Arthur C Clarke in 1976 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PA0PBZ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2017, 08:16:51 pm
content: Apart from the alien stuff he's very accurate!

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2017, 08:23:32 pm
content: Wow, just the entire Internet, smartphones, and smartwatches.Aliens? Clarke was the alien, it's how he knew about all this stuff. Or maybe just a time traveler from the future.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2017, 12:17:48 am
content: There's something remarkably like google in "Against the fall of night" (1948) and the later variant "The city and the stars" (1956).There's something remarkably like the internet in "Imperial Earth" (1976).And, of course, his October 1945 paper outlining communication satellites "Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give World-wide Radio Coverage?"

author: edpalmer42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2017, 12:32:50 am
content: I've heard that in spite of all the great technological advances that they thought up, none of the SciFi authors came up with the idea of the pocket calculator.Anyone know if that's true?

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2017, 01:40:24 am
content: Clearly untrue. In the Foundation Trilogy Asimov described a small tablet on which glowing red numbers showed the results of calculations. Another Asimov story describes an interstellar war with the two sides deadlocked unable to get an advantage, until one side recalls ancient history before calculators and recreates the ability for humans to do arithmetic unaided. There is a plentiful supply of humans and after a bit of training they are able to win their war.I am sure there are many other examples, but I can't put author or title to any others at the moment. I would agree that I have never seen a science fiction story where a pocket calculator plays any closer to the central role than in the story than the war story. In most cases it is just wallpaper.Now if you want something that was widely, if not completely, missed look at the mouse.

author: edpalmer42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 05, 2017, 02:18:54 am
content: Quote from: CatalinaWOW on February 05, 2017, 01:40:24 amIt's been too long since I read those books. I'll have to add that to my reading list.QuoteI think I remember that story. As I remember it, the war was basically computer vs. computer and both were good enough that no advantage was possible. The human element introduced mistakes that couldn't be predicted. I don't know if pocket calculators were involved, but the story's premise was fascinating.QuoteI remember reading the Lensman series. Some incredibly inventive ideas, but then they talked about one of the characters using a 'slipstick'.Granted, that was during the late '40s and early '50s, but still.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 05, 2017, 02:46:54 am
content: Impressive foresight.As for other predictions, I can still remember being fascinated by the closest thing to a tablet that featured in the original series of Star Trek. It was passed back and forth with the captain as part of a reporting process.When the first real tablets came out, I was just gobsmacked.