HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jwtlai@jeeves.uwaterloo.ca (Jim W "GrimJim" Lai)
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 21:02:25 GMT

In article <ss7XPB1w165w@fennec.sccsi.com> merlin@fennec.sccsi.com (Lorne Naff) writes:
>   Actually, lots of folks are talking about using fiber-optics for 
>transmitting to the jack, but that's just as bad.  Do what a charachter I 
>had in a CP role-game did ( Please, no RPG flames..  It's a fun diversion 
>and a chance to work on some intersting problems), go to the equivilent 
>of Radio Shack, buy a `male' interface plug ( assuming your head-mount is 
>`female', reverse if otherwise), and hook it either up to a xenon strobe, 
>or a flashlight.  Who knows what the effect will be?  

Having a jack without protection is like having an account without a password.
The smart jackheads would get something done about it.
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: jrs2556@zeus.tamu.edu (John Su)
Subject: Re: Biotechnology - Computers
Summary: What is happening to Bio-Computers
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: Biotechnology,Computers,Nanotechnology
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 23:47:00 GMT

In article <dave.0694@ainfo.equinox.gen.nz>, dave@ainfo.equinox.gen.nz (Dave Hassall) writes...
>--
>Does anyone know what developments there have been made as far as
>the biological computer... I believe that it takes the use of
>Biotechnology or Nanotechnology.... 
> 

     I've heard about " biochips " -- computer chips that use actual
living cells and use them to store ridiculously large quantities of
memory.  I've also looked for material on them, and can't find any
information ANYWHERE !  
     Anybody out there know where I could find such info ? :)

     In reference to _this_ question, I've read ( in a _Scientific
American_, I think ) about researchers are looking for materials
other than silicon for microprocessors.  Specifically, bacterial
proteins :
     Bacteriorhodopsin ( sp ? ) is a bacterial protein that reacts
with light and changes shape -- and reverses the process when light
disappears.  Hence, depending upon light exposure, bacteriorhodopsin
can have 1 of 2 shapes.
     We can see, then, how such a material could be used as a biological
binary switch -- and it's supposed to be a _lot_ faster than silicon.
     Right now, I believe they're in the experimental phases of putting
it into chip form . . . But don't quote me on that. :)





Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: jay@bert.cs.byu.edu
Subject: Re: Jacking In
Organization: Brigham Young University -- Mathematics Department
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 22:10:40 GMT

In article <q8cuPB1w165w@cyberden.uucp> moon!cyberden!dev@well.sf.ca.us writes:
>With all this talk of "jacking in" what about neural virus's.  If the 
>process of jacking in will allow data to be recieved, and not just 
>transmitted, then I see no reason why there couldn't be some for of a 
>virus implanted.  It could be placed in the consious mind or 
>sub-consious.  Any comments?
> 


	Read "Synners" by Pat Cadigan. She hypothisizes (sp) this very thing. It
begins with the
invention of "neural links", and ends up with a "neural virus" getting loose
and causing people to suffer strokes.


Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: gsl2598@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Subject: Re: Monomyl wire : Is it possible?
Reply-To: gsl2598@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 21:33:22 GMT

> That gives you an edge thats ~1.5-2.5 atoms thick...
In my Chem E class we're discussing crystal structures.  Scientists study
them (one way) by running a diamond across the surface.  This acts as a
needle in a record player.  The diamonds used have points of a single atom.
Well, that's whar we were told anyway...
The point is: I think that it will someday be possible to make longer, stronger
polymers; someday maybe mono-molecular.
(However, one molecule this strong could be several atoms thick and still
be considered "monomolecular.")

{-:   I like the idea of a weed-eater...

Leprican~~~
From: dewind@acsu.buffalo.edu (Idbil Fubar)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: My thoughts
Date: 1 Sep 92 03:12:05 GMT
Organization: UB

cc79+@andrew.cmu.edu (Carey D. Clevenger) writes:

>The way I envision it is this:

>1) Forget "jacking in", okay? Although VERY novel, not very practical.
>After all, think a moment: When you place a hole in your skull, it will
>lead to the brain. EVEN IF you put a metal enclosure around the hole to
>keep it from being injured with contaminents, you'll have to have it
>cleaned out. YES, disgusting, but realistic. Small, low-grade radio
>transmitters would be much easier to use and could POSSIBLY run off of
>"brain power" (i.e. biological electricity). Not to mention, they would
>eliminate cords.

