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Drytech/Hylotech
Drytech
Image from Bernd Helfert

Drytech, also known as hylotech or inorganic tech means working with inanimate materials (whether organic or inorganic). This includes wood, stone, ceramics, bronze, iron, and steel, plastics and composites. In the case of more advanced drytech, nanotech assemblers are used. These give tremendous power and precision, but lack the innate novelty of biotech assemblers.

Hylotech - Datapanel

DefinitionTechnology based on inorganic and/or inanimate materials
A few alternative termsHard tech, Hylotech, Machinery
Level:Prim to Ultratech
DensityMacrotech to Nanotech (depends on type of drytech)
Substrate:Inorganic molecules or compounds, also uses organic non-biotech materials
Applicationa wide range of uses, including infrastructure, computation and almost all of the functions which biotech can be used for
Distribution and Availabilityfound in all The Sephirotics, almost all Deeper Covenant polities, among most xenosophont empires, as well as in most regions outside the metaempires.
Legal StatusDepends on polity. Basic templates public domain; restricted templates available for wealthy, powerful, or in many Free Zones; proscribed templates can be had outside angelnetted and supervised polities for those who know where to look. Many polities have strict controls on self-replicating dry tech (neumanns, dry nano goo, etc), and a few even ban it. The NoCoZo have the most liberal laws and least restrictions.
Environmental Requirementsdepends on optimal tolerance of device in question. Almost always more robust than biotech or sytech
Use, Care and MaintenanceReliable when performs well, but requires constant maintenance and replacement, often not self-repairing.
Popular WithMany clades and phyles of sapient grade and above, especially vec and some ai clades and phyles
 
Articles
  • Active Materials  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Any construction material, fabric or coating that can respond to the environment in a controlled way.
  • Aerovores (Gray Dust)  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, adapted from a paper by Robert A. Freitas
    A form of goo replicator constructed almost solely of CHON (Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen), and hence able to replicate relatively rapidly in a standard Terragen-like environment using only atmospheric resources and powered by sunlight.
  • AFV  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Armoured Fighting Vehicle. Any macroscopic armoured military fighting vehicle equipped with a selection of projectile and/or energy weapons, whether wheeled, tracked, walker, or a ground-effect, Industrial Age to Recent.
  • Aircar  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Small personal aircraft often used for short to medium range transportation on planetary surfaces or within habitats and megastructures.
  • Alchemics  - Text by Todd Drashner, Michael Beck, M. Alan Kazlev
    Transmutation of elements.
  • Alcohol II  - Text by Daniel Harle
    One of the first biologically active systemic nanotic injections, designed to keep a 'reasonable' (non-fatal) level of alcohol in the blood stream and to scavenge the unpleasant biochemical byproducts of alcohol metabolism.
  • Alloy  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A metallic element modified by the addition of one or more other elements ('dumb' alloy) or by the addition of nanotech devices ('smart' alloy).
  • Angelnet  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, with additions by John B and Stephen Inniss
    Any dense network of technology and artificial intelligences that establishes a very high degree of control over a region, generally with beneficial intent towards the inhabitants. The archetypical angelnet is under transapient control and makes heavy use of utility fog, and may cover an entire large hap or a planetary surface, atmosphere, and orbital space environment. Less pervasive or less sophisticated angelnets are also widely used.
  • Animarec  - Text by Michael Beck
    Recordings of a person's general personality type, their madnesses, and sanities, and all those tiny little neuroses that make up who we are interacting to determine what we do. They can only be made thanks to the power of neural-recording nanotech, and in some cultures and polities they are a standard part of any marriage agreement or hiring somebody.
  • Anti-Infector - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Hylo- or bio-nano device that provides immunity against various forms of goo, madverts, and other mentally and physically annoying phenomena
  • Antisound  - Text by John Edds
    Technology with the ability to nullify sound.
  • APC - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Armoured Personnel Carrier. Basically, any macroscopic wheeled, walker, or ground-effect military, police, or paramilitary AFV, used for transport of personnel. Although only lightly armored (contrast MIFV) an APC generally provides good protection against light arms fire, chemical, biological, and simple nano weapons, and may or may not be equipped with one or more non-lethal or lethal light projectile and/or energy weapons. Industrial Age to Recent.
