Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"...a few centuries of coherent humanist thought, set against a million odd years of evolved killer ape tendency. No-one's going to give you very good odds on humanism, are they?"
- Richard Morgan
 |
| Positronic Brain | ||
| A computer CPU with the capacity to rival a human brain. |
This is the first reference to the phrase "positronic brain", if not the first use of the word "positronic", in science fiction (see below).
| By exact count, there are seventy-five thousand, two hundred and thirty-four operations necessary for the manufacture of a single positronic brain. |
| Technovelgy from Reason,
by Isaac Asimov. Published by Astounding Science Fiction in 1941 Additional resources -
|
Here's another quote:
It fitted snugly into the cavity in the skull of the robot on the table...
All that had been done in the mid 20th century on "calculating machines" had been upset by Robertson and his positronic brain paths. The miles of relays and photocells had given way to the spongy globe of platinum iridium about the size of the human brain.
The word "positronic" was used by itself in Trail of the Comet, a 1936 story by James Blish:
Compare to the Laminated Mouse Brain Computer from Think Blue, Count Two (1962) by Cordwainer Smith, the neuristor from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert Heinlein, the artificial brain from The Metal Giants (1926) by Edmond Hamilton, the synthetic brain from Mad Robot (1936) by Raymond Z. Gallun and the Thorsen memory tube from The Door Into Summer (1956) by Robert Heinlein.
Thanks to Alex Mair for contributing this item.
He handled it gingerly, for it was the most complicated mechanism ever created by man. Inside the thin platinum-plated “skin” of the globe was a positronic brain, in whose delicately unstable structure were inforced [sic] calculated neuronic paths, which imbued each robot with what amounted to a pre-natal education.
(The Positronic Brain from 'Reason' by Isaac Asimov)
The Planeteer brought out a heavy hammer and applied it diligently to the slats of the crate. "Positronic - uh - secondary screen -" he replied, between mighty tugs.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Reason
More Ideas
and Technology by Isaac Asimov
Tech news articles related to Reason
Tech news articles related to works by Isaac Asimov
Positronic Brain-related
news articles:
- Brain Chip Hardware Neurons And Synapses
- First Transistor That Mimics Brain Synapse
- Carbon Nanotube Synapse Circuit Like Human Neuron
- Human-like Brain For Robots?
- IBM's Neurosynaptic Computing Chips
- Neuromorphic Computer Offers Non-von Neumann Architecture
- Can An Entire Brain Be Simulated In A Computer?
| AI Operates An Excavator |
| Grok And The City Fathers From 'Cities In Flight' By James Blish |
| Will An AI Found A New Religion? |
| Orwell's Nightmare Of AI-Written Novels Comes To Pass |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'It sounds to me as though you had invented a kind of metal earthworm.'
'I don't have to tell you about the seven two-mile-diameter orbital mirrors that circulate around the satellite, making it habitable.'
'The steel tortoise gave MacKinnon a feeling of Crusoe- like independence.'
'...then back to their work, though little enough it was on these automatic cultivators.'
't came out into plain view. Darkington glimpsed a slim body and six short legs of articulated dull metal.'
'The suit stands up and starts walking, gripping me round the calves and waist, taking the bulk of my weight off my throbbing feet.'
'Internally it’s made up of millions of components, but the most important ones are the thinking and memory parts of the Mind proper.'