Who says that the brain has to be accessed through a hole in the skull?  A 
sensor net could be placed around critical points of the brain and then
closed up...or even just access through the spinal chord and let the brain's
ability to work new paths do the rest...
 
>2) Thinking in terms of accessment to the brain; why worry with
>stimulating certain areas? Let's try something.

Just drop lots of acid...The world looks very VERY unreal then...

Id
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: moon!cyberden!verge@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Please allow me to introduce myself--
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 20:05:01 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

Flash, man, to all the plugged-in: seeking (and to share, man) infostuff 
with cyberpunk bent. Iz you into deconstructionist, nasty-boy SF: Jeter, 
Shirley, Shiner, Shepard, Rucker, Gibson, & Russo? Drugs: wetbone, orange 
octogons, wetware, chemical cherries? Sex: concertina wire bras, 
"Obsolete penises", augmentation, your plastic pal? Ultra-violence: Core 
tours, monomolecular strangle-wire, brain-rotting nanotech? ALL that FUN 
STUFF with that viscious edge of no rules, morality sucks, and life is 
only on the edge? Send "E" to me, and we will talk hackers, screamers, 
"Bob", rippers, the cybersea, and all those underground (sorta) heros: 
moon!cyberden!verge@well.sf.ca.us. 

__________________________________________________________________________
   |       /         |\
   | H E   \ Y B E R |/ E N       [ moon!cyberden!verge@well.sf.ca.us ]
Organization: Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 10:56:58 -0400 
From: "Jon C. Slenk" <angst+@CMU.EDU>
Subject: Silicon & people

There was a news item last night which said that some researchers
somewhere had come up with some information that made them think the
body's immune system is naturally designed to fight off silicone implants.
Or something like that. :-)

Maybe that means we'd have a tougher time of the idea of directly
implanting hardware in people.

-Jon.

----------------------------------------------------
Jon Slenk           angst+@cmu.edu     EVERYTHING is
Carnegie Mellon     Pittsburgh PA      Disclaimed
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: jwtlai@jeeves.uwaterloo.ca (Jim W "GrimJim" Lai)
Subject: Re: Brain is READ ONLY
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 00:09:51 GMT

In article <AecBopm00aw301fFVu@andrew.cmu.edu> Geoffrey Spear <gs32+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>	Personally, I like Plato's philosophy... BUT to actually "remember"
>what you already know in your mind at birth (or whenever...), there has
>to be SOME area in your brain that stores what parts of your knowledge
>you can access.  So at least that part of your brain is writeable, even
>if the rest is Read-Only.

Of course, in the sense that Plato was talking about, the information may not
be actually stored in the brain, since he was not basing his theory on
physiogical data.  I doubt Plato's mind corresponded to the actual layout of
the brain.  Also, recall Plato's (flawed) theory of universals.  Of course,
the brain cannot be truly read-only because there is no mechanism on the
neurological level for write-protection.
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
From: bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE)
Subject: Re: Brain is READ ONLY
Followup-To: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Originator: bjbisset@c00009-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu (BILLY JOE BISSETTE)
Organization: Raise A Great Old One Foundation
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 20:07:41 GMT


> In article <87467@netnews.upenn.edu>, alex@retina.anatomy.upenn.edu ( Alex)
writes:
 >
 >I think what he was trying to say about the brain being a read-only entity was
 >that you can't WRITE to it. It can change, but it cannot BE changed safely w/
 >artifical means (i.e., implantation, etc). 
 >	Somehow I find that strange, but what he seems to be saying shouldn't spoil

I find this idea more acceptable, but not by much.  Remember, this was supposed
to have been a government study.  Do you think they could find out how to
implant stuff into the brain safely, especially considering how little we know
about how the brain works.  Just knowing that currents are carried across cells,
and the timing and size of it isn't enough.  If it were we would be able to
completely (or almost completely) understand the brain.  Of course, there is
the chance someone will find a safe way to accomplish inputing information into
the brain.  I just feel its unlikely.

