Discussion:
What Truck?
(too old to reply)
Garrett Wollman
2018-07-30 16:47:33 UTC
Permalink
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What Truck?"
The introduction was about having an engaging conversation with a
fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets
of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come
up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they dismiss
them out of some misunderstanding of physics.

I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's _Saga of
Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well educated author (she wrote
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The notion
of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite getting *so*
close. (Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also very much
stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)

What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?

-GAWollman
--
Garrett A. Wollman | "Act to avoid constraining the future; if you can,
***@bimajority.org| act to remove constraint from the future. This is
Opinions not shared by| a thing you can do, are able to do, to do together."
my employers. | - Graydon Saunders, _A Succession of Bad Days_ (2015)
James Nicoll
2018-07-30 17:16:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What Truck?"
The introduction was about having an engaging conversation with a
fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets
of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come
up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they dismiss
them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's _Saga of
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The notion
of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite getting *so*
close. (Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also very much
stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Dorothy J Heydt
2018-07-30 19:35:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What Truck?"
The introduction was about having an engaging conversation with a
fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets
of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come
up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they dismiss
them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's _Saga of
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The notion
of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite getting *so*
close. (Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also very much
stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Scott Lurndal
2018-07-30 20:35:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What Truck?"
The introduction was about having an engaging conversation with a
fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets
of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come
up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they dismiss
them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's _Saga of
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The notion
of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite getting *so*
close. (Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also very much
stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?

rodtsasdt llllllreport*
p***@randomstring.org
2018-07-31 19:09:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
Scott Lurndal
2018-07-31 21:09:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
Dorothy J Heydt
2018-07-31 21:19:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
ITYM "hello, world."
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Greg Goss
2018-08-01 06:58:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
ITYM "hello, world."
In "The Adolescence of P-1", any conversation between its author and
the AI began with the AI reporting how much memory it's grabbed among
the networked computers it had access to. I don't remember what the
5805P or the 395 referred to.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.
Scott Lurndal
2018-08-01 16:45:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
ITYM "hello, world."
FWIW, here's the actual story:

http://83.133.184.251/virensimulation.org/lib/mtr00.html
p1
2018-08-02 02:30:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
OOLCAY ITAY
Scott Lurndal
2018-08-02 13:04:32 UTC
Permalink
Post by p1
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
OOLCAY ITAY
Pig Latin, you've come a long way...
David DeLaney
2018-08-08 11:33:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by p1
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
hello
OOLCAY ITAY
"Well, we'll just have to see the DOCTOR about that!"

Dave, no, not that one. Doctor ... ummm ...

ps: UNHAPPY MACNAM
--
\/David DeLaney posting thru EarthLink - "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
my gatekeeper archives are no longer accessible :( / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Lynn McGuire
2018-07-31 22:34:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
Must be a UNIVAC 1108 or a CDC 7600 since the message is all upper case.

Man, I do not miss those machines. Except the 60 bit words on the CDC,
that was cool.

Lynn
Jerry Brown
2018-08-01 07:32:22 UTC
Permalink
On Tue, 31 Jul 2018 17:34:08 -0500, Lynn McGuire
Post by Lynn McGuire
Post by p***@randomstring.org
Post by Scott Lurndal
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
Post by James Nicoll
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Poul Anderson's The Byworlder has something a lot like the web,
except all output was in the form of hardcopy.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Leinster's "A Logic Named Joe" comes a lot closer to the Web.
Except, y'know, sentient.
What makes you think the web isn't sentient?
rodtsasdt llllllreport*
P-l 395 CUR ALLOC 20195G.... 5805P HELLO SCOTT
Must be a UNIVAC 1108 or a CDC 7600 since the message is all upper case.
P1 was hosted on IBM architecture (OS/360 IIRC), which also used (and,
unless its changed in the last 8 years since I left my last job, still
uses) upper case messages.
Post by Lynn McGuire
Man, I do not miss those machines. Except the 60 bit words on the CDC,
that was cool.
Lynn
--
Jerry Brown

A cat may look at a king
(but probably won't bother)
Mike Van Pelt
2018-08-01 21:28:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lynn McGuire
Must be a UNIVAC 1108 or a CDC 7600 since the message is all upper case.
Man, I do not miss those machines. Except the 60 bit words on the CDC,
that was cool.
I was kind of fond of Univac assembler.

In retrospect, 36 bit words is kind of ... weird.
--
Mike Van Pelt | "I don't advise it unless you're nuts."
mvp at calweb.com | -- Ray Wilkinson, after riding out Hurricane
KE6BVH | Ike on Surfside Beach in Galveston
Lynn McGuire
2018-08-01 21:55:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike Van Pelt
Post by Lynn McGuire
Must be a UNIVAC 1108 or a CDC 7600 since the message is all upper case.
Man, I do not miss those machines. Except the 60 bit words on the CDC,
that was cool.
I was kind of fond of Univac assembler.
In retrospect, 36 bit words is kind of ... weird.
36 bit words are better than 32 bit words though. IBM should have moved
to 48 bit words when they led the computer world to 8 bit bytes from 6
bit bytes just so we could have lower case on computers. Of course,
that was back in the days of hand built memory boards.

Lynn
Peter Trei
2018-07-30 23:30:19 UTC
Permalink
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What Truck?"
The introduction was about having an engaging conversation with a
fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets
of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come
up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they dismiss
them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's _Saga of
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The notion
of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite getting *so*
close. (Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also very much
stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
-GAWollman
Not quite what you’re after, but I recall, back in the 70s, people musing that, out of the hundreds of stories about the first landing on the Moon, not one predicted that a substantial fraction of Earth’s population would watch it live, on TV.