  • Archangel Corvette  - Text by Darren Ryding
    One of a million transapient corvettes in the Archosaurian Empire, noted for the eerie cyan glow of their heat deflection armour.
  • Arcjet - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Simple very lo-tech rocket used for short low power thrusters, such as station keeping motors and satellites. A non-flammable propellant is heated (not combusted) by an electrical heat source, causing it to undergo a phase change (from liquid to gas) and is then expelled out of the nozzle under pressure. Although extremely inefficient and low thrust, arcjets are very reliable and require no sentient or subsentient ai controller. Almost any fluid from spare drinking water to human urine to vec cleaning oils can be used as a propellant in an emergency.
  • Arcology  - Text by Anders Sandberg, Trent Shipley, and M. Alan Kazlev
    A planned, building/ neighborhood/ city that is integrated into the landscape and enables the inhabitants to live holistic lives, integrating work and play. Arcology designs are fully 3-dimensional, mega-structure cities which can in theory achieve much greater efficiencies, and promote more social interaction than 2-dimensional cities, while using far less land and consuming fewer resources.
  • Argus Array  - Text by Todd Drashner, Peter Kisner, and M. Alan Kazlev
    Distributed telescopic network occupying a spherical volume approximately 1000 ly across in the Inner and Middle Regions.
  • Aron Tech VX12 Trans-atmospheric Fighter  - Text by Thorbørn Steen
    Popular nanotech fighter first created by Aron Tech.
  • Artificial Soil  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Utility technology that is used in place of, or in combination with, soil.
  • Artiphage  - Text by Richard Baker and David Dye
    Artificial defence cells carried in the blood
  • Aura (nanotech)  - Text by John B
    A temporary nanotic infusion designed to reveal EM radiation as a 'glow' to users.
  • Autocannon, Cannon  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Large-calibre (generally 20-40 mm) self-aiming rapid-firing kinetic weapon fixed to armored vehicles, gunships, or Mecha.
  • Autofabricator  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; modified and expanded by Stephen Inniss, Todd Drashner and Ryan_B (2016)
    Also known as a fab, nanofab, autofac, nanoforge, or nanofac. A nanotech fabrication unit for creating finished products from raw materials. This type of device is ubiquitous in the Terragen Sphere.
  • Automatic Rifle  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Steve Bowers
    Hand-held kinetic weapon with effective range generally in the vicinity of several hundred meters.
  • Autowar  - Text by Tengu459
    A type of automated, self-replicating cybernetic warship
  • AW (AutoWar seed)  - Text by Thorbørn Steen
    An AW or AutoWar seed is a missile launched into an opponent's solar system, often without eir knowledge. The emergence of the autowars is sometimes aligned with the arrival of an extra-stellar invasion fleet, but especially against foes of lower tech level autowars are quite capable of taking over or eradicating a system entirely on their own
  • Backup  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    A recording of the entire physical mind/body state of any entity created with the intent that it might be replicated at a later date.
  • Bailout Device  - Text by David Jackson
    Backup device intended to actively preserve itself in an emergency, if necessary by finding a new host.
  • Banks' Orbital  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    A Banks Orbital is an extremely large hoop-shaped artificial habitat that rotates once per day to create artificial gravity along its inner surface. A Banks Orbital can provide natural-seeming and self-maintaining environments over surface areas that are hundreds to thousands of times larger than of a typical rocky planet like Old Earth.
  • Barovam Class Weapons platform  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Quasi-arachnoform weapons platform developed by the Empires Age Varadic Hegemony in 3370.
  • Beamed Energy Propulsion  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, Mauk Mcamuk, Chris Shaeffer and Steve Bowers
    Propulsion of craft using beamed energy, or by the use of mass particle streams.
  • Beamrider Network  - Text by Todd Drashner
    An interstellar mass beam propulsion network was first conceived in the mid first century AT (late 20th and early 21st centuries c.e.). Today there are more beamrider routes than wormholes in the galaxy as a whole.
