Then one toppled and fell. Then another. Two rushed together, locked in each other's grip, desperately fighting because of some crazy, deranged thought-impulse. They swayed and tore at each other until both wilted and sank inert.

Technovelgy from The Exile of Time, by Ray Cummings.
Published by Astounding Stories in 1931
Additional resources -

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from The Exile of Time
  More Ideas and Technology by Ray Cummings
  Tech news articles related to The Exile of Time
  Tech news articles related to works by Ray Cummings

Robot-Deranger-related news articles:
  - Safe Street Rebel Autonomous Vehicle Luddites And Schachner's 1931 Robot-Deranger

Articles related to Robotics
Mori3 Autonomous Shapeshifting Robot
Tesla Seeks 'Tesla Robotaxi' And 'Robobus' Trademarks Ignoring Prior Art
Scary Grid Safety Robots
Humanoid Boxing Robot KO's Opponent - It's A Knockout!

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