I feel that after the brain is better understood, a safe way to input data
directly will be found.

-- 
----------bill the insane cultist, bjbisset@eos.ncsu.edu
Please make a donation to the "Raise a Great Old One" Foundation.
Everyone chant with me:  Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
                         Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
From: hall@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Robert J. Hall)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Nanotechnology & Cyberpunk
Keywords: Nanotech Cyberpunk
Date: 27 Aug 92 22:14:08 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle

Once it becomes possible for Nanotechnology to control the nerve endings of
the human body, all kinds of interesting nightmare scenarios become possible.
Person A introduces a set of controlling neural nanorobots into his own body
and is placed on life support. A packet of overriding neural nanorobots are
introduced into the body of VIP B. A link is established between the NNRs in
person A and the NNRs in person B. Thereafter the body of person B is under
the control of person A. To top it off, the mind of person B can be turned
into an expert system for person A, given suitable inducement. (Or perhaps
even without it.)

Once this technology becomes feasible, would we ever know who was really in
charge? The only vulnerability in the system is the body link, and person A
is unlikely to enter a situation where that link could be broken.
-- 
 Bob Hall,                 | "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
 Workstation Peripheral    | Then give up. No use being a damn fool about it."
 Boeing Computer Services  |                                     -Groucho Marx
From: tedwards@src.umd.edu (Thomas Grant Edwards)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Biochips?  Yeeeaaah riiight...
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:13:40 GMT
Organization: Systems Research Center, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park

In article <715382218snx@paragon.folly.welly.gen.nz> parry_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>
>In article <30AUG199218471820@zeus.tamu.edu> jrs2556@zeus.tamu.edu writes:
>
> > 
> >      I've heard about " biochips " -- computer chips that use actual
> > living cells and use them to store ridiculously large quantities of
> > memory.  I've also looked for material on them, and can't find any
> > information ANYWHERE !  
> >      Anybody out there know where I could find such info ? :)

Yeah, I don't think there has been much progress in using living cells
to do stuff, but biosensors which use biological enzymes are currently
being worked on.

Enzymes are bound to the gates of field-effect transistors (FET's).
When there is a voltage change due to the effect of the enzyme
(think charged species released by the reaction), the voltage on the
gate modulates the current flowing in the channel under it.

(more details in _Physics_World_ May 1992)

-Thomas
From: alex@retina.anatomy.upenn.edu ( Alex)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk.tech
Subject: Re: Brain is READ ONLY
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:28:23 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

I think what he was trying to say about the brain being a read-only entity was that you can't WRITE to it. It can change, but it cannot BE changed safely w/ artifical means (i.e., implantation, etc). 
	Somehow I find that strange, but what he seems to be saying shouldn't spoil your parade. Implants that utilize the senses at internal levels (such as a heads-up display tapped into your visual pathway, as in Terminator, T2, etc), would be something like jackling in, total sensory involvement, etc...
-- 

		  --==>> Alex Shrom <==--
		alex@retina.anatomy.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: mcguirk@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (Dan McGuirk)
Subject: Re: what is Cyberpunk?
Followup-To: alt.cyberpunk
Reply-To: mcguirk@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu (Dan McGuirk)
Organization: Arizona State University, Tempe AZ
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 20:02:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.112315.12320@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> cbarilleaux@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (Cyberpreppie) writes:
>	Cyberpunk has been described as being like art: everyone has their own
>definition. So, by analogy:
>			Cyberpunk is a mand's name.

Ok, but what's a mand?
--
Dan McGuirk                                      mcguirk@enuxhb.eas.asu.edu
From: morpheus@entropy.mcds.com (morpheus)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: cp music (forewarded message)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 18:34:24 EDT
Organization: Whoever you vote for, the government still gets elected.

oerting@challenger.aa.washington.edu (Tim Oerting) writes:

> For example, I am somewhat surprised that you neglected to mention
> Queensryche at ALL!

I'm sure it's been mentioned.  

> The most OBVIOUS example of the CP attitude can be found on
> "Operation:MINDCIME." For those of you not familiar with it, I will
> breifly summarize...

I agree with you, but I was very turned off towards QR after Empire.  To be
frank, that album blew.  While mindcrime had an 'underground feel' (and so did
Rage for Order) Empire was POP SHIT, plain and simple.

