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"The way you write science fiction is: you sit down at your writing machine and you open your mind to the first thought that comes through."
- Frederik Pohl
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| Information Sharing (Watchbird Network) | ||
| Watchbird drones can see and learn and then share new information, methods and definitions. |
| "...Well, I'm really damned. Those watchbirds work!"
He stared until the wings disappeared in the sky. Then he telephoned the police. The watchbird returned to his search curve. His thinking center correlated the new facts he had learned about murder. Several of these he hadn't known before.
 (Watchbird from 'Watchbird' by Robert Sheckley) This new information was simultaneously flashed to all the other watchbirds and their information was flashed back to him. New information, methods, definitions were constantly passing between them... The watchbird stood on guard, fluttering in mid-air — Making sure no murder was done. New data flashed along the watchbird network. Unmonitored, independent, the thousands of watchbirds received and acted Upon it. |
| Technovelgy from Watchbird,
by Robert Sheckley. Published by Galaxy in 1953 Additional resources -
|
Compare to the robot language from Frankenstein - Unlimited (1936) by H.A. Highstone, the Talk Between Robots from The Midas Plague (1954) by Frederik Pohl, the Robot-Control Wave Band from Rex (1934) by Harl Vincent, mentanical communication from The Mentanicals (1934) by Francis Flagg and Autonomous Car Intercommunication from Sally (1953) by Isaac Asimov.
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'There was a wall ahead... It was riddled with holes that were the mouths of tunnels.'
'...support the interior human structure against Jupiter’s pull.'
'Anything larger than a BB shot it picked up and placed in a tray...'
'The German chemists have discovered how to supply the needed elements in compact, undiluted form...'
'Compounds devised by the biochemists for the rapid building of bone...'
'The car faltered as the external command came to brake...'
'It is about the size and shape of a kitchen stool, gyro-stabilized...'
