The government’s savants have designed a new kind of machine. It can do all the work the country needs: production, consumption, trade, finance, taxation, defense. Wondrously, as its parts wear out, they are constantly renewed. It is very large and we citizens are its parts. [Click ‘Random Post’ above – be astonished] … [Read more...]
“The Cloud Remembers” / Memorable Fancies #1674
14 November, 2016 by Leave a Comment
If we forget, the cloud remembers. How do we know the cloud is telling us is what we forgot, or something different, something the cloud prefers us to believe? It doesn’t matter. What it tells us becomes our truth. [Click ‘Random Post’ above – be astonished] … [Read more...]
“The New Thing” / Memorable Fancies #1623
19 September, 2016 by Leave a Comment
[“Nothing on earth is more vengeful than the jealousy of a machine that believes itself to be neglected.” – Metropolis, film script (1926)] The old thing realizes that there is a new thing. No matter how it modifies itself, adds accessories, changes out a few parts – it’s still hopelessly outdated, ignored, neglected: the last typewriter, the last keypunch machine, the last microfilm reader, the last mainframe, the last flip phone, the last car that needs a driver, the last driver, the last … [Read more...]
“Like Me” / Memorable Fancies #1550
30 May, 2016 by Leave a Comment
At first I thought it might be human: its voice sounded so very human, crying “Help me! For pity’s sake help me!” But then I saw it was just a machine. Like me. So I didn’t help. … [Read more...]
“A Technical Education” / Memorable Fancies #625
24 March, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Owing to an alarming increase in the number of its machines with serious flaws, FlexiCorp Industries adopted an aversive psychology technique, punishing flawed machines within sight of the other machines. Quality immediately improved. The number of machines that had to be oil-boarded decreased. … [Read more...]
Memorable Fancies 