Science Fiction into Science Fact?

Selanit asks: "I'm a student of English literature at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, with a pronounced interest in all things tech as well. Next term I'll be taking an Independent Study course which combines the two -- the topic will be 'Influences of Science Fiction on Real-World Tech.' The professor and I are still trying to assemble a reading list. So here's my question: what science-fiction novels have had a particularly noticeable effect on the development of technology? I'm mainly interested in books that have been written since World War II. The line of inquiry is not limited to computers; any kind of link between sci-fi and hard tech will do (e.g. Cap'n Kirk's communicator == prototype mobile phone). Books that have lent a name to a technology are also interesting (like the 'Little-Endian, Big-Endian' terms which were lifted from Gulliver's Travels, or 'Babel Fish' from Douglas Adams)."

Comments

1984

[Snar Bloot]

Seriously. 1984.

Fountains of Paradise

[meta-monkey]

I'm pretty sure Foutains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke was the first mention of the "space elevator" idea. Basically, a station in geosynchronous orbit with a giant anchor extended further out in space is connected to a spot near the equator (in Sri Lanka, I believe) by a diamond filament, and then one can simply ride an elevator into space. Research has been looking into this more and more in recent years as some exotic materials are beginning to show up which may be strong enough to support this endevour. I think I recall an article or a show on the Discovery channel recently about how carbon nanotubes might be able to fill this role, if they could be extruded to lengths longer than a few microns.

Re:The Diamond Age "Predicted" Electric Paper

[Phaid]

er that was supposed to read this article.