Pt
Butch Malahide
2018-07-31 05:08:09 UTC
Permalink
Post by Peter Trei
Not quite what you’re after, but I recall, back in the 70s, people musing that,
out of the hundreds of stories about the first landing on the Moon, not one
predicted that a substantial fraction of Earth’s population would watch it
live, on TV.
The earliest story I know of where the first rocket to the moon is equipped to
send live television back to earth is Harold W. Sherman's "All Aboard for the
Moon!" in the April 1947 issue of Amazing Stories. You can read it for free at
the Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_v21n04_1947-04.Ziff-Daviscape1736

Here is an excerpt:

"I'm also indebted to the General Electric Company of Schenectady for
permitting me to install a hitherto untried sending and receiving
radio set which beams radio waves of such high frequency that we are
confident they can penetrate both the Heavyside and Appleton layers
which surround the earth, at respective levels of sixty and two
hundred miles, so that we can keep in constant touch with this planet
during our travels and while on the moon.

"These new instruments, in conjunction with the television apparatus
we are carrying, will permit us to scan some of the moon's surface and
project back to earth the actual scenes as we are witnessing them. You
know, of course, that television waves travel in a straight line and
from the vantage point of the moon they can be beamed directly to
earth. In fact, could a television station be established on the moon,
we could then beam all television shows to the moon and relay them back
to earth on a straight line so that they would be receivable everywhere."
D B Davis
2018-08-02 18:17:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Butch Malahide
Not quite what you're after, but I recall, back in the 70s, people mu
sing that,
Post by Butch Malahide
out of the hundreds of stories about the first landing on the Moon, not one
predicted that a substantial fraction of Earth's population would watch it
live, on TV.
The earliest story I know of where the first rocket to the moon is equipped to
send live television back to earth is Harold W. Sherman's "All Aboard for the
Moon!" in the April 1947 issue of Amazing Stories. You can read it for free at
https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_v21n04_1947-04.Ziff-Daviscape1736
"I'm also indebted to the General Electric Company of Schenectady for
permitting me to install a hitherto untried sending and receiving
radio set which beams radio waves of such high frequency that we are
confident they can penetrate both the Heavyside and Appleton layers
which surround the earth, at respective levels of sixty and two
hundred miles, so that we can keep in constant touch with this planet
during our travels and while on the moon.
"These new instruments, in conjunction with the television apparatus
we are carrying, will permit us to scan some of the moon's surface and
project back to earth the actual scenes as we are witnessing them. You
know, of course, that television waves travel in a straight line and
from the vantage point of the moon they can be beamed directly to
earth. In fact, could a television station be established on the moon,
we could then beam all television shows to the moon and relay them back
to earth on a straight line so that they would be receivable everywhere."
It's ironic how Sherman knows the technical details, but misspells
Heaviside's surname. The Heaviside, or E, layer of the ionosphere
reflects sky waves.
The premise of _The Hidden Truth_ (Schantz) is that a conspiracy in
an alternate universe, which involves the Federal government, seeks to
to suppress a crucial paper by Heaviside. The musical _Cats_ (Webber)
uses the Heaviside layer as an allegory for heaven:

Up Up Up past the Russell Hotel,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.
Up Up Up past the Russell Hotel,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.

Up Up Up past the Jellicle Moon,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.
Up Up Up past the Jellicle Moon,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.

The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity,
Round the Cathedral
Rang, "Vivat!"
Life to the everlasting cat!

✍

Thank you,
--
Don
Robert Carnegie
2018-08-02 21:29:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Peter Trei
Post by Butch Malahide
Not quite what you're after, but I recall, back in the 70s, people mu
sing that,
Post by Butch Malahide
out of the hundreds of stories about the first landing on the Moon, not one
predicted that a substantial fraction of Earth's population would watch it
live, on TV.
The earliest story I know of where the first rocket to the moon is equipped to
send live television back to earth is Harold W. Sherman's "All Aboard for the
Moon!" in the April 1947 issue of Amazing Stories. You can read it for free at
https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_v21n04_1947-04.Ziff-Daviscape1736
"I'm also indebted to the General Electric Company of Schenectady for
permitting me to install a hitherto untried sending and receiving
radio set which beams radio waves of such high frequency that we are
confident they can penetrate both the Heavyside and Appleton layers
which surround the earth, at respective levels of sixty and two
hundred miles, so that we can keep in constant touch with this planet
during our travels and while on the moon.
"These new instruments, in conjunction with the television apparatus
we are carrying, will permit us to scan some of the moon's surface and
project back to earth the actual scenes as we are witnessing them. You
know, of course, that television waves travel in a straight line and
from the vantage point of the moon they can be beamed directly to
earth. In fact, could a television station be established on the moon,
we could then beam all television shows to the moon and relay them back
to earth on a straight line so that they would be receivable everywhere."
It's ironic how Sherman knows the technical details, but misspells
Heaviside's surname. The Heaviside, or E, layer of the ionosphere
reflects sky waves.
The premise of _The Hidden Truth_ (Schantz) is that a conspiracy in
an alternate universe, which involves the Federal government, seeks to
to suppress a crucial paper by Heaviside. The musical _Cats_ (Webber)
Up Up Up past the Russell Hotel,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.
Up Up Up past the Russell Hotel,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.
Up Up Up past the Jellicle Moon,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.
Up Up Up past the Jellicle Moon,
Up Up Up Up to the Heaviside Layer.
The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity,
Round the Cathedral
Rang, "Vivat!"
Life to the everlasting cat!
Pardon? Anyway, T. S. Eliot ought to have something
to do with it.

By the way, Arthur C. Clarke would have pointed out that
to produce television reception everywhere requires
transmitters on at least three of Earth's moons.
If you see what I mean.

