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Nine Words From Science Which Originated In Science Fiction

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the science-emulates-science-fiction dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Oxford University Press has a blog post listing nine words used in science and technology which were actually dreamed up by fiction writers. Included on the list are terms like robotics, genetic engineering, deep space, and zero-g. What other terms are sure to follow in the future?"

11 of 433 comments (clear)

  1. other potential things by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Funny

    Grey goo, space elevator, portal, warpspeed, hyperspace. Scyance. Oh sorry, that last one's not from science fiction, it's from that channel (what's it called?) that shows wrestling.

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    Qxe4
    1. Re:other potential things by RevWaldo · · Score: 4, Funny

      I thought Doctor Smith was only known for the terms like "Bumbling bucket of bolts" and "Oh no! We're all going to die!!"

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      Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
    2. Re:other potential things by Abreu · · Score: 4, Funny

      I remember Arthur C Clarke saying that Sci Fi is something that could happen, while fantasy is something that could never happen.

      ...said the man who wrote about space elevators...
      [ducks!]

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      No sig for the moment.
    3. Re:other potential things by ChatHuant · · Score: 4, Funny

      I remember Arthur C Clarke saying that Sci Fi is something that could happen, while fantasy is something that could never happen.

      Pfft, what does he know? Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

    4. Re:other potential things by lgw · · Score: 5, Funny

      "deus ex machina" is latin for "machine from god"

      God from machine! What the Hell do schools teach these days? Originally, in Greek theater, a crane used to lower an actor from the sky to take the role of a God and ruin the ending of a play. Now used to describe how a Michael Crichton books ends.

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      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  2. Not a word, but a phrase by chill · · Score: 4, Funny

    Slashdot effect

    As exemplified by that poor website everyone is now clicking on.

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    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
  3. Re:Forgot to mention by glwtta · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cyberspace. William Gibson, Neuromancer

    They said "science", not "online wankery".

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    sic transit gloria mundi
  4. Re:How about Waldo? by BiggerIsBetter · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's an engineering term for a remote controlled robotic arm, derived from a Heinlein story.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_(device)

    Yes, but what good is such a thing if you can never find it? It will never catch on.

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    Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
  5. Re:Text from Google cache by Stele · · Score: 5, Funny

    Interesting that "Belgium" wasn't in the list.

  6. Re:The currency of the future is ... by squidfood · · Score: 4, Funny

    Iain M Banks

    Speaking of which, let's not forget the term Meatfucker.

  7. Was I the only one? by MoxFulder · · Score: 4, Funny

    I gotta say it... I was pretty shocked to see "Thagomizer" excluded from the article!

    It's a term for the tail spikes of a Stegosaurus, which comes from this Far Side cartoon.

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