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Brin's 1990 Novel Earth Still Full Of Predictions

Once again, the power of science fiction to predict situations in the future is demonstrated. This time, it shows that technology can be brought to bear to alter criminal behavior. In this case, True-Vu lenses from David Brin's 1990 novel Earth.

In the video, a bully threatens passengers on a subway, but by the end, he realizes that everyone is videoing him so he’s live on platforms like Facebook.

From the novel, in case X doesn't show you.

"Watching, all the time watching... goggle-eye geeks...

What brought on Crat's sudden outburst was the sight of yet another babushka, glaring at them from a bench under one of the force-grown shade trees... The very moment they came into view, the old woman laid here wire-knitting aside and fixed them with the bug-eyed, opaque gape of her True-Vu lenses...

"No joke, bloke," Roland replied. "Some of those new goggles've got sniffer sensors on 'em..."

The stare got worse as they approached. Remi couldn't see the babushka's eyes, of course. Her True-Vu's burnished lenses didn't really have to be aimed directly at them to get a good record. Still, she jutted out her chin and faced them square on, aggressively making the point that their likenesses, every move they made, were being transmitted to their home unit, blocks from here, in real time.

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