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Science Fiction in the News Articles related to the works of John W. Campbell

John Wood Campbell was born in 1910; he died in 1971. He received a degree in Physics from MIT in 1923, publishing his first stories when still a student. In 1937 he became editor of Astounding Stories and discovered many great talents of sf, including Asimov, Heinlein, Sturgeon, van Vogt and others. He freely offered his ideas to his writers; Isaac Asimov has credited Campbell with the Three Laws of Robotics. (John W. Campbell [1931 Wonder Stories]) Science fiction in the News articles describe real-world events that relate to the ideas and inventions in sf novels and movies. Select a news article:

BLEEX: Robotic Exoskeleton Making Strides
   The Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX), a DARPA robotics engineering project that is designed to help foot soldiers carry more supplies for longer distances, was demonstrated in California earlier this week.
Super-Photons Used For Good, Not Evil
   Super-photons may be able to provide a way to encode yet more information on CDs; more powerful computers and higher data security may also be possible. This is not your father's Thessian super-proton technology.
NASA's New Radiation Shielding First Proposed By John W. Campbell In 1936
   NASA engineers are working on a clever new idea for shielding astronauts from cosmic rays - using the fuel and water needed for the journey for shielding. Just like John W. Campbell first proposed in 1936.
Moon Dust Substrate For Solar Panels
   Simulated moon dust has been used to make the substrate of a solar cell, according to University of Houston researchers. The fine grey powder is 50% silicon dioxide, along with a mixture of oxides of twelve different metals (including aluminum, magne
Nanostructured Thermoelectric Devices (And John W. Campbell, Jr.)
   Nanostructured thermoelectric devices may have a wide variety of practical applications, generating electricity from heat; sounds a lot like John W. Campbell's thermelectrium from a 1935 story.
Wooden Helicopter Personal Transportation
   The do-it-yourself spirit is alive and well in China; this farmer used materials at hand to construct a personal flying vehicle.
Radiation Aging - The Deadly Years In Space
   Radiation is a problem outside of our Earth's friendly magnetic field. Accelerated aging could result.
LEXID Sees Through Walls To Next Apartment
   The LEXID looks suspiciously close to being a consumer product; so much for privacy for apartment-dwellers.
ReWalk Medical Powered Exoskeleton
   The ReWalk device is slim enough that you can even fit it under your clothes, which you can't say about some of those other exoskeletons.
Intel Wireless Power Transmission
   Wireless transmission of power inflamed the imaginations of early twentieth century sf writers; Intel appears to have improved the efficiency of a basic technique.
Solar-Powered Aircraft In Fact and Fiction
   Solar aircraft have certain advantages; that's why they're attractive in fact and in fiction.
Be Martin Jetpack Test Pilot Via eBay
   Of course you do. Now, you have your chance at free flight with a jetpack.
Solar Impulse HB-SIA Solar-Powered Plane Tested
   Who will be the first person to fly a solar-powered plane around the world?
Electric Jet Planes With Superconducting Generators
   A recent study blames 15-20% of arctic melting on high altitude emissions from jet planes. Could electric jet planes work?
Bose Ride System Smooths Your Ride
   Yes, you'll ride the spaceways - uh, roads - in much greater comfort with a highly technological seat.
Buy Martin Jetpack This Fall
   Ah, how long we've been waiting for a usable jetpack. Remember those sf ideas of yesteryear?
Solar Impulse Solar-Powered PlaneFlies!
   First flight test for this plane.
Solar Impulse Completes Night Flight
   Recharge by day, fly by night. Solar Impulse completes a 26-hour journey.
MIT's Cornucopia Digital Robotic Food Concept
   Digital food the modern way. In concept, at least.
'Super Photons' Blob State Matter
   Amazing new material reveals once again the quantum nature of light.
Active Electrostatic Radiation Shielding For Space Craft
   You're going to need a shield out there; better get started.
VoltAir Electric Aircraft Concept
