Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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
"Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can't talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful."
- Philip K. Dick
 |
| Automaton Lawyer's Clerk | ||
| An autonomous clerk to lawyers. |
A vexing question settled at last.
| Now Mr BABBAGE, I will tell you what I wish you would do. You have invented a Calculating Machine. Cannot you likewise invent an Engrossing Machine--an Automaton Lawyer's Clerk? The misery of the Clerk at present in use is, that his frame is composed of flesh and blood [...] But, ingenious Sir, could you construct an Automaton Clerk, all these inconveniences would be obviated.
 (The Automaton Lawyer's Clerk from Punch) Mahogany has no nervous system, springs and wires do nor vibrate with sensations; and to the Attorney's wrong and the Solicitor's contumely, the whole clockwork would be impassible. The machine could not contract matrimony and have to keep a family; and were you, Sir, its Parent, (which Heaven avert!) to fall into distress, it would not be called upon to maintain you. It would bear all kinds of indignity and ill-treatment without a murmur; it could call no meetings, write no letters to the newspapers. Like master and slave, it would be wholly unfeeling. It would work all day, and night too, if necessary, uncomplainingly, till it got out of order; and then it might be mended. Here is a Clerk that would work incessantly, and neither eat, sleep, want payment, or grumble : this, I apprehend, exactly applying the Attorney's grand desideratum--I would advise you to call it THE PATENT INSENSIBLE LAWYER'S CLERK. |
| Technovelgy from The Lawyer's Clerk Question Settled,
by Staff of Punch. Published by Punch in 1844 Additional resources -
|
See also the lawyer robot from How-2 (1954) by Clifford Simak, the law clerk robot from The Midas Plague (1954) by Frederik Pohl, the robot judge from Harry Harrison's excellent 1959 short story Robot Justice, lawyer programs from David Brin's 1990 novel Earth and LEX from Greg Egan's 1991 short story The Moat.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from The Lawyer's Clerk Question Settled
More Ideas
and Technology by Staff of Punch
Tech news articles related to The Lawyer's Clerk Question Settled
Tech news articles related to works by Staff of Punch
Automaton Lawyer's Clerk-related
news articles:
- Anthropic's Claude AI Creates Legal Citation From Whole Cloth
| Buy A Galaxy? Maybe Start Smaller |
| Is There A Global Problem With Who Is Having Children? |
| Warfare Goes Underground In Ukraine |
| The Wind Phone Calls Those Who Have Passed On |
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 Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Our study of your race has convinced us that you are not fitted to leave your planet in the present state of your civilization.'
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.'
'Within seconds the material was spread out over fifty yards, in a matter of hours it might occupy several cubic miles of space...'
'The men are dead, but their acquired wisdom lives on and I am the beneficiary.'
'Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting.'
'After twenty generations of shillyshallying...'