  • Beanstalk  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A strong cable (usually polybuckminsterfullerene or some semi-elastic diamondoid) lowered from a geosynchronous satellite and anchored to the ground, often with a counterweight at the outer end to provide some extra tension and stability. It provides cheap and simple access to space using elevators. Most developed worlds have a series of beanstalks connecting the surface with orbitals. Although the effect from a beanstalk breaking and whiplashing around the planet would be quite serious, this has only rarely happened.
  • Bernal Sphere  - Text by Steve Bowers
    A rotating spherical space habitat.
  • Betelgeuse-brain  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A jupiter-brain so large that it has to be supported by its own radiation pressure to avoid collapsing.
  • Bicameral von Neumann Machine Architecture  - Text by John Edds
    Fundamental architecture for the design of self-replicating machines that are incapable of uncontrolled self-replication and operation.
  • Binerator - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A megascale electrical engineering device built around the interstellar plasma flow between unequal size stars in a binary system. The hollow tube like device uses charged plasma particles flowing through it to produce electricity.
  • Biomimetics, Biomimesis  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Originally, designs or technology that were inspired by or based on living organisms.
  • Bishop Ring  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, Todd Drashner and Steve Bowers
    Giant rotating orbital habitat, built of woven diamondoid/buckyfibre cable; these come in a range of sizes up to 2000 km in diameter and 500 km deep.
  • Blackmailer  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    A weapon developed on Daedelus, and since turning up widely throughout known space.
  • Blockbot  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and AI Vin
    Modular meso- to micro-scale robots (each unit being 1mm3 to 1cm3 in volume, although there are also versions with units several centimeters across) intended for space development, construction, foglet duties, etc.
  • Blue Goo Ecologies  - Text by John B
    Blue Goo is a commonly accepted name for defensive nanotechnological systems. It is effectively an artificial immune system sensitized to nanotechnological aggressors.
  • Bluesky Worldhouses  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Benedita Dacosta, known as Bluesky, brought the worldhouse concept to many cyborgised colonies in the Doran Empire, and later as the Bluesky Bioxoxes, all over Terragen space.
  • Body Armour  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Body armour developed early as protective suits made of such materials as leather, shells, wood, and basketwork, later supplemented by metal and synthetic materials.
  • Boltzmann Machine - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Stochastic neural network systems that are capable of learning hidden structure in data.
  • Boostbomb  - Text by Todd Drashner and Adam Getchell
    Total conversion bomb.
  • Boser - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A matter laser. The stimulated emission of BEC results in bosons marching in coherent phase. Bosers have many uses in energy storage and release and in weapons systems.
  • Botworld  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    A large area that is dominated by, or consists entirely of, self-replicating and self-repairing forms which are of mechanical origin.
  • Brain Taxonomy  - Text by Adam Getchell
    The various different kinds of intelligent megastructure, including Moonbrains, Jupiter-Brains, Neuron Stars, S-Brains, W-Brains, and Tipler Oracles.
  • Bushbot, Bushvec  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A fractal vec, a flexible robot structure, where each manipulator branches off into smaller copies of itself, forming a fractal tree over many scales (usually down to the nanoscale). Each branch contains a distributed system to calculate movement and minimize central processing. Many SI:1 entities use a mobile bushbot to interface with in ril.
  • Capacitors  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    A capacitor or condenser is a passive electronic component consisting of a pair of conductors separated by a dielectric (non-conductor). Advanced designs allow capacitors to act as potent energy storage devices.
  • Capital Ship  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A term used by the Terran Federation, the Laughter Hegemony states, and a number of other polities to refer to an interstellar warship of the first rank in size and armament.
  • Carapace Armor  - Text by Todd Drashner and 'Total Annihilation'
    Middle Information Age to early Interplanetary Age light combat armor consisting of layers of synthetic chitin and diamondoid plating over an underlayer of kevlar and arachnoweave.
  • Ceramic Engineering  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, based on the original by Robert J. Hall
    The science and technology of the processing of ceramic materials.
