Sci-Fi Idea Bank

	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
1
2	Sci-Fi Idea Bank
3
4	Sci-Fi Ideas:	Technovelgy
5	Compiled by:	Not Boring
6
7	Date	Device Name	Novel	Author	Description	Built?	By Whom?	Product	First Year Made	Additional Details	Bits or Atoms?	Companies Working on This

8	1634	Weightlessness (Kepler)	Somnium (The Dream)	Johannes Kepler	The notion that there could be a location with zero effective gravity.	Yes	NASA, Roscosmos	International Space Station	1998	N/A	Atoms
9	1638	Weightlessness in Space	The Man in the Moone	Francis Godwin	This appears to be the first description of the idea of weightlessness in space.	Yes	NASA, Roscosmos	International Space Station	1998	N/A	Atoms
10	1638	Gansas	The Man in the Moone	Francis Godwin	Migratory birds that fly all the way to the Moone.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
11	1657	Moon Machine	A Voyage to the Moon	Cyrano de Bergerac	A device that could power a man from the surface of the Earth to that of the Moon.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
12	1705	Cogitator (The Chair of Reflection)	The Consolidator	Daniel Defoe	A device which improves the rationality of the thinking processes.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
13	1726	Geometric Modeling	Gulliver's Travels	Jonathan Swift	The first recorded use of geometric figures to directly represent, or model, living beings.	Yes	Autodesk, Dassault	3D modeling software	1982	N/A	Bits
14	1726	Knowledge Engine	Gulliver's Travels	Jonathan Swift	The first reference to a machine that could create sentences or write books.	Yes	Google	Search engine	1998	N/A	Bits
15	1726	Bio-Energy	Gulliver's Travels	Jonathan Swift	The first reference to extracting electricity from organic materials.	Yes	Various	Biofuel production	1895	First commercial production of biofuel	Atoms
16	1726	Laputa	Gulliver's Travels	Jonathan Swift	A floating island or rock in the air.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
17	1727	Androide	Cyclopaedia	Ephraim Chambers	A device having the form or likeness of a man.	Yes	Honda, Boston Dynamics	Humanoid robots	2000s	ASIMO, Atlas	Atoms
18	1828	Steam-Propelled Moving Houses	The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century	Jane Webb Loudon	Otherwise ordinary residences that move from place to place, powered by steam.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
19	1828	Barrels of Air	The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century	Jane Webb Loudon	A very early mention of a means for breathing once above the Earth's atmosphere.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
20	1828	Mail-Post Letter-Ball	The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century	Jane Webb Loudon	A system of sending mail quickly from town to town via steam-cannon-powered hollow spheres.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
21	1828	Stage Balloon	The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century	Jane Webb Loudon	A regular means of conveyance, like a train or carriage.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
22	1846	Express Dolphin	Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (The World As It Shall Be)	Emile Souvestre	A most agreeable means of locomotion under the waves.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
23	1846	Steam Horse	Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (The World As It Shall Be)	Emile Souvestre	A remarkable mechanical beast.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
24	1846	Forced Scholars	Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (The World As It Shall Be)	Emile Souvestre	Hothouse intellectuals.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Bits
25	1846	Feeding Room	Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (The World As It Shall Be)	Emile Souvestre	An automated child care.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
26	1846	Passenger-Carrying Mortar	Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (The World As It Shall Be)	Emile Souvestre	A unique way of crossing a river, without a boat or a bridge.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
27	1864	Whispering Gallery	Journey to the Center of the Earth	Jules Verne	A means of communication in specifically shaped spaces.	Yes	Various	Architectural acoustics	19th century	N/A	Atoms
28	1866	Paper Steel	Robur-the-Conqueror	Jules Verne	Specially treated paper that forms material as hard as steel.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
29	1867	Water-Springs	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	Using water to cushion the living space of a spacecraft from the effects of acceleration.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