Although British TV broadcasting took a long time to get
around to putting on broadcasts in daytime, and some of it
still cuts off overnight - and I don't mean the kids's
channels. (Oddly, some of those apparently don't.)
Jesper Lauridsen
2018-08-12 20:08:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Butch Malahide
https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_v21n04_1947-04.Ziff-Daviscape1736
In fact, could a television station be established on the moon,
we could then beam all television shows to the moon and relay them back
to earth on a straight line so that they would be receivable everywhere."
That's a prediction of the televison/communications satellite. A
crappy and practically useless satellite, but a satellite it is.
Robert Carnegie
2018-08-12 21:16:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jesper Lauridsen
Post by Butch Malahide
https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_v21n04_1947-04.Ziff-Daviscape1736
In fact, could a television station be established on the moon,
we could then beam all television shows to the moon and relay them back
to earth on a straight line so that they would be receivable everywhere."
That's a prediction of the televison/communications satellite. A
crappy and practically useless satellite, but a satellite it is.
Arthur C. Clarke did it in 1945, but not everyone noticed.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke#Geostationary_communications_satellite>

...and was not quite the first, but those didn't catch on,
either.

I don't recall if the first artificial satellite story is
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brick_Moon> - 1869!

(Read carefully - spoilers!)

Collected: <http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1633>

Author's spec-fic works:
<http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?2055>
t***@gmail.com
2018-08-12 22:35:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Butch Malahide
Post by Peter Trei
Not quite what you’re after, but I recall, back in the 70s, people musing that,
out of the hundreds of stories about the first landing on the Moon, not one
predicted that a substantial fraction of Earth’s population would watch it
live, on TV.
The earliest story I know of where the first rocket to the moon is equipped to
send live television back to earth is Harold W. Sherman's "All Aboard for the
Moon!" in the April 1947 issue of Amazing Stories. You can read it for free at
https://archive.org/details/Amazing_Stories_v21n04_1947-04.Ziff-Daviscape1736
"I'm also indebted to the General Electric Company of Schenectady for
permitting me to install a hitherto untried sending and receiving
radio set which beams radio waves of such high frequency that we are
confident they can penetrate both the Heavyside and Appleton layers
which surround the earth, at respective levels of sixty and two
hundred miles, so that we can keep in constant touch with this planet
during our travels and while on the moon.
"These new instruments, in conjunction with the television apparatus
we are carrying, will permit us to scan some of the moon's surface and
project back to earth the actual scenes as we are witnessing them. You
know, of course, that television waves travel in a straight line and
from the vantage point of the moon they can be beamed directly to
earth. In fact, could a television station be established on the moon,
we could then beam all television shows to the moon and relay them back
to earth on a straight line so that they would be receivable everywhere."
Only half of Earth at a time!

Peter Trei
2018-07-30 23:35:27 UTC
Permalink
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What Truck?"
The introduction was about having an engaging conversation with a
fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets
of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come
up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they dismiss
them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's _Saga of
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The notion
of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite getting *so*
close. (Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also very much
stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series calculator.

Pt
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
2018-07-30 23:38:21 UTC
Permalink
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett Wollman
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What
Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey)
while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and almost gets hit
by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck,
and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the
essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they
come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical
modes of propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or
they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's
_Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well educated
author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia articles on
scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and she comes up with
rejuvenation therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and
computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques",
one per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something else. The
notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early 1980s --
even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through the
Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to
social networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly
close without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the
protagonist uses something achingly close to a smartphone, but
it’s clearly based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Cryptoengineer
2018-07-31 00:24:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What
Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey)
while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and almost gets hit
by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and
Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay is
about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing about
voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely failed to pick
up on the idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either don't
think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of
physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's
_Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well educated
author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia articles on
scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and she comes up with
rejuvenation therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and
computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per
document, from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a flexible
e-reader, downloading content from a communications network, seems to
have totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of
human-computer interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through the
Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to
social networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close
without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the
protagonist uses something achingly close to a smartphone, but
it’s clearly based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a physical
keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)? Clarke's did.

pt
Robert Carnegie
2018-07-31 02:39:09 UTC
Permalink
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Peter Trei
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays "What
Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey)
while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and almost gets hit
by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and
Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay is
about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing about
voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely failed to pick
up on the idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either don't
think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of
physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian May's
_Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well educated
author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia articles on
scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and she comes up with
rejuvenation therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and
computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per
document, from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a flexible
e-reader, downloading content from a communications network, seems to
have totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of
human-computer interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through the
Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to
social networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close
without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the
protagonist uses something achingly close to a smartphone, but
it’s clearly based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a physical
keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-07-31 03:37:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del
Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is
obliviously nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?"
The actual content of the essay is about SF authors at the
turn of the 20th century, writing about voyages to the moon
and other planets, who completely failed to pick up on the
idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a
flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where
the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.

But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Joe Pfeiffer
2018-07-31 04:31:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del
Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is
obliviously nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?"
The actual content of the essay is about SF authors at the
turn of the 20th century, writing about voyages to the moon
and other planets, who completely failed to pick up on the
idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a
flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where
the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
This is the first I'd ever heard of any HP calculator being used as a
backup landing computer on any lunar landing mission. It probably
wasn't a 41C, since (as far as I can find) the 41C entered production
ten years after Apollo XI. Apparently it was used a little bit on some
early shuttle missions.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-07-31 04:41:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Joe Pfeiffer
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor
asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds,
"What truck?" The actual content of the essay is about SF
authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing about
voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely
failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come up
with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes
of propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or
they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of
physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of
a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped
her, despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of
human-computer interaction seems also very much stuck in
the early 1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an
interaction style suited better for 1978 than 2008, never
mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
This is the first I'd ever heard of any HP calculator being used
as a backup landing computer on any lunar landing mission. It
probably wasn't a 41C, since (as far as I can find) the 41C
entered production ten years after Apollo XI. Apparently it was
used a little bit on some early shuttle missions.
That would have been around the time the myth was circulating.
Apparently, there was an HP tested, at least, during Apollo-Soyuz,
around that time, which is probably the source.