  • Chameleon Suit  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; minor additions by Stephen Inniss
    Full-body stealth suit covered in specialized interlinked mesobots and nanobots that form an Optical Phased Array. The background on one side of the suit is detected via cambanks and this is then projected on the other side, enabling the wearer to be invisible. Some models also have built-in laser capacity. Not as sophisticated or impervious to detection as a janusuit, and easily detected by most perimeter security tech (motion analysis, nano cloud, sonics, interferometry, etc). It is still used in some kinds of games and sports, or on occasion for casual anonymity where security devices have not been deployed. It is till popular among some feral and barbarian groups.
  • Chemical Engineering - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, based on the original by Robert J. Hall
    The macro-, micro-, meso- or nano-scale chemical conversion of raw materials into such end products as bioplastoids, synthetic petroleum products, dumb (macroscale) detergents, plastics, natural and synthetic fuels, pharmaceuticals, fullerenes, hardcopy paper, and industrial chemicals. While most products can be easily synthesized with any household nanofab, chemical engineering is still important in the mass-production of large quantities of material in large chemical plants.
  • Chemical Plant  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Complex for the industrial output of chemical elements.
  • Cimri - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Kitchen MRI tool, used to check temperature, texture and juiciness of food by nuclear magnetic resonance.
  • Cinema - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    2d sound and light-projection media popular during the late Industrial, Atomic, and early Information Ages; replaced by interactive virtual reality during the later Information Age.
  • Civil Engineering  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, from the original by Robert J. Hall
    Field of engineering that deals with the design, construction, and management of physical infrastructures (buildings, highways, maglev tubes, spacedocks, recycling piping, bridges, moving walkways, etc etc) necessary for urban or habitat existence.
  • Cluetab and Cluedriver  - Text by Thorbørn Steen
    A common method for fastening surfaces together.
  • Combat Carrier  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Class of relativistic warship designed to transport and support smaller combat craft over interstellar distances.
  • Computer - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A computation device, which may be sentient or non-sentient. AIs can be either sentient computers, or complex systems residing in the RAM of computers. Without computers, galactic civilization would be impossible.
  • Conversion Drive  - Text by Adam Getchell, Todd Drashner, Mark Mcamuk, and Chris Shaeffer, updated by Ithuriel
    Conversion drives (or monopole catalyzed fusion drives, as they are more formally called) use magnetic monopoles to increase the efficiency of a standard fusion drive up to nearly 100% if so desired. These systems were first developed by Second Singularity transapients. They are currently the most commonly used drive for interplanetary or interstellar travel.
  • Conversion Weapons  - Text by Adam Getchell and Todd Drashner
    Monopole based self-replicating weapons sometimes used to detonate stars; generally employed by transapients of S3 or greater toposophic.
  • Corundumoid  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Corundum-like materials, analogous to diamondoid but based on corundum (aluminum oxide, or Al2O3) in various forms.
  • Corvette  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A military warship of fairly small size, cheaper and more lightly armed than a destroyer, usually used for fleet or convoy escort, or for showing the flag or gunboat diplomacy in a smaller polity.
  • Cruiser  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A large (generally, over 100,000 tonnes), fast, heavily armed reactionless drive warship capable of both independent operations and of support of the main line of battle.
  • Cryonic Suspension  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, amended by Steve Bowers
    Suspending organic functions by the use of low temperatures to halt metabolic decay.
  • Cycler  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A cycler is a ship or mobile habitat that travels continuously along an orbit or interstellar route in such a way that it makes a regular series of rendezvous with other stations, orbitals, planets, or stars along the way. Cyclers may be small or large, sparse or luxurious, slow or fast. They may be interplanetary (also called an Aldrin Cyclers) or interstellar (also called a Schroeder Cyclers), and may be completely passive (simple ballistic orbit) or with may have course correction drive units.
  • Cyrano Mod  - Text by David Jackson
    Self-contained memetic-processing suite that monitors the conversation and analyzes the data being fed to it by physiological sensors with the purpose of suggesting dialogue that might favorably promote the user's desired outcome.
