4 ms·

As predicted in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "...an electric pencil flew across the cabin and through the radio's on/off-sensitive airspace."

dmd 7y ago
Well, but Trillian did that on purpose specifically to turn off the radio.
- snewman 7y ago
  Fair point.
- CobrastanJorji 7y ago
  Perhaps the computer is smart enough to determine intent. To paraphrase Marvin, "Here I am with a brain the size of a planet and they ask me to determine whether you were gesturing at me on purpose."
  - roywiggins 7y ago
    Sirius Cybernetics clearly had some ideas along those lines, but the results were lacking: "He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea. The way it functioned was very interesting. When the Drink button was pressed it made an instant but highly detailed examination of the subject's taste buds, a spectroscopic examination of the subject's metabolism and then sent tiny experimental signals down the neural pathways to the taste centers of the subject's brain to see what was likely to go down well. However, no one knew quite why it did this because it invariably delivered a cupful of liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea."
cannam 7y ago
It certainly seems on-point. "A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wavebands for news of himself. The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive - you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme." This is from 1979 of course.
- james_s_tayler 7y ago
  That's uncannily accurate.
- jtmb 7y ago
  It almost seems like cheating to draw on Douglas Adams, of course he'd be the one to draw out futuristic truths in his droll way.

dmd 7y ago

Well, but Trillian did that on purpose specifically to turn off the radio.

snewman 7y ago
Fair point.
CobrastanJorji 7y ago
Perhaps the computer is smart enough to determine intent. To paraphrase Marvin, "Here I am with a brain the size of a planet and they ask me to determine whether you were gesturing at me on purpose."
- roywiggins 7y ago
  Sirius Cybernetics clearly had some ideas along those lines, but the results were lacking: "He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea. The way it functioned was very interesting. When the Drink button was pressed it made an instant but highly detailed examination of the subject's taste buds, a spectroscopic examination of the subject's metabolism and then sent tiny experimental signals down the neural pathways to the taste centers of the subject's brain to see what was likely to go down well. However, no one knew quite why it did this because it invariably delivered a cupful of liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea."

cannam 7y ago

It certainly seems on-point. "A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wavebands for news of himself. The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive - you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme." This is from 1979 of course.

james_s_tayler 7y ago
That's uncannily accurate.
jtmb 7y ago
It almost seems like cheating to draw on Douglas Adams, of course he'd be the one to draw out futuristic truths in his droll way.