 |
Sietch
A cave warren designed to protect a tribal community, with a population of thousands, with its own water supply in an endless desert. (Read the full article)
| "I think the term "sietch" night be related to a word "siech" in the dialect of Russian spoken by Cossacks. A siech is the war camp where a cossack host musters." (Eric S. Raymond 1/20/2010 3:06:11 AM ) |
| "Eric - interesting speculation. I've never read anything by Frank Herbert or any of his biographers about his derivation of the word." (Bill Christensen 1/20/2010 4:55:17 AM ) |
| "If you look up Taras Bulba in wiki-they use the word Sich.These are more than war camps- they tend to be natural redoubts, like islands or high ground in the middle of a swamp, so they are "places of safety".Herbert tends to use ideas and concepts from lots of exotic cultures. I recently made the connection between the Butlerian Jihad and the law brought into question at the Scopes trial...The Butler Act." (ursus 2/11/2010 9:14:58 PM ) |
Leave a comment:
Tediously, spammers have returned. So, send me your comments to bill at the site name (be sure to mention the page) and I'll post them. Thanks!
Current News Articles
Russians Create Robot Tank Platoons
'The remotely-operated robot tank is an old idea...'
3D-Printed Exoskeleton Learns From Your Hand
'...small electric motors at the principal joints worked the prosthetic framework by means of steel cables...'
Smartwatch Powered By Slime Mold
'Living protoplasm incorporated into the Ampek F-a2 recording system...'
Unmanned Boats Attack At Sea
'The autofreighter smashed into the boat...'
Carpentopod Walking Table
'Twoflower's Luggage, which was currently ambling along on its little legs...'
Iron Drone Raider Counter-UAV Operations
'You've got an aggressive machine up in the air now.'
SpaceX Rocket Shuttle Point-To-Point On Earth
'He came to as the ship went into free flight, arching in a high parabola over the plains...'
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