  • Demon-net  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Angelnet technology that is hostile or harmful in one or several ways.
  • Diamondoid  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Diamond-like; chemical structures or systems (especially nanomachines as envisioned originally by Eric K. Drexler) based on diamond derivatives and/or stiff carbon bonds.
  • Distributed Intelligence  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An intelligent entity that is distributed over a large volume (or inside another system, like a virtual network) with no distinct center. This is the opposite of the strategy of Concentrated intelligences.
  • Dyson Swarm, Dyson Sphere  - Text by Todd Drashner and Steve Bowers with extra material by Mike Parisi and M. Alan Kazlev
    A huge spherical megastructure or habitat swarm constructed around a star in order to maximize living space and capture the entire energy output of that star.
  • Ear, The  - Text by John B
    "The Ear" is used by baselines to indicate if they are under surveillance by active sensors or via active transmissions.
  • Ederworlds  - Text by AI Vin
    Inflated, self-gravitating megastructures
  • Eidolon  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Telepresence via utility fog.
  • Exoatmospheric Fighter - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A small planet- ship- or orbital- based hybrid air- and space-craft, usually short- to very short range and armed with lasers and automatic cannon. Crew may include one or two bionts and several dedicated ai, or the whole vessel may be ai controlled. Propulsion is via jet or nanobank turbine for dense or slow atmospheric flight, ramjet or scramjet for hypersonic flight, and chemical, fusion or amat rocket for vacuum propulsion.
  • Exoskeleton  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An external skeleton as found in arthropods, or a suit of protective sealed powered armour worn as clothing, or similarly protective modifications or augments of the body.
  • Exotic Atoms - Text by Stephen Inniss
    A term used for matter that is not composed of the usual protons, neutrons and electrons but that forms analogous structures. The constituent particles of monopolium/magmatter are an example. Some such "atoms" may be said to form "molecules" or analogues of metals or ionic compounds and may be used in the construction of such things as Banks Orbitals.
  • Fab - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Alternative term for an autofab.
  • Fan Matrix  - Text by John Edds
    Mesoscale fan array
  • Fast Forward  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Dominion experiment in the creation of a neogenic ecosystem based on neutron matter.
  • Flo-stone  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Nanotech based material used for flooring and originally designed to simulate the look and feel of marble or ceramic.
  • Fluent Veil  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Smart fabric veil worn by many citizens in the Solar Dominion and some other polities.
  • Fog Swarm Projection - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A rl projection of physical objects and entities through the behavior of trillions of foglets. Fog swarms can be seamlessly merged with virch environments to create a continuum from totally virtual to totally rl.
  • Foglet  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A mesobot that consists of a human-cell-sized device with twelve arms pointing in all directions. At the end of the arms are grippers that allow the foglets to grasp one another to form larger structures. These bots are intelligent and can merge their computational capacities with one another to create a distributed intelligence. Foglets are widely used by nanocyborgs, and there are a number of posthuman civilizations based on foglet technology. Because of the possibility of unpredictable ascension or subversion, many polities regard foglet clades with suspicion
  • Forge Integrated Technology (FIT)  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Systems that incorporate one or more nanoforges into their structure for the purpose of producing new or replacement components as circumstances may require.
  • Foucault Pendulum - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A simple pendulum that tracks the rotation of a planet (or moon or orbital). As the pendulum swings, the planet rotates under the pendulum, so the pendulum seems to rotate. It was first demonstrated by Jean Bernard Foucault, in 109 BT (1851 AD) at the Paris World's Fair, Europe, Old Earth.
  • Fractal Dyson  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, additions by Steve Bowers
    Type of Dyson Sphere using a fractaform surface to get as much habitable area as possible, thereby maximizing return on investment. There are several Fractal Dysons in the MPA, including one semi-rigid (Kepleria) form. Also, the Paradigm dysons are of a fractal type.
  • Freesphere  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Free fall habitat often used as a recreational area in an orbital band or as habitation for the space adapted.
  • Fullairs  - Text by AI Vin
    Airborne arcologies supported by warm air. A variety of bubblehab.
