3 ms·
The scramble suit was an invention of the Bell laboratories, conjured up by accident by an employee named S. A. Powers... Basically, his design consisted of a m
by williamcotton 11y ago
The scramble suit was an invention of the Bell laboratories, conjured up by accident by an employee named S. A. Powers... Basically, his design consisted of a multifaceted quartz lens hooked up to a million and a half physiognomic fraction-representations of various people: men and women, children, with every variant encoded and then projected outward in all directions equally onto a superthin shroudlike membrane large enough to fit around an average human.
As the computer looped through its banks, it projected every conceivable eye color, hair color, shape and type of nose, formation of teeth, configuration of facial bone structure - the entire shroudlike membrane took on whatever physical characteristics were projected at any nanosecond, then switched to the next...
In any case, the wearer of a scramble suit was Everyman and in every combination (up to combinations of a million and a half sub-bits) during the course of each hour. Hence, any description of him - or her - was meaningless.
From A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick.
Published by Not Known in 1977
- chopin 11y agoIt might be simpler to just wear a Burka. Although at least in Germany this will collide with masking regulations (you are not allowed to mask in public gatherings).
- omginternets 11y agoI don't think the point was that we should all go to the scramble-suit store and buy a scramble suit...
- marincounty 11y agoNo, but we need to keep ahead of this technology, and fight it whenever we can--for those that care? I'm beginning to think most people just don't care? What I find ironic is any criminal with any forethought is going to become a master of disguise--without going to that much trouble.
- icebraining 11y agoNot just in Germany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_laws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_laws In France in particular, there's a full ban in public places, even if there's no gathering.
- therobot24 11y agoperiocular recognition is also a thing :)
- pavel_lishin 11y agoI would imagine that were this published in 2007, he would also include shoes with actuators in them that are constantly working to alter your gait; perhaps something that also affects how you move your hips or arms, although I'm not sure how this could be done. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gait_analysis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gait_analysis