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"To get anywhere, or even live a long time, a man has to guess, and guess right, over and over again, without enough data for a logical answer."
- Robert Heinlein
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| Double-Pane Vacuum Window | ||
| Double-pane glass separated by vacuum. |
This is an early reference to this idea in science fiction. Although the double pane idea had been around since the 1860's, the technology for making a glazed double pane window wasn't really perfected until around 1915 and even then the "filler" was usually some sort of inert gas.
Here's a window onto Mercury from an observatory.
| The old astronomer rose
to his feet, and walking with a peculiar
rolling gait led the way to a window,
fitted with double panes of darkened
glass, with a vacuum in between.
Briggs pointed beyond the window, without saying anything further. Southern peered out across the heat-blasted plain... |
| From The Achilles Heel,
by Raymond Z. Gallun. Published by Amazing Stories in 1940 Additional resources -
|
As far as I know, double pane windows separated by true vacuum are still being worked on, because air pressure causes them to collapse. Most seem to involve the use of transparent spacers.
The vacuum between two surfaces is the Dewar flask idea.
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| The Dune Ornithopter, Movie And Book |
| Two Towns Linked By Sculpture Portal In Real Time |
| Plasma Window Technology, Pressure Cushions and Deflector Doors |
| Giant Telescope Lenses Made In Space |
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'The wings were at full spread-rest, their delicate metal interleavings extended.'
'A record that wouldn't get lost and couldn't be destroyed.'
'LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE YOU SINCE I BEGAN TO LIVE.'
'What he got was indeed a kiss. It was disconcerting. No kissing lips were visible.'
'I shall introduce myself. I am R. Daneel Olivaw... I am a robot. Were you not told?'