  • Fullerene  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Any molecule composed entirely of carbon, in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid, or tube, as opposed to forms of carbon such as graphite or diamond which make extended networks that lead to crystals, or to amorphous forms of carbon such as soot.
  • Fullerite - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Atomically precise fullerene-like material, contains magmatter elements that greatly enhance performance. Widely used by some ISOs.
  • Fusion Reactor  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Power generation through the release of heat through a controlled nuclear fusion reaction.
  • Gauss Gun  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A generic term for kinetic weapon that uses a magnetic charge to accelerate a projectile.
  • Geckotech  - Text by John Edds
    Use of nanoscale hairs (setae) to provide adhesion by Van der Waals forces.
  • Genestick  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Various compact genetic analysis and engineering devices.
  • Genie  - Text by Anders Sandberg, updated by Steve Bowers
    An AI combined with an assembler or other universal constructor, programmed to build anything the owner wishes. A form of Santa Machine. This requires a high level of AI and nanotechnology.
  • Geoflex Computing   - Text by AI Vin
    A type of computing using the energy of tidal flexing in ice moons.
  • Ghostlight  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Godtech level weapon believed to operate by using mutually annihilating beams of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) to focus large amounts of gamma frequency radiation on a target without regard to any intervening matter.
  • GluStik - Text by John B
    Small device which is used to temporarily adhere any two surfaces together, and also to release such adhesion.
  • Grazer Wormhole  - Text by Adam Getchell
    Purpose-built spherically symmetric wormholes carried into systems, such as globular clusters, that are rich in material and energy but (usually) poor in planetary materials.
  • Guardweb  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Limited function angelnet system used for security, law enforcement, and general control of subject or conquered populations.
  • Gunboat/Gunship  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Generally, a heavily armed and armoured, short-range military vessel, capable of operating in a hydrospheric, atmospheric, and exoatmospheric (vacuum-capable) environment for prolonged periods of time.
  • Hotpoint  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Fusion generators used for illumination and energy generation in Haloist and Backgrounder habitats.
  • Hylonano - Text by Todd Drashner
    Molecular Nanotechnology (dry nanotech). Use of artificially created non-biomolecular systems as replicators, assemblers, or components of molecular nanotechnology; any molecular nanotechnology not based on bio-molecules or biotech. Sometimes referred to as "Drexlerian nanotech".
  • Hyperfog  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Transapientech utility fog.
  • Immunemetic - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Neural nano-device that provides a CNS filter to screen out subversive memetics. Does not work against high toposophic subversion.
  • Inaxun  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    INtelligence Augmentation XUNware. Popular public domain transapient subarchailect gnostic interface distributed by the Xun Polity, TRHN.
  • Industrial Ecology  - Text by Chris Shaeffer
    The study and implementation of efficient industrial systems coexisting with the natural environments within which they operate.
  • Inline University - Text by Max M. Rasmussen, in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    Nanocomputer or general computronium implant or implants serving to increase intelligence and education of their owners, essentially turning them into a walking university. Especially common on Ken Ferjik, Alexandria, and other university worlds and megastructures.
  • Internalnet - Text by Ken Clements, in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    An information network inside a living body, for example between nanochondria, bionic implants or external wearable computers.
  • Interstellar Magnetic Catapult  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Large, sometimes megascale electromagnetic mass driver which uses a magnetic charge to accelerate cargo to high velocity.
  • Ionic Pistol - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Hand-held weapon that fires a beam of high velocity electrically charged ions. Short range when used in an atmosphere.
  • ISO (Intelligent Super-Object)  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A large construct intended for the housing of an archailect or transapient or a high singularity culture or civilization. ISOs can be mobile or stationary, with sizes ranging from a few kilometers to Dyson spheres.
  • Known Net, The  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; additional comments by John Snead
    The interstellar information network and interlinked cybercosms that has grown over thousands of years from the old pre-singularity Internet and InterPlanetNet.
  • Lagrange Magshield, The  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Interplanetary Age concept, which was developed from research into magsails and Ram-assisted magscoops.
  • Laser  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Any device that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons.