IIRC, the 41C was the one that had the lunar landing simulator
game. I recall getting a chance to fool around with one shortly
after high school.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
J. Clarke
2018-08-01 01:17:11 UTC
Permalink
On Mon, 30 Jul 2018 22:31:02 -0600, Joe Pfeiffer
Post by Joe Pfeiffer
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del
Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is
obliviously nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?"
The actual content of the essay is about SF authors at the
turn of the 20th century, writing about voyages to the moon
and other planets, who completely failed to pick up on the
idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a
flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where
the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
This is the first I'd ever heard of any HP calculator being used as a
backup landing computer on any lunar landing mission. It probably
wasn't a 41C, since (as far as I can find) the 41C entered production
ten years after Apollo XI. Apparently it was used a little bit on some
early shuttle missions.
The "backup landing computer" on the lunar missions was something
called a "pilot". I can't imagine how a calculator would be used for
this purpose--the landing computer directly operated the flight
controls.
Alan Baker
2018-07-31 04:57:12 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del
Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is
obliviously nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?"
The actual content of the essay is about SF authors at the
turn of the 20th century, writing about voyages to the moon
and other planets, who completely failed to pick up on the
idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a
flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where
the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
Bit difficult for it to have been a 41C...

...as it wasn't introduced until 1979.

Something you might have been able to check, don't you think?

And if there had been any HP programmable on Apollo flights...

...you think it might have been mentioned here:

<http://hpmemoryproject.org/news/apollo/apollo_11.htm>

...don't you think?

What IS mentioned there is that the first HP programmable pocket
calculator—the HP65—came out in 1974...

...5 years AFTER the first moon landing.

Ooops.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-07-31 05:54:19 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor
asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds,
"What truck?" The actual content of the essay is about SF
authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing about
voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely
failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come up
with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes
of propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or
they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of
a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Bit difficult for it to have been a 41C...
...as it wasn't introduced until 1979.
Something you might have been able to check, don't you think?
And if there had been any HP programmable on Apollo flights...
<http://hpmemoryproject.org/news/apollo/apollo_11.htm>
...don't you think?
What IS mentioned there is that the first HP programmable pocket
calculator—the HP65—came out in 1974...
...5 years AFTER the first moon landing.
Ooops.
Already addressed, pervert. Now kneel and nurse, as you know you
desperately want.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-07-31 05:57:00 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor
asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds,
"What truck?" The actual content of the essay is about SF
authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing about
voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely
failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come up
with all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes
of propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or
they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of
a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Bit difficult for it to have been a 41C...
...as it wasn't introduced until 1979.
Something you might have been able to check, don't you think?
And if there had been any HP programmable on Apollo flights...
<http://hpmemoryproject.org/news/apollo/apollo_11.htm>
...don't you think?
What IS mentioned there is that the first HP programmable pocket
calculator—the HP65—came out in 1974...
...5 years AFTER the first moon landing.
Ooops.
Already addressed...
...after I posted.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-07-31 05:58:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either don't
think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel
(Imperial Earth?) where the protagonist uses something
achingly close to a smartphone, but it’s
clearly based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Bit difficult for it to have been a 41C...
...as it wasn't introduced until 1979.
Something you might have been able to check, don't you think?
And if there had been any HP programmable on Apollo flights...
<http://hpmemoryproject.org/news/apollo/apollo_11.htm>
...don't you think?
What IS mentioned there is that the first HP programmable
pocket calculator—the HP65—came out in 1974...
...5 years AFTER the first moon landing.
Ooops.
Already addressed...
...after I posted.
Another deliberate, pathetic lie. As usual.

Since you cannot possibly expect to be taken seriously when you do
this (and it is literally the *only* thing you do here), the *only*
possible conclusion a rational person could reach is that "you're
not here for the huntin', are you, son?"

You pervert, you.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Robert Woodward
2018-07-31 05:24:30 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an engaging
conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was Lester del
Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is
obliviously nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What truck?"
The actual content of the essay is about SF authors at the
turn of the 20th century, writing about voyages to the moon
and other planets, who completely failed to pick up on the
idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very well
educated author (she wrote thousands of encyclopedia
articles on scientific subjects) in the early 1980s, and
she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per document,
from a vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The notion of a
flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have totally escaped her,
despite getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket
computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting
anywhere close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where
the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in 1979 (in
fact the first HP pocket programable calculator, HP-65, was released in
1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
‹-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward ***@drizzle.com
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-07-31 05:55:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator, HP-65,
was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the HP-9100A
(which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-07-31 05:58:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator, HP-65,
was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the HP-9100A
(which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.

What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?

"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the
first Apollo mission? 41C?)"

That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME HP
calculator, doesn't it?

:-)
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-07-31 05:59:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator,
HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the
HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME
HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything that
can be taken seriously, and every single post must contain at least
four lies.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-07-31 06:03:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator,
HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the
HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME
HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything that
can be taken seriously, and every single post must contain at least
four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.

:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm kidding,
Terry? It indicates my amusement.

