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In reference to the earlier discussion on the problematic nature of predicting the future of computer technology, here's a look at the home computer of 2004 (as predicted in 1954):



What I want to know is what that gigantic handwheel is for.

Arioch wrote:What I want to know is what that gigantic handwheel is for.

The reset 'button'?

The overclock wheel.

Arioch wrote:What I want to know is what that gigantic handwheel is for.

It the handle to the boiler's burner. That were you put the coal

Arioch wrote:My answers presume that the ship which crashed is military, and that the crew are all female warriors.

Alexandr Koori wrote:Why Academia (teaching?) on 3 and law on 4?

The Loroi warrior class would agree with the maxim "Those who cannot do, teach." They realize that education and training are necessary and important, in the same way as they realize that sanitation is necessary and important, yet still do not consider hauling garbage to be a worthy pursuit.

Lawyers are a necessary evil for a system in which the rule of law and protection of personal rights are the foundation of society, such as ours. The Loroi system, however, is a military oligarchy, with few enumerated personal rights, in which laws and regulations are, for the most part, subject to interpretation by those in positions of authority. Further, it is a telepathic society, in which the written wording of a rule is not especially relevant; the Loroi do not revere documents the way our system does. The concept of a profession whose job it is to dispute the rulings of the government, to subvert the intent of a statute based on details of wording, or to aid criminals in escaping punishment because of legal technicalities or improper procedures, would seem bewildering and immoral to those of the Loroi warrior class.

Stillstorm would not like it. She already considers verbal speech lying, Lawyers? Demons that must be purged from existence.

fredgiblet wrote:

To be fair, one can easily get lost on a Wiki Walk.

Arioch wrote:In reference to the earlier discussion on the problematic nature of predicting the future of computer technology, here's a look at the home computer of 2004 (as predicted in 1954):



What I want to know is what that gigantic handwheel is for.

For steering the submarine, of course!

It's unfortunately a hoax.

Even so, I'm pretty sure no one from 1954 would have predicted smartphones. Or the insanity that is the Web.

Heh... I found the image on NASA's APOD website.

The television did look a bit awkward.

Mr Bojangles wrote:

Arioch wrote:-snip-

For steering the submarine, of course!

It's unfortunately a hoax.

Even so, I'm pretty sure no one from 1954 would have predicted smartphones. Or the insanity that is the Web.

Mark Twain predicted dial-up Internet in 1898.

Arioch wrote:Heh... I found the image on NASA's APOD website.

The television did look a bit awkward.

You know, it really does look pretty awkward, hanging up there all off center...

RedDwarfIV wrote:

Mr Bojangles wrote:

Arioch wrote:-snip-

-snip-

Mark Twain predicted dial-up Internet in 1898.

I wasn't aware until you mentioned that (thanks for sharing, by the way), but he did indeed write the short story From the 'London Times' of 1904. And in it, he predicted something that looks very much like the modern Web. And since you need a network for the Web to run over, I think you could actually argue he predicted an Internet with last-mile broadband connectivity.

Orson Scott Card did describe an internet in Ender's Game (1985), in which Ender's brother and sister plant the seeds for world domination under the psuedonyms Demosthenes and Locke. Though is seemed less visual than our actual Web turned out to be. And though the Web didn't exist in 1985, there were online communities of a sort.

Arioch wrote:Orson Scott Card did describe an internet in Ender's Game (1985), in which Ender's brother and sister plant the seeds for world domination under the psuedonyms Demosthenes and Locke. Though is seemed less visual than our actual Web turned out to be. And though the Web didn't exist in 1985, there were online communities of a sort.

You know, this got me curious about who else made fairly accurate predictions about the Net and the Web. Thought of a couple stories:

1. The Naked Sun, Isaac Asimov. This was part of his Robot series and was about a murder mystery on a Spacer world where the human inhabitants vastly preferred remote contact, e.g., audiovisual.
2. Neuromancer, William Gibson. This one is honestly kind of obvious. Immersive, networked VR? It's still the future, even today, but we're getting there (Oculus Rift, GearVR)

Can anyone else think of other pre-Internet (or at least, pre-widespread-Internet) stories that managed to hit on idea of the Internet?

The Machine Stops by E. M Forster.

Not sure if all the answeres to these questions are considered spoilers, but I will ask them anyway:
Do all Loroi fleets / strike groups have a set of alien diplomats accompany them?
Whats the reason that Historian AI is on the bridge? Is Tempo just keeping it there to annoy Stillstorm occasionally?
What kind fo "special services" does Rigai Mozin provide for the Loroi? Is his ship armed and how many other Barsam courier vessels are out there (one for every fleet)?

Suederwind wrote:Not sure if all the answeres to these questions are considered spoilers, but I will ask them anyway:
Do all Loroi fleets / strike groups have a set of alien diplomats accompany them?
Whats the reason that Historian AI is on the bridge? Is Tempo just keeping it there to annoy Stillstorm occasionally?
What kind fo "special services" does Rigai Mozin provide for the Loroi? Is his ship armed and how many other Barsam courier vessels are out there (one for every fleet)?

I also have these questions.

Suederwind wrote:Do all Loroi fleets / strike groups have a set of alien diplomats accompany them?

Most Loroi ships have a staff of Mizol on board, who can function as diplomats. Mizol also function as intelligence officers and political officers.

If you mean alien diplomats, it's not standard for Loroi ships to carry foreign diplomats, but it does happen. Greywind's flagship has a full set of foreign ambassadors on board.

Suederwind wrote:Whats the reason that Historian AI is on the bridge? Is Tempo just keeping it there to annoy Stillstorm occasionally?

The Historian personality construct was transmitted from Mozin's courier. The "jar" that the construct inhabited is a Historian-made device that was already on board Tempest. Command ships often have one or two on board so that if a Historian needs to visit, the Loroi can keep it out of their own computers.

Suederwind wrote:What kind fo "special services" does Rigai Mozin provide for the Loroi? Is his ship armed and how many other Barsam courier vessels are out there (one for every fleet)?

Because of the lack of FTL communications, couriers are very important in moving information. The Loroi, Barsam and Neridi all operate large numbers of couriers in the Steppes theater of operations. Some couriers run regular routes between bases, some stand by at bases waiting to sent to deliver special messages, and some run relays to fleets in the field. This last duty is difficult and dangerous, since they don't always know where the fleets will be (couriers usually don't have Farseers on board), and there's the chance of running into enemy forces. A typical Loroi courier is a corvette-class vessel with minimal armament.

Mozin's Prophet's Reason is kind of the Millennium Falcon of couriers; she's the size of a light cruiser, fast, and well-armed. Mozin sometimes operates as an armed courier, sometimes transporting high-priority cargoes, and sometimes performing other, "sensitive" missions. He has done jobs for Loroi Intelligence as well as for the Historians.

Arioch wrote:

Suederwind wrote:Do all Loroi fleets / strike groups have a set of alien diplomats accompany them?

Most Loroi ships have a staff of Mizol on board, who can function as diplomats. Mizol also function as intelligence officers and political officers.

If you mean alien diplomats, it's not standard for Loroi ships to carry foreign diplomats, but it does happen. Greywind's flagship has a full set of foreign ambassadors on board.

As of the events of Outsider, Greywind no longer possesses a full set of foreign ambassadors. lol.

NuclearIceCream wrote: As of the events of Outsider, Greywind no longer possesses a full set of foreign ambassadors. lol.

The former emperor was unlikely to have a full set too. Can't imagine the Umiak in the prewar days sending a representation of their 'Hierarchy'.

Arioch, are the Nissek represented on Greywind's flagship. And did a fair number of alien ambassadors die when emperor Eight Dawn took her ship to action at the Tinza perimeter?

GeoModder wrote:

NuclearIceCream wrote: As of the events of Outsider, Greywind no longer possesses a full set of foreign ambassadors. lol.

The former emperor was unlikely to have a full set too. Can't imagine the Umiak in the prewar days sending a representation of their 'Hierarchy'.

Arioch, are the Nissek represented on Greywind's flagship. And did a fair number of alien ambassadors die when emperor Eight Dawn took her ship to action at the Tinza perimeter?

I meant ambassadors of the allied nations, of course.

Yes, there is a Nissek ambassador (and his staff) aboard Greywind's flagship Cry of the Wind.

Most of the diplomats were taken off Skymaster before Eighth Dawn and her squadron went into action, but a few elected to stay, and they died with the Emperor.