  • Laser Sail, Maser Sail  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Very thin ultra-light multi-square-kilometer (up to several 100 km in diameter) sail-based propulsion system used to reflect beamed laser or maser energy (up to thousands of terawatts of energy), allowing a reasonable rate of acceleration with no on-board reaction mass.
  • Leg Wheels  - Text by John Edds
    Hybrid devices using both legs/limbs and wheels.
  • Leviathan Class  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    These MPA capital ships were the largest warships of the Version War until the construction of the Juggernaut class.
  • Limitations of Nanoweapons  - Text by Michael Walton
    Nanoweapons have a number of inherent limitations which mean that, in practice, countermeasures can be devised to slow down or stop many or most forms of nanoattack.
  • Liquid Clothing - Text by Michael Boncher
    A high tensile strength liquid is stretched inside a hoop with an internal reservoir inside the tube of the hoop. Using nanites to control flow and fitting, a sophont steps inside the hoop and pulls it up, coating their body with the liquid which quickly forms into a design and coloring programmed into the hoop's computer control. When the outfit reaches either the shoulder or neck, the user presses a button and the hoop cuts the liquid free allowing it to form on the body. This method can also be used to make instant gloves, boots, pants or other body coverings on limbs. This is also very useful for crises in space or on the water, as well as a large variety of social uses and industrial uses as well. Often this type of clothing incorporates automated systems that increase a worker's efficiency and safety by amplifying the power, speed or precision of eir movements. A standard hoop for plebhu use is 175 cm in diameter, but larger and smaller hoops for other Clades are also quite common.
  • Lofstrom Loop  - Text by Anders Sandberg in his Transhuman Terminology
    Dynamic launch loop using a continuous stream of linked magnetic units to raise payloads above the atmosphere for launch.
  • Lorrey Loop - Text by Steve Bowers
    Advanced form of Lofstrom Loop using three geostationary terminii in orbit at the points of an equilateral triangle, and three ground terminii opposite them, connected by a stream of vessels or particles which travel in Hofmann orbits (except when in the atmosphere), thereby saving energy.
  • Lynk  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Lynking - the act of linking different locations by telepresence via high-grade utility fog, often as part of an angelnet.
  • M-Life  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Machinic non-biological life as seen in neumanns, hylonanecologies, and other inorganic organisms or ecologies. In practise M-life, B-life and A-Life tend to merge, especially because of the ubiquity of biotech and bionanotech.
  • Magmatter  - Text by Luke Campbell with some additions by Adam Getchell, Todd Drashner, Stephen Inniss, Steve Bowers
    Exotic, hyperstrong and hyperdense matter composed of various monopole particles.
  • Marrowbone Armor  - Text by Michael Boncher
    Combines protection from high-powered weaponry with close combat armor and defenses against gray or khaki goo attacks.
  • Mass-Stream Technology (Space Fountains and Orbital Rings)  - Text by Todd Drashner; Steve Bowers;
    Using accelerated streams of projectiles or particles to either transfer momentum or support a large structure.
  • McKendree Cylinder  - Text by AI Vin with additions by Steve Bowers
    Closed cylindrical habitats, often a thousand kilometers in radius and ten thousand kilometers long.
  • Mechmoss and Nanoalgae  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Simple sessile photosynthetic nanotech or synano neumann-capable devices/organisms.
  • Membot, Memebot  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Glenn Grant
    A (typically illegal) nano-mesite or nano-micrite replicator, usually a cytobot cytobiobot, that acts directly on the brain or other processing center to predispose the victim to certain memes. Alternatively and facetiously, a sophont dedicated to the propagation of a meme or memeplex.
  • Memory Box - Text by Todd Drashner
    Data storage unit used to contain the mind-state. Also contains a digitized copy of the owners biocode to allow the nano- construction of a new body if the original is destroyed. A standard memory box is a rectangular solid approximately of dimension 3x1.5x.75cm. Memory boxes are typically copied at least three times and the copies kept in separate locations. They are also built to be as close to indestructible as their owners can afford. A standard design typically involves multilayer buckytube shells interspersed with foamed ceramic thermal insulation.