:-)
Robert Carnegie
2018-07-31 08:49:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator,
HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the
HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME
HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything that
can be taken seriously, and every single post must contain at least
four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm kidding,
Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
Alan Baker
2018-07-31 14:01:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets, who
completely failed to pick up on the idea of rockets --
they come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out of some
misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy,
the subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic
enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one
per document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display something
else. The notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making
the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator,
HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the
HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer
on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME
HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything that
can be taken seriously, and every single post must contain at least
four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm kidding,
Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
"Do not take this seriously" would be indicated by a wink...

;-)

...wouldn't it.

It indicates my particular amusement.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 00:27:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
In article
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4,
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about
having an engaging conversation with a fellow writer
(IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the
streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and almost
gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What
truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of
rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they
either don't think of rockets or they dismiss them
out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of
Julian May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have
a very well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation
therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on
fixed-function "plaques", one per document, from a
vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The
notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close.
(Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also
very much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the
supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through the
Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style suited
better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing
the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up
with pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc.,
without getting anywhere close to social networks or
modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close
without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel
(Imperial Earth?) where the protagonist uses
something achingly close to a smartphone, but
it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display,
and a physical keyboard (albeit with software
controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the
planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the
backup landing computer on the first Apollo mission?
41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm
kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
"Do not take this seriously" would be indicated by a wink...
;-)
...wouldn't it.
It indicates my particular amusement.
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-08-01 00:34:41 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
In article
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4,
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about
having an engaging conversation with a fellow writer
(IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the
streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and almost
gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What
truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of
rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they
either don't think of rockets or they dismiss them
out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of
Julian May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have
a very well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation
therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on
fixed-function "plaques", one per document, from a
vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The
notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close.
(Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also
very much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the
supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through the
Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style suited
better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing
the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up
with pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc.,
without getting anywhere close to social networks or
modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close
without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel
(Imperial Earth?) where the protagonist uses
something achingly close to a smartphone, but
it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display,
and a physical keyboard (albeit with software
controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the
planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the
backup landing computer on the first Apollo mission?
41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm
kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
"Do not take this seriously" would be indicated by a wink...
;-)
...wouldn't it.
It indicates my particular amusement.
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending you don't know why I'm smiling doesn't make you look bright.

:-)
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 01:06:51 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
In article
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
om
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1,
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4,
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about
having an engaging conversation with a fellow
writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking
the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks
if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds,
"What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and
other planets, who completely failed to pick up on
the idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts
of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets
or they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding
of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of
Julian May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific
subjects) in the early 1980s, and she comes up
with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per
document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display
something else. The notion of a flexible
e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close.
(Her notion of human-computer interaction seems
also very much stuck in the early 1980s -- even
the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through
the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind
2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not
seeing the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have
come up with pocket computers, pervasive
surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close
to social networks or modern smartphones, but who
comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
ThereÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€şÂ¢s an
Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the
protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but
itÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€şÂ¢s clearly
based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a
calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display,
and a physical keyboard (albeit with software
controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app
is exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone
app. And at the time it was written, HP calculators
were just about the most advanced handheld electronics
on the planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was
used as the backup landing computer on the first Apollo
mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it
was SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending
I'm kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
"Do not take this seriously" would be indicated by a wink...
;-)
...wouldn't it.
It indicates my particular amusement.
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending you don't know why I'm smiling doesn't make you look bright.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-08-01 01:10:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
In article
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
om
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1,
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4,
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about
having an engaging conversation with a fellow
writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking
the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and
almost gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks
if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds,
"What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and
other planets, who completely failed to pick up on
the idea of rockets -- they come up with all sorts
of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets
or they dismiss them out of some misunderstanding
of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of
Julian May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific
subjects) in the early 1980s, and she comes up
with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are
delivered on fixed-function "plaques", one per
document, from a vending machine, which must be
returned to the vendor in order to display
something else. The notion of a flexible
e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close.
(Her notion of human-computer interaction seems
also very much stuck in the early 1980s -- even
the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through
the Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style
suited better for 1978 than 2008, never mind
2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not
seeing the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have
come up with pocket computers, pervasive
surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close
to social networks or modern smartphones, but who
comes achingly close without making the seemingly
obvious leap?
There’s an
Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the
protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but
it’s clearly
based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a
calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display,
and a physical keyboard (albeit with software
controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app
is exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone
app. And at the time it was written, HP calculators
were just about the most advanced handheld electronics
on the planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was
used as the backup landing computer on the first Apollo
mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it
was SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending
I'm kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
"Do not take this seriously" would be indicated by a wink...
;-)
...wouldn't it.
It indicates my particular amusement.
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending you don't know why I'm smiling doesn't make you look bright.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
You're starting to rave... ...again.