> You may be thinking....What does this have to do with CP?

Nah, it _IS_ CP..

> "Empire" (1990) is not so much CP as disgusted political views,  but
> it's not such a bad album. 

Disagree with you there, as mentioned above..



--
Big Brother is watching.  So are the Illuminati.  Maybe even your mother.
morpheus@entropy.mcds.com  /\/\/\/  f208.n2606.z1.fidonet.org
From: hoding@west.darkside.com (Ho Ding)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Blade Runner
Date: 2 Sep 92 08:44:58 GMT
Organization: The Dark Side of the Moon +1 408 245 SPAM

Since CP these days includes everything from the internet to Bread mold 
to cow boys, I think it not so innapropriate to post here and say that I 
*THINK* Blade runner will be re-release September 11, 1992.  
 
If you haven't seen it yet, go see it.  For the beauty of the movie, not 
so you can socialize with people.  Un-letter boxes videos hardly do 
justice to this grand movie, though it is too violent.
 
September 11, I think it's a friday, bon appetite.
 
9PR>ho>ding> || hoding@west.darkside.com || hoding@waffle.sns.com 
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: fluffy@camelot.bradley.edu (Jeffrey Waltersdorf)
Subject: Request for FAQ
Organization: Bradley University
Date:  1 Sep 92 04:43:24 GMT


Could somebody mail me the FAQ list, specifically the second part, or
post an FTP address where I could find it?  I suddenly realized that 
it would be extremely helpful for a class assignment.



Jeff
--
Everyone's favorite maniacal   (\-/)  "Your mother was a hamster!"
6-foot mutant rabid hamster,   /o_o\  "Well, of course she was..."
Fluffy, aka Jeff Waltersdorf   ( W )  <fluffy@camelot.bradley.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: ahawks@nyx.cs.du.edu (cyberpunk)
Subject: Re: canonization on alt.cyberpunk
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 03:03:20 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.193053.18164@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> tbredeho@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Thomas A Bredehoft) writes:

|Here's a brief comment based on my experience reading this group; perhaps it 
|will generate some discussion in return.
|
|As members of this group have debated and re-debated the definition of 
|cyberpunk, they have traditionally ended up taking one of two stances, one of 
|which is the utterly unsatisfactory "it's all attitude" (unsatisfactory becaus
|it avoids defining what attitude(s) is or are important).  The other tendency 
|is to refer to the literary works of William Gibson or Bruce Sterling as 
|guidelines.  One of the flaws I see in this, however, is that it relies 

I, for one, don't see it as black and white like this, although the
two generalizations you mentioned are broad topics of conversation
that always come up.  

Re:  Cyberpunk.  the attidude:

You must understand that punk is part of the word cyberpunk, therefor
a large amount of conversation is going to revolve around this.  And
considering it's "punk" and we generally don't associate "punk" with
the likes of Marvin Minsky et al, you can expect more noise than per
usual in these discussions...

Re: William Gibson & Bruce Sterling:

you refer to them as 'guidelines' which is all they really should
be... You also say we should concentrate on the likes of the rest of
the Mirrorshades Group (whom you refer to below in part), and I agree,
yet ye must realize that Gibson & Sterling (Gibsling? Sterson?) are
the highmark of the movement - it's founding and it's development.
Others are important as well, but are not as well known, and I would
venture to say not as important (refering not to their literary
contrivbutions, but to their impact to the movement)

|implicitly on these individuals' impressions of what cyberpunk 
|is--_Mirrorshades_ contains stories thatSterling felt were cyberpunk, nothing 
|more.  Likewise, using Gibson's future world as a measuring stick for 
|determining whether or no another work is cyberpunk relies upon accepting his 
|personal stance.  What I'd like to suggest to members of this group is that 
|such a reliance upon canonical texts and authors is essentially conservative 
|and reactionary--and perhaps inimical to cyberpunk's literary aims.  Consider 
|then, this article as a plea to members of this group to give appropriate 
|levels of discussion and commentary to the seminal cyberpunk works as such 
|relatively neglected authors as Cadigan, Shirley, Rucker, Lewitt, and Spinrad.
|
|Thomas A. Bredehoft

--
 ahawks@nyx.cs.du.edu   FutureCulture E-List: [future-request@nyx.cs.du.edu]
 andy (hawkeye)         new edge, technoculture, cyberpunk, virtual reality,
                        raves, etc. Home of the famous :) FutureCulture FAQ!
From: thx1138@angus.mi.org (Scott Abfalter)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Gibson's world and Ours
Date: 28 Aug 92 16:42:23 GMT
Reply-To: thx1138@angus.mi.org
Organization: North Star BBS


Someone said that the world in Gibson's books were just fiction and
not manefesto's of the Information Age. 