  • Mesobot - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An autonomous device or structure, whether sentient or non-sentient, of mesoscale size (generally 10-7 to 10-6 m); very large nanodevices like foglets and cytobots. May be organic and biological, mechanical and aioidal, or any combination of the two.
  • Meson Gun - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Richard Baker
    Hi-tech particle beam weapons that create high energy mesons and direct them at targets. The device, which is usually mounted on a ship or combat remotes, uses the collision of electrons (matter) and positrons (amat) creates pi neutral mesons. Being electrically neutral, these particle beams are not deflected by magnetic fields, and do not disperse as fast as charged particle beams.
  • Metallurgical Engineering - Text by M. Alan Kazlev based on original by Robert J. Hall
    The fabrication, processing, refining, and utilization of metals and alloys, including both alloys made from naturally occurring metals, and an almost limitless variety of nanocomposites and engineered alloys, and the design and fabrication of such neometals. Also involves plants and equipment for processing metals and creating new alloys.
  • Microbot - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Autonomous device on the microscale (10-6 m); larger than a nanobot but smaller than a macroscopic bot (the limit is usually set somewhat arbitrarily at one millimeter). Microbots are used for a variety of tasks such as monitoring, repairs, nanite transport and production and smart materials.
  • Microgravity Space Habitats  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Non-rotating habitats with a zero-gee environment
  • Mining  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, modified from the original write-up by Robert J. Hall
    The extraction of mineral resources from an asteroid, planetoid, moon, planet or other object in space.
  • Mitebot - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Microscopic or near-microscopic organic or mechanical robot, usually arachnid-like in form. Similar to a gnatbot except that it crawls rather than flies.
  • Mnemonet - Text by Todd Drashner
    Biocybernetic network of nanodevices grown in an organic brain and working to constantly record the owners brain activity and memories. The contents of the network are periodically downloaded to a central file and integrated into the mind-state stored there. If the owner dies for some reason, the mind-state is activated and instantiated in a new body to continue the life of the original. Mnemonets are also used to expand the memory of the user when the original organic memory has reached its limits due to the length of the users lifespan. In the more advanced systems, mnemonets designs are written into the gene-code of all citizens so that they develop as part of the natural growth process of a fetus and child.
  • Modubots  - Text by Steve Bowers and AI Vin
    Wheat-grain sized microbots capable of linking together into a multitude of functional shapes.
  • Molectronics - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Electronics at the molecular (mesotech and nanotech) scale.
  • Molecular Computer - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Any computer based on logic gates that is constructed on principles of molecular mechanics (as opposed to principles of electronics) by appropriate arrangements of molecules. Since the size of each logic gate is only one or a few molecules, the resultant computer can be microscopic in size. As with any nanotech, limitations on molecular computers arise from the physics of atoms and chemical bonds. Molecular computers are massively parallel through having parallel computations performed by trillions of molecules simultaneously. The early molecular computers (Middle Information Age) were constructed from the DNA molecule; later on, more adaptable artificial organic and artificial organic molecules were used instead.
  • MOTE  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Molectronic Omniprocessing TEchnocyte.
  • MultiModal Personal Rapid Transport  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Otherwise known as People Pods, these small vehicles can utilise a number of different modes.
  • Municipal Feedstock Utilities  - Text by Michael Boncher
    The combination of storage and transportations systems that bring elementary materials to public, personal, and industrial nanofacs.
  • Nail-tool  - Text by Mike Parisi
    Popular cybernetic (or occasionally bioborg) implant, common among medium-tech biont clades, and those who like to do their own engineering and surgery. Nail-tools consist of telescoping, fractal micro-manipulators that extend from the ends of the user's regular digits.
  • Nanite  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; amended by Stephen Inniss and Ryan B
    Generic term for a molecular or nanoscale device, whether bionano or hylonano; a cluster of reactive nanoparticles.
  • Nano-flywheels  - Text by John B and Steve Bowers
    Mechanical energy stored as angular momentum at a very small scale.
  • Nanobar  - Text by John B
    A thin film material which prevents nanotic devices from affecting it