:-)
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
2018-08-01 17:40:42 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
In article
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
.c om
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1,
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4,
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about
having an engaging conversation with a fellow
writer (IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while
walking the streets of Manhattan. Asimov is
obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck,
and Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual
content of the essay is about SF authors at the
turn of the 20th century, writing about voyages
to the moon and other planets, who completely
failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they
come up with all sorts of fanciful, physically
impractical modes of propulsion, but they either
don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out
of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of
Julian May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we
thousands of encyclopedia articles on scientific
subjects) in the early 1980s, and she comes up
with rejuvenation therapy, the subspace
translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer,
but pamphlets, periodicals, and computer
printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending
machine, which must be returned to the vendor in
order to display something else. The notion of
a flexible e-reader, downloading content from a
communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close.
(Her notion of human-computer interaction seems
also very much stuck in the early 1980s -- even
the supposedly obsolete computers smuggled
through the Pliocene time-gate have an
interaction style suited better for 1978 than
2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not
seeing the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to
have come up with pocket computers, pervasive
surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere
close to social networks or modern smartphones,
but who comes achingly close without making the
seemingly obvious leap?
Thereââ‚Ãâ€
šÃ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬ÅŸÃ‚¢s an
Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?) where the
protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but
itââ‚ÂÂ
¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬ÅŸÃ‚¢s clearly
based on an HP series calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a
calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric
display, and a physical keyboard (albeit with
software controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app
is exactly the same thing as a calculator with a
phone app. And at the time it was written, HP
calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which
HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C
came out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket
programable calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974),
it wasn't. Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed
40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other
things that actually did happen, as mentioned
elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that,
Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it
was SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say
anything that can be taken seriously, and every single
post must contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending
I'm kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
"Do not take this seriously" would be indicated by a wink...
;-)
...wouldn't it.
It indicates my particular amusement.
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending you don't know why I'm smiling doesn't make you
look bright.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
You're starting to rave... ...again.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 00:26:57 UTC
Permalink
Post by Peter Trei
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
In article
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4,
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about
having an engaging conversation with a fellow writer
(IIRC it was Lester del Rey) while walking the
streets of Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously
nattering away while crossing the street, and almost
gets hit by a truck. His interlocutor asks if he
didn't see the truck, and Asimov responds, "What
truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century,
writing about voyages to the moon and other planets,
who completely failed to pick up on the idea of
rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they
either don't think of rockets or they dismiss them
out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of
Julian May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have
a very well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation
therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets,
periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on
fixed-function "plaques", one per document, from a
vending machine, which must be returned to the
vendor in order to display something else. The
notion of a flexible e-reader, downloading
content from a communications network, seems to have
totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close.
(Her notion of human-computer interaction seems also
very much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the
supposedly obsolete computers smuggled through the
Pliocene time-gate have an interaction style suited
better for 1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing
the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up
with pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc.,
without getting anywhere close to social networks or
modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close
without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an
Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
where the protagonist uses something achingly close
to a smartphone, but itâ€ââ€
žÂ¢s clearly based on an HP series
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display,
and a physical keyboard (albeit with software
controlled labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the
planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the
backup landing computer on the first Apollo mission?
41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm kidding,
Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Well, "Lots Of Love" back at you; that is not what it means
conventionally. It means "Do not take this seriously."
(Can't we take your amusement as read? Isn't it the whole
purpose of your involvement?)
The purpose of his involvement is that I haven't let him stop yet.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 00:26:19 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
On Tuesday, 31 July 2018 01:24:42 UTC+1, Cryptoengineer
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF
essays "What Truck?" The introduction was about having
an engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it
was Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of
Manhattan. Asimov is obliviously nattering away while
crossing the street, and almost gets hit by a truck.
His interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and
Asimov responds, "What truck?" The actual content of
the essay is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th
century, writing about voyages to the moon and other
planets, who completely failed to pick up on the idea
of rockets -- they come up with all sorts of fanciful,
physically impractical modes of propulsion, but they
either don't think of rockets or they dismiss them out
of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation
therapy, the subspace translator, and the
cerebroenergetic enhancer, but pamphlets, periodicals,
and computer printouts are delivered on fixed-function
"plaques", one per document, from a vending machine,
which must be returned to the vendor in order to
display something else. The notion of a flexible
e-reader, downloading content from a communications
network, seems to have totally escaped her, despite
getting *so* close. (Her notion of human-computer
interaction seems also very much stuck in the early
1980s -- even the supposedly obsolete computers
smuggled through the Pliocene time-gate have an
interaction style suited better for 1978 than 2008,
never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing
the truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up
with pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc.,
without getting anywhere close to social networks or
modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close
without making the seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel
(Imperial Earth?) where the protagonist uses something
achingly close to a smartphone, but
it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator
function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and
a physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled
labels)? Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion
products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet
of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup
landing computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out
in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator,
HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the
HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must contain
at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
Indeed, it is. And you don't dispute it.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm
kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-08-01 00:34:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet
of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup
landing computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out
in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator,
HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the
HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must contain
at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
Indeed, it is. And you don't dispute it.
Riiiiiiiiiiight.

:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm
kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending that you don't know why I smile doesn't make you look bright.

:-)
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 01:06:37 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the
planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the
backup landing computer on the first Apollo mission?
41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
Indeed, it is. And you don't dispute it.
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
Indeed it is. And you don't dispute it.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm
kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending that you don't know why I smile doesn't make you look bright.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-08-01 01:10:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the
planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the
backup landing computer on the first Apollo mission?
41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was
SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
Indeed, it is. And you don't dispute it.
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
Indeed it is. And you don't dispute it.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending I'm
kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending that you don't know why I smile doesn't make you look bright.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
You're starting to rave... ...again.

:-)
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
2018-08-01 17:40:58 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app
is exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone
app. And at the time it was written, HP calculators
were just about the most advanced handheld electronics
on the planet of off it. (Which HP programmable was
used as the backup landing computer on the first Apollo
mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came
out in 1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable
calculator, HP-65, was released in 1974), it wasn't.
Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things
that actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it
was SOME HP calculator, doesn't it?
I'm still imitating you, so I'm not allowed to say anything
that can be taken seriously, and every single post must
contain at least four lies.
Riiiiiiiight.
Indeed, it is. And you don't dispute it.
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
Indeed it is. And you don't dispute it.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
What makes you think a smile indicates that I'm pretending
I'm kidding, Terry? It indicates my amusement.
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Pretending that you don't know why I smile doesn't make you
look bright.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
You're starting to rave... ...again.
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Cryptoengineer
2018-08-02 03:29:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
On Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:47:36 PM UTC-4, Garrett
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing
about voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely
failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come up with
all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they
dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the
subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on
fixed-function "plaques", one per document, from a vending
machine, which must be returned to the vendor in order to
display something else. The notion of a flexible e-reader,
downloading content from a communications network, seems to
have totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making the
seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer on
the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator, HP-65, was
released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which
weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the
first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME HP
calculator, doesn't it?
:-)
This site suggests that a calculator did reach the Moon, but it wasn't an
HP:

https://hpinspace.wordpress.com/category/apollo/

"02/09/2009

Well, I thought I had exhausted the list with the HP-35, HP-65, HP-41,
HP-48 and Elektronika Mk-52. I was mistaken. Before even the HP-35, the
Pickett N600-ES model travelled to the moon five times. One unit was even
brought on the surface of the moon by Buzz Aldrin (here’s a virtual N600-
ES)."
Peter Trei
2018-08-02 03:36:29 UTC
Permalink
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Woodward
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Robert Carnegie
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
Post by Garrett Wollman
A few decades ago, Asimov titled one of his F&SF essays
"What Truck?" The introduction was about having an
engaging conversation with a fellow writer (IIRC it was
Lester del Rey) while walking the streets of Manhattan.
Asimov is obliviously nattering away while crossing the
street, and almost gets hit by a truck. His
interlocutor asks if he didn't see the truck, and Asimov
responds, "What truck?" The actual content of the essay
is about SF authors at the turn of the 20th century, writing
about voyages to the moon and other planets, who completely
failed to pick up on the idea of rockets -- they come up with
all sorts of fanciful, physically impractical modes of
propulsion, but they either don't think of rockets or they
dismiss them out of some misunderstanding of physics.
I was thinking of this the other day because of Julian
May's _Saga of Pliocene Exile_. Here we have a very
well educated author (she wrote thousands of
encyclopedia articles on scientific subjects) in the
early 1980s, and she comes up with rejuvenation therapy, the
subspace translator, and the cerebroenergetic enhancer, but
pamphlets, periodicals, and computer printouts are delivered on
fixed-function "plaques", one per document, from a vending
machine, which must be returned to the vendor in order to
display something else. The notion of a flexible e-reader,
downloading content from a communications network, seems to
have totally escaped her, despite getting *so* close. (Her
notion of human-computer interaction seems also very
much stuck in the early 1980s -- even the supposedly
obsolete computers smuggled through the Pliocene
time-gate have an interaction style suited better for
1978 than 2008, never mind 2038.)
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the
truck"? Plenty of authors seem to have come up with
pocket computers, pervasive surveillance, etc., without
getting anywhere close to social networks or modern
smartphones, but who comes achingly close without making the
seemingly obvious leap?
There’s an Arthur c Clarke novel (Imperial Earth?)
where the protagonist uses something achingly close to a
smartphone, but it’s clearly based on an HP series
calculator.
What smart phone today doesn't come with a calculator function?
Which smartphones have a 5 line alphanumeric display, and a
physical keyboard (albeit with software controlled labels)?
Clarke's did.
pt
One of the Blackberry line? Or there's a thing out
called a Gemini which may interest users of Psion products.
Yeah, there's some weird stuff out there.
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at
the time it was written, HP calculators were just about the
most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off it.
(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer on
the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
Since Apollo 11 landed in July 1969 and the HP-41C came out in
1979 (in fact the first HP pocket programable calculator, HP-65, was
released in 1974), it wasn't. Perhaps it was the HP-9100A (which
weighed 40 pounds).
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
Riiiiiiiiiight.
What were the words you posted that indicated that, Terry?
"(Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the
first Apollo mission? 41C?)"
That looks very much like a positive assumption that it was SOME HP
calculator, doesn't it?
:-)
This site suggests that a calculator did reach the Moon, but it wasn't an
https://hpinspace.wordpress.com/category/apollo/
"02/09/2009
Well, I thought I had exhausted the list with the HP-35, HP-65, HP-41,
HP-48 and Elektronika Mk-52. I was mistaken. Before even the HP-35, the
Pickett N600-ES model travelled to the moon five times. One unit was even
brought on the surface of the moon by Buzz Aldrin (here’s a virtual N600-
ES)."
Be aware that the N600-ES needs neither batteries nor solar cells. :-)

Pt
Greg Goss
2018-08-02 07:01:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Cryptoengineer
This site suggests that a calculator did reach the Moon, but it wasn't an
https://hpinspace.wordpress.com/category/apollo/
"02/09/2009
Well, I thought I had exhausted the list with the HP-35, HP-65, HP-41,
HP-48 and Elektronika Mk-52. I was mistaken. Before even the HP-35, the
Pickett N600-ES model travelled to the moon five times. One unit was even
brought on the surface of the moon by Buzz Aldrin (here’s a virtual N600-
ES)."
I'm not sure that a slide rule counts as a "calculator" in this
context.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.
Greg Goss
2018-07-31 08:38:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
I think it was a myth that conflated several other things that
actually did happen, as mentioned elsewhere.
I think that HP or TI provided calculators to be given to the Russians
in the Apollo-Soyuz linkup. But I don't think that they were expected
to be used for mission tasks.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.
Greg Goss
2018-07-31 08:35:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of the first
Shuttle mission?