30	1867	Light Pressure Propulsion	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	First mention of the idea that light itself could be a form of propulsion for spacecraft.	Yes	NASA, JAXA	Solar sails	2010s	IKAROS, LightSail	Atoms
31	1867	Gourmet Space Cuisine	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	The finest in French cuisine, in outer space.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
32	1867	Air Renewal	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	Re-oxygenating the air within the projectile spacecraft.	Yes	NASA, Roscosmos	Life support systems	1960s	On spacecraft like Soyuz	Atoms
33	1867	Communicate with Extraterrestrials	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	Early plan to communicate with life on planets removed from the earth.	Yes	NASA, SETI	Communication initiatives	1960s	Efforts like SETI and messaging space probes	Bits
34	1867	Splashdown	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	The use of water as a medium for landing one's space ship in.	Yes	NASA	Ocean landing	1960s	Used for early crewed spaceflights	Atoms
35	1867	Launching Facility	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	A specific spot with support for a space launch.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
36	1867	Free Return Trajectory	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	The idea that it would be possible for a projectile to go around the Moon and then return to Earth.	Yes	NASA, JAXA	Free return trajectories	1960s	Used on Apollo missions	Atoms
37	1867	Columbiad	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	An enormous cannon, sufficient in size to send a projectile to the Moon.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
38	1867	Projectile-Vehicle	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	A projectile, or shot, capable of enclosing passengers and being safely hurled to the moon by an enormous cannon.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
39	1867	Retro-Rockets	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	Small boosters to provide a thrust counter to the current velocity of the spacecraft, slowing it down or stopping its progress altogether.	Yes	NASA, SpaceX	Retro-rockets	1960s	Used on spacecraft for maneuvering and landing	Atoms
40	1867	Weightlessness	From the Earth to the Moon	Jules Verne	The state experienced in free fall; a space traveler's weight is apparently reduced to zero.	Yes	NASA, Roscosmos	Experiencing weightlessness	1961	First human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin	Atoms
41	1868	Burn the Ship	Around the World in 80 days	Jules Verne	Utilize parts of the ship as fuel for forward movement.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
42	1868	Steam Man	The Steam Man of the Prairies	Edward S. Ellis	A mechanical robot powered by steam.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
43	1869	Brick Moon	The Brick Moon	Edward Everett Hale	An artificial satellite or space station with living quarters for passengers.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
44	1869	Flywheel Launcher	The Brick Moon	Edward Everett Hale	Gigantic flywheels that build up enough power to launch a spacecraft - hurl it into the heavens!	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
45	1871	Fossil Shell Coin	The Coming Race	Edward Bulwer-Lytton	The use of rare natural shells of an extinct species, for money.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
46	1872	Mechanical Consciousness	Erewhon	Samuel Butler	The notion that machines may develop a form of consciousness.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional idea	Bits
47	1875	Electrify the Rail	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	Jules Verne	Use of substantial electrical charge applied to outer hull to repel potential boarders.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
48	1875	Undersea Mining	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	Jules Verne	Conducting mining operations on the sea floor.	Yes	Various	Undersea mining	1960s	Early efforts in the 1960s	Atoms
49	1875	Diving Apparatus	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	Jules Verne	Equipment used to go for walks on the sea bed; the direct ancestor of modern scuba diving equipment.	Yes	Various	Scuba gear	1943	First scuba gear patented by Jacques Cousteau	Atoms
50	1875	Nautilus	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	Jules Verne	The wondrous submarine of Captain Nemo; the instrument of his escape from humanity and his revenge upon it.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
