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"The SF approach: an awareness that things could have been different, that this is one of many possible worlds, that if you came to this world from some other planet, this would be a science fiction world."
- Neal Stephenson

Fottengill Process  
  An early mention of the idea that energy can be derived from random noise.  

Prof. Otto WolfStammer, a comparative musicologist, wrote an elaborate report on the music of the natives of planet Lamruth, who had been given an air raid siren for the purposes of making music.

The paper was read by a scientist on earth, who used it as the point of departure for theoretical study in the latent energy and soundwaves. An engineer saw the study and published a speculation on the amount of on harnessed energy released hourly in the noise of the average large city. Other scientists and engineers became interested in eventually they you've all the now famous Fottengill process, by which all major cities of Earth have free electrical power conveniently processed from their own noise.
Technovelgy from Gypped, by Lloyd Biggle, Jr..
Published by Galaxy Science Fiction in 1956
Additional resources -

Compare the science-fictional idea of the Fottengill Process with these real-life technologies:

Compare to the transkin from Parasite Planet (1935) by Stanley Weinbaum. See also Harvest Power From Stray Energy from The Golden Girl of Munan (1928) by Harl Vincent.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Gypped
  More Ideas and Technology by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.
  Tech news articles related to Gypped
  Tech news articles related to works by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.

Fottengill Process-related news articles:
  - Computers Powered By Harvested Environmental Energy
  - Road Noise Charges Electric Cars With Peugeot Piezoelectric Billboard

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