The first HP pocket calculator that I'm aware of was the HP-35 in 72
or 73.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.
Lynn McGuire
2018-07-31 18:16:12 UTC
Permalink
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of the first
Shuttle mission?
The first HP pocket calculator that I'm aware of was the HP-35 in 72
or 73.
I bought an HP 25 in 1975 at Foleys in Houston. Or maybe it was 1976.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-25

Lynn
Greg Goss
2018-08-01 01:50:18 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lynn McGuire
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time it
was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the first
Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of the first
Shuttle mission?
The first HP pocket calculator that I'm aware of was the HP-35 in 72
or 73.
I bought an HP 25 in 1975 at Foleys in Houston. Or maybe it was 1976.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-25
Three of my friends had HP25C in 1975. I wrote a bunch of programs
for them. Sold the photocopieid book of programs for $10 each times
four - makes me a published author, doesn't that?
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 00:28:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time
it was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the
first Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of the
first Shuttle mission?
I'm thinking of an urban legend that was floating around in the last
70s or early 80s.

Which is about as accurate as urban legends always are.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-08-01 00:33:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is exactly
the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And at the time
it was written, HP calculators were just about the most advanced
handheld electronics on the planet of off it. (Which HP
programmable was used as the backup landing computer on the
first Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of the
first Shuttle mission?
I'm thinking of an urban legend that was floating around in the last
70s or early 80s.
Riiiiiight.

That's just how you phrased it!

:-)
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Which is about as accurate as urban legends always are.
Ninapenda Jibini
2018-08-01 01:06:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of
the first Shuttle mission?
I'm thinking of an urban legend that was floating around in the
last 70s or early 80s.
Riiiiiight.
That's just how you phrased it!
Strictly speaking, I phrased it as a question, indicating I did not
know, but wanted to.

You, of course, in your intense sexual obsession with me, lie about
this. Because you are incapable of *not* lying, naturally. And we
all know it. Including you.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
Alan Baker
2018-08-01 01:10:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app. And
at the time it was written, HP calculators were just about
the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet of off
it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup landing
computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of
the first Shuttle mission?
I'm thinking of an urban legend that was floating around in the
last 70s or early 80s.
Riiiiiight.
That's just how you phrased it!
"
Strictly speaking, I phrased it as a question, indicating I did not
know, but wanted to.
Strictly speaking, you phrased it as a question that start with an
assumption.

Not, "Was a HP programmable used?", but "Which HP programmable...".

That contains the implicit assumption that an HP was used and you just
wanted to know which.

What a pity you don't understand the only language you know.
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
You, of course, in your intense sexual obsession with me, lie about
this. Because you are incapable of *not* lying, naturally. And we
all know it. Including you.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
You're starting to rave...

:-)
Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha
2018-08-01 17:42:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
Post by Greg Goss
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
But the point remains: A phone with ha calculator app is
exactly the same thing as a calculator with a phone app.
And at the time it was written, HP calculators were just
about the most advanced handheld electronics on the planet
of off it. (Which HP programmable was used as the backup
landing computer on the first Apollo mission? 41C?)
The 41 was MUCH later, 1979 or so. Might you be thinking of
the first Shuttle mission?
I'm thinking of an urban legend that was floating around in
the last 70s or early 80s.
Riiiiiight.
That's just how you phrased it!
"
Strictly speaking, I phrased it as a question, indicating I did
not know, but wanted to.
Strictly speaking, you phrased it as a question that start with
an assumption.
You're leaving out letters again. You really should stop
masturbating long enough to finish typing out your post. But you
can't, of course.
Post by Alan Baker
Not, "Was a HP programmable used?", but "Which HP
programmable...".
So you agree it was a question. "None" is a valid answer. No matter
who stupid you are.
Post by Alan Baker
That contains the implicit assumption that an HP was used and
you just wanted to know which.
Only to a retard like you.
Post by Alan Baker
What a pity you don't understand the only language you know.
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
Post by Ninapenda Jibini
You, of course, in your intense sexual obsession with me, lie
about this. Because you are incapable of *not* lying,
naturally. And we all know it. Including you.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're killing makes you look retarded.
You're starting to rave...
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
Post by Alan Baker
:-)
Pretending you're kidding makes you look retarded.
--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.
t***@gmail.com
2018-08-03 06:17:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Which SF authors DID predict social media networks & smartphones?
Greg Goss
2018-08-03 07:39:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by t***@gmail.com
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Which SF authors DID predict social media networks & smartphones?
Didn't Sally have a networked tablet in Mote?

I seem to recall something like social media in The Machine Stops.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.
-dsr-
2018-08-03 13:04:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by Greg Goss
Post by t***@gmail.com
Post by Garrett Wollman
What are some other examples of authors "not seeing the truck"?
Plenty of authors seem to have come up with pocket computers,
pervasive surveillance, etc., without getting anywhere close to social
networks or modern smartphones, but who comes achingly close without
making the seemingly obvious leap?
Which SF authors DID predict social media networks & smartphones?
Didn't Sally have a networked tablet in Mote?
Yes.

Renner skipped it. "I remembered something. Have you got your pocket
computer ?"

"Certainly." She took it out to show him.

"Please test it for me."

Her face a puzzled mask, Sally drew letters on the face of the
flat box, wiped them, scrawled a simple problem, then a complex one
that would require the ship's computer to help. Then she called up
an arbitrary personal data file from ship's memory. "It works all
right."

Renner's voice was thick with sleep. "Am I crazy, or did we watch
the Motie take that thing apart and put it back together again?"

"Certainly. She did the same with your gun."

"But a pocket computer?" Renner stared. "You know that's impossible,
don't you?" She thought it was a joke.

"No, I didn't."

"Well, it is. Ask Dr. Horvath." Renner hung up and went back to sleep.

Sally caught up with Dr. Horvath as he was turning into his cabin. She
told him about the computer. "But those things are one big integrated
circuit. We don't even try to repair them." Horvath muttered other
things to himself.

While Renner slept, Horvath and Sally woke the physical sciences
staff. None of them got much sleep that night.

-dsr-
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