51	1875	Leyden Ball	20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	Jules Verne	Device for hunting underwater; transfers a powerful electrical charge to the prey.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
52	1877	Telepomp (Matter Transmission)	The Man Without a Body	Edward Page Mitchell	A device that transmitted matter from one place to another.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
53	1879	Compact Food Pastilles	The Senator's Daughter	Edward Page Mitchell	One small tablet is a month's worth of food.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
54	1879	Suspended Animation (Frigorific Process)	The Senator's Daughter	Edward Page Mitchell	Very early reference to cryogenic storage.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
55	1879	Home News Printer	The Senator's Daughter	Edward Page Mitchell	A device that prints out the newspaper of your choice right in your own home.	Yes	HP, Canon	Home printers	1970s	N/A	Bits
56	1880	Astronaut (Ship)	Across the Zodiac	Percy Greg	The first instance of this phrase, it denotes a space-going vessel.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	New term for spacecraft	Atoms
57	1880	Apergy (Apergion)	Across the Zodiac	Percy Greg	An antigravity substance with sufficient power to propel a space ship from the Earth to Mars.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
58	1881	Chemical Production of Food	Mizora: A Prophecy	Mary E. Bradley Lane	Creation of food in the laboratory rather than in the field.	Yes	Various	Lab-grown food	2000s	Early efforts in 2000s	Atoms
59	1881	Dutch Clock (Time Machine)	The Clock That Went Backward	Edward Page Mitchell	A tall Dutch clock with hands that move... backward.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
60	1883	Telephonoscope	Le Vingtième Siècle (The Twentieth Century)	Albert Robida	A device that effectively transmits pictures and sound over long distances.	Yes	Various	Video calling	1930s	Early video calling efforts in 1930s	Atoms
61	1886	Ether Ship	Aleriel or A Voyage to Other Worlds	W.S. Lach-Szyrma	A space-going ship.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional term for spacecraft	Atoms
62	1887	Anacronopete (Time Machine)	El Anacronopete	Enrique Gaspar	A flying electric-powered time machine.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
63	1888	Credit Card	Looking Backward	Edward Bellamy	A simple card that is used in place of money	Yes	Visa, Mastercard	Credit cards	1950s	N/A	Atoms
64	1888	Telephonic Music Room	Looking Backward	Edward Bellamy	Places where a person could go, at any time, to share in musical performances happening at some distance away.	Yes	Spotify, Apple Music	Music streaming	2000s	N/A	Bits
65	1888	Mall (Great City Bazaar)	Looking Backward	Edward Bellamy	An aggregation of shops under one roof.	Yes	Westfield, Simon Property	Shopping malls	1950s	N/A	Atoms
66	1889	Straightening the Earth's Poles	The Purchase of the North Pole (Topsy Turvy)	Jules Verne	By means of a suitable force, push the Earth until the planet's axis of rotation is perpendicular to the ecliptic.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
67	1889	Electrified Fence	A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court	Mark Twain	A wire fence carrying an electrical charge sufficient to deter crossing the boundary.	Yes	Various	Electric fences	1930s	N/A	Atoms
68	1889	Atmospheric Advertising	In the Year 2889	Jules Verne	A means of mass advertising to cities and countries.	Yes	Various	Skyvertising, Drones	2020s	N/A	Atoms
69	1889	Phonotelephote	In the Year 2889	Jules Verne	A means of transmitting and receiving both voice and picture for a personal conversation.	Yes	Zoom, Skype	Video calling	2010s	N/A	Bits
70	1889	Live News	In the Year 2889	Jules Verne	The modern concept of a news broadcast.	Yes	CNN, BBC	24-hour live news	1980s	N/A	Bits
71	1889	Recorded News	In the Year 2889	Jules Verne	This is the basic idea behind Tivo and VCRs.	Yes	TiVo, DVRs	Digital video recorders	1990s	N/A	Bits
72	1893	Air-to-Surface Missile	The Angel of the Revolution	George Griffith	Very early description of a projectile fired from an airship into a surface target.	Yes	Various militaries	Guided missiles	1940s	N/A	Atoms
73	1893	War-Balloon (Navigable Aerostat)	The Angel of the Revolution	George Griffith	Enormous dirigible airships used for war.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
74	1893	Air-Ship (VTOL Airship)	The Angel of the Revolution	George Griffith	A flying machine capable of vertical take-off and landing.	Yes	Bell, Boeing	VTOL aircraft	1950s	N/A	Atoms
75	1894	Rooftop Windmill	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	Renewable energy source for the home.	Yes	Various companies	Rooftop wind turbines	1970s	N/A	Atoms