Rockets used to be scifi.  So were pocket calculators (Asimov descibed
one in his 1940's book 'Foundation').  Genetic Engineering.  
Prosthetics. 

The whole point of science fiction is to show us possibilities of what
emergent technologies will bring to us.  

Cyberpunk fiction tends to hit closer to home than a lot of scifi.  
Gibson might have been talking about a fictive world, but you will 
be suprised to see just how much of what he envisioned will come
true.  Read Sterling's Islands in the Net for another one like that. 

Now that Gibson (and Vernor Vinge, and a host of others) have flared
the idea of 'cyberspace' in the minds of of the copmputer world 
programmers will not rest until we see it.  Beside --it's the natural 
extension of GUI interfaces _anyway_. 

Corporations weild a lot of power.  Political power.  This is a self
feeding process and they will get more an more important politically. 

True, Gibson's fiction was not a blueprint of the world today (nor was
it meant to be) --but it sure is a pretty good indication of what is
to come! 
 
THX

--
Scott Abfalter (thx1138@angus.mi.org)
North Star BBS, Royal Oak, MI --------------------------------------------+-
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: shaun@octel.com (Attacking Deep Structure)
Subject: Re: Gibson's world and Ours
Organization: Octel Communications Inc., Milpitas Ca.
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 00:15:55 GMT

(Where did all these posts to which I want to follow up come from
so suddenly?)

In article <cX78PB1w165w@angus.mi.org> thx1138@angus.mi.org writes:
>
>Someone said that the world in Gibson's books were just fiction and
>not manefesto's of the Information Age. 
>
>The whole point of science fiction is to show us possibilities of what
>emergent technologies will bring to us.  

Yes, sometimes, but I think the best SF also concentrates heavily on 
characters.  Even the fanciest futurism tends to fall flat without
characters (even non-human or non-biological ones) to operate within
its confines, to have conflicts, solve problems, and hopefully change
a little over the course of the story.

>True, Gibson's fiction was not a blueprint of the world today (nor was
>it meant to be) --but it sure is a pretty good indication of what is
>to come! 

That's pretty general.  You mentioned Cyberspace, but is that all you 
meant?  Are you concentrating on tech, attitude, shifts of global power,
social situations, ... ?

@Man

-- 
shaun@octel.com  ||  "Now is the time on Sprockets when we Lambada!"
              
Laundry: the process of turning perfectly good clothes into lint.
From: larry@cs.com (Larry Spence)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Continuing Time Post, #2
Summary: Onan the Barbarian
Date: 27 Aug 92 21:34:52 GMT
Followup-To: alt.sf-wank
Organization: Computer Support Corporation,  Dallas,Texas

In article <ic4ZPB2w165w@pain.la.ca.us> d_moran@pain.la.ca.us (Daniel Keys 
Moran) writes, oops, I mean "issues a press release":
>
> VOLUME FOUR: THE EXODUS FROM EARTH
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> The Corridor of Dawn...............................2290
> "The House of November"....................2291 to 2294
>   o  Ares
>   o  Sondra
>   o  Richard: the First Lord of November
>   o  Lorn
> The Lords of Shadow................................2309
> The Left Handed Hunter.............................2341
> "Kinderjim on Earth"...............................2347
> "The Serendip, the Starclouds,
>         and the Scout".....................2349 to 2361
> [much deleted]

Is the idea here that treekiller onanistic sci-fantasy stories that refuse
to die "are cyberpunk?"  Geez, get a li- .... no, I won't say it. %)

-- 
Larry Spence
larry@cs.com
uunet!csccat!larry or sun!texsun!csccat!larry
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk