Instantaneous Communication
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| Date |
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5.2.2002 |
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| Submitted by |
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Stephan Carroll |
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| Title |
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Instantaneous Communication |
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| Source |
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Beep, James Blish, 1954, Short Story.The Dispossed, Ursula K. LeGuin, 1974 |
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| Context |
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Blish and LeGuin have put forward in different forms the idea of the perfect, ideal instantaneous communicator, but giving no explanation for the real transmission mechanism. |
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| Description |
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In “The Dispossessed” (LeGuin 1974) a communications device known as an Ansible is theorised. This device permits instant communication between any two points regardless of the range. The idea is developed through a scientist’s attempts to produce “A Theory of the General Field” (temporal physics) in order to permit “instantaneous transferral of matter across space”, “space travel without traversal of space or the lapse of time.” A scientist decides that the theory rules out “the passage of men but not of ideas.” The Ansible communicator does not pass messages as such but through the “Theory of Simultaneity” the message is at both locations at the same time, and this would be perceived as talking between worlds. This SF work appears to do little else to explain the operation of the Ansible and the communications device is even within this story, entirely theoretical (The device does appear in use in other stories by the same author).Named for Paul Dirac the Dirac Communicator appeared in the short story “Beep” (Blish 1954).A more interesting aside is that all such instruments, anywhere, tuned to receive them, pick up the Dirac broadcasts. This statement prompts a visualisation in the reader of the Dirac communicator tapping into and out of some undisclosed other dimension or medium. This concept is sadly not explored. The communicator also produces a high-pitched beep, which is attached to every received message. This beep contains, in a compressed form, every message that has ever in the past and will ever in the future be sent by the Dirac communicator. This access to he future is the main thrust of the story, which is perhaps why the communications are not examined further. |
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| Comments |
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- No Entry - |
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| Feasibility |
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Not able to Judge |
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| Keywords |
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communication , ftl long range , instantaneous communication |
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