   An electric powered aircraft might be quieter and more comfortable.
Songdo IBD Smart City
   How smart do you want your city?
See People Through Walls
   You (and your imaginative proxies, sf writers) have been trying to see through walls for a long time.
HAL Exoskeleton To Assist At Fukushima
   Maybe atomic-powered lifting suits are not quite right for this mission. With video.
Transcontinental Flight By Solar-Powered Plane
   '...Placed in the wings of a plane to generate power from the light falling on that surface...'
3D Printer Runs On Moon Dust
   Fifties SF leaves engineers in the dust again.
NASA's Warp Speed Starship Design
   'As Earth's faster-than-light spaceship hung in the void between galaxies...'- John W. Campbell
Crystalized Light Created At Princeton
   'It will be matter, matter made of light...'- John W. Campbell, 1930.
3D Printing With Moon Regolith Simulant (Moon Dust)
   Don't forget, it costs about 5k dollars to lift one pound up from Earth. A penny saved is a penny earned.
SoundCloud's Hound Provides Conversational Interface (Video)
   'The machines had logic, and they could think constantly...'- John W. Campbell, 1935.
Airbus E-Fan All-Electric Plane Now Ready
   I couldn't believe it, either. An amazing technical feat.
Light Molecules (And Maybe Light Sabers, Someday)
   'It will be matter, matter made of light...'- John W. Campbell, 1930.
UK's Self-Repairing Cities
   'The city was divided into two sections, a section of many strata where machines functioned smoothly...' - John W. Campbell, 1934.
Martian Concrete, Rich In Sulphur, Made After Arrival
   'We have been mining steadily, and making some photocells...' - John W. Campbell, 1951.
Railguns For Surface Ships
   'It was simply a long solenoid that threw little steel bullets...' - John W. Campbell, 1933.
Brick By Brick, Building Martian Bases
   Don't try to boost everything from the surface of the Earth.
H-MEX Helpful Exoskeleton From Hyundai
   'We have those new suits rigged with atomic-powered lifting gadgets...' - John W. Campbell, 1938.
Robot Strolls Field, Examines EVERY Plant
   'The great machines that did the work ... required but a few dozen men to cultivate an entire county.' - John W. Campbell
Caihong Solar-Powered Drone 'Atmospheric Satellite'
   '... placed in the wings of a plane to generate power from the light falling on that surface.' - John W. Campbell, 1930.
3D Print Moon Dust Bricks
   More fun with simulated lunar regolith.
easyJet Short-Haul Electric Jets
   Have a little faith, will you? They're working on it.
Physicists Try To Turn Light Into Matter
   If E=mc squared, then... m=E/c squared!
NASA 3D Printed Habitat Challenge Won By AI SpaceFactory
   3D printing - on Mars!
HVSD, Kitty Hawk's Electric Plane
   Very quiet commuter plane offers VTOL service.
3D Printing With Sunlight And Sand
   'We made a crude, small cell and were delighted...' - John W. Campbell, 1950.
Is A Hollow Rotating Asteroid Habitat Practical?
   'Inside, the centrifugal force gives an acceleration just equal to one earth gravity...'- John W. Campbell, 1932.
Musk Claims Sublimity For Future Summon Feature
   'Once we move summon... to a single FSD stack, it will be sublime.' - Elon Musk, 2021.
Monarch Tractor - It's Electric, Autonomous and Smart
   'Driver-optional' and follows gestures.
ESA Team To Make Oxygen On The Moon
   'Gypsum fed into the furnaces is quickly ejected as de-hydrated CaSO4' - John W. Campbell, 1950.
Vortex Rings Of Light
   'He pressed the release button, and from the inch-wide muzzle a stream of blue-glowing rings sprang...'
Olympus 3D Printing Using Lunar And Martian Materials
   The system may be used to create critical infrastructure on the Moon, including landing pads, blast shields, and roads.
Restructure An Asteroid, Spin It, Get A 'Space Habitat' With Gravity?
   'When the colony was established, the whole interior was carved out with atomic burners...' - John Campbell, 1932.
MAGGIE Mars Aerial and Ground Global Intelligent Explorer
   'placed in the wings of a plane to generate power from the light falling on that surface...' - John W. Campbell, 1930.
ESA To Build Moon Bases Brick By Printed LEGO Brick
   'We made a crude , small cell and were delighted - and, I admit, somewhat surprised - to find it worked.' - John W. Campbell, 1950.

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