Virtual Light by William Gibson:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

Set in California (well, NoCal and SoCal) in 2005, there is a lot of social upheaval (homeless people seize the San Francisco bay bridge for living space, television worship). A bicycle messenger turned pickpocket steals a set of high-tech sunglasses that can see into a special dataset; DatAmerica corporate types pursue. Select an invention:

Canola Oil - a cob in your tank
Vegetable oil refined for use as fuel

Chunker - non-violent weapon
A device that fires small cubes of rubber; a non-lethal form of riot control.

Fractal Knife - more cutting surface
The blade uses a fractal geometry to increase its cutting surface.

Hood Hologram
A hologrammatic display on the outside surface of a car.

Separated At Birth Database
Missing persons database uses similarity to famous people.

Stealth House - toxic dwellings
A home that is entirely sealed, leading to toxic buildup.

 

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Science Fiction
in the News

LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
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Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
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Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
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When Your Child's Best Friend Is An AI
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China's Drone Mothership Can Carry 100 Drones
re: Daniel Suarez
(6/11/2025)

Drones Recharge In Mid-Air Like Jets Refuel!
re: Neal Stephenson
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Australian Authors Reject AI Training Of Llama
re: Anthony Boucher
(6/7/2025)

Is China Mining Helium-3 On The Moon's Farside?
re: Ray Cummings
(6/5/2025)

Maybe It's Too Soon To Require Autonomous Mode
re: Arthur C. Clarke
(6/3/2025)

Is Agentic AI The Wrong Kind Of Smartness?
re: Isaac Asimov
(6/1/2025)

Heat Waver - The First Ever Combo Solar Collector And Wind Turbine
re: Simpson Stokes
(5/29/2025)

Tesla 'Fleet Response Agents' Bolster FSD Autonomy
re: Charles Stross
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Mori3 Autonomous Shapeshifting Robot
re: Stargate
(5/25/2025)

Tesla Seeks 'Tesla Robotaxi' And 'Robobus' Trademarks Ignoring Prior Art
re: Gordon R. Dickson
(5/23/2025)

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