Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"I did more research, and realized I almost would rather be a biologist than a writer, because there was incredible stuff going on!"
- Greg Bear
 |
| Puff (Puff Balls) | ||
| Material that is used to help Skyrines dropped to the surface of Mars get rid of some of that excess velocity. |
Okay, you've arrived in orbit around Mars. What's a (fast) way to get to your destination on the surface?
| We ride ten to a [aero] shield for a few minutes... we all roll off...
My drop pack spins out millions of threads like gossamer, almost invisibly thin. We call this puff. The threads expand to a lumpy ball fifty meters wide, which wobbles and snatches at Mars's thin, thin air - and then gloms onto other balls, other Skyrines enveloped in puff. All around our jammed puffballs, curling thread tips burn away... |
| From War Dogs,
by Greg Bear. Published by Orbit in 2014 Additional resources -
|
Compare to the ablative heat shield from EE 'Doc' Smith's 1934 novel Triplanetary.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from War Dogs
More Ideas
and Technology by Greg Bear
Tech news articles related to War Dogs
Tech news articles related to works by Greg Bear
| Make Space Tools On The Spot (Like Moties) |
| Bacteria Behave Differently In Space |
| SpaceX Spacesuit Design Transmitted By Elon Musk |
| Will A Steel Umbrella Stop Russia? |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'A moment ago it was squeezing silver toothpaste in a ribbon...'
'My telelubricator here neutralizes the interatomic bonds the surface of any solid...'