76	1894	Aeriduct (Rain Maker)	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A specific means of producing rain.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	Fictional	Atoms
77	1894	Magnetic Eyes	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A device that permits remote monitoring of people or other objects.	Yes	Axis Communications	Security cameras	1990s	N/A	Atoms
78	1894	Vehicle Energy Reclamation	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	Reclaiming the energy gained by climbing a hill on the way back down.	Yes	Various automakers	Regenerative braking	1990s	N/A	Atoms
79	1894	Instantaneous Kodaks (Traffic Control)	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	Use of cameras to help police officers enforce speed limits.	Yes	Various	Speed cameras	1960s	N/A	Atoms
80	1894	Electric Phaetons (Electric Cars)	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	Vehicles whose motive power is entirely derived from electricity.	Yes	Tesla, Nissan	Electric cars	1890s	First viable electric cars in 1890s	Atoms
81	1894	Space-ship	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A space-going vessel.	Yes	NASA, SpaceX	Spacecraft	1950s	N/A	Atoms
82	1894	Marine Spider (Hydrofoil)	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A very early mention of the hydrofoil concept.	Yes	Boeing	Hydrofoils	1960s	N/A	Atoms
83	1894	Magnetic Railroads	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A scheme for powering railroads using enormous electromagnets.	Yes	Various	Maglev trains	1980s	N/A	Atoms
84	1894	Double-Door Vestibule	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A special doorway leading from the interior of a spacecraft leading out into space which maintains the air pressure within the craft.	Yes	NASA	Airlocks	1960s	On spacecraft	Atoms
85	1894	Arctic Signal Light	A Journey In Other Worlds	John Jacob Astor IV	A means of communicating with spacecraft from the surface of the Earth.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
86	1895	Time Machine	The Time Machine	H.G. Wells	A device allowing the rider to move freely in the temporal dimension, just as we ordinarily do in the two physical dimensions normal to gravity.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
87	1895	Government Lethal Chamber	The Repairer of Reputations	Robert W. Chambers	A legal suicide booth.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
88	1895	Submarine Tube	An Express of the Future	Michel Verne	A means of transport between Europe and North America via underwater tubes.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
89	1895	Atomic Microscopy	The Crack of Doom	Robert Cromie	A device that can actually visualize a individual molecule and its parts.	Yes	IBM	Scanning tunneling microscope	1981	N/A	Atoms
90	1895	Undersea City	The Crystal City Under the Sea	Andre Laurie	A great city under the sea, covered by a crystal dome.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
91	1895	Atomic Energy	The Crack of Doom	Robert Cromie	Splitting the atom to create a destructive force.	Yes	Various	Nuclear fission	1939	N/A	Atoms
92	1895	Manufactured Wife	A Wife Manufactured to Order	Alice W. Fuller	A wife made to order, programmed to meet her husband's requirements.	Yes	Various	Sexbots, AI Chat GF/Wife	2010s	N/A	Both
93	1896	Monsters Manufactured	The Island of Dr. Moreau	H.G. Wells	Dr. Moreau demonstrates the plasticity of the organic form.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
94	1896	Fulgurator	Facing The Flag	Jules Verne	An 'autopropulsive projectile'.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
95	1897	Noninterference With Other Worlds	In the Deep of Time	George Parsons Lathrop	Earliest expression of the 'Prime Directive' idea.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Bits
96	1897	Glow-Worm Living	In the Deep of Time	George Parsons Lathrop	Alternated work, play and slumber without long periods of sleep.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
97	1897	Life-Brew	In the Deep of Time	George Parsons Lathrop	A non-alcoholic beverage, but similar to wine.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
98	1897	Gravitational Wave Viewer	Two Planets	Kurd Lasswitz	A device used to see at astronomical distances.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
99	1897	Helium Metal	In the Deep of Time	George Parsons Lathrop	An ore with the spectroscopic line of Helium.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms
100	1897	Walking Balloon	In the Deep of Time	George Parsons Lathrop	A means of efficiently traversing rough country.	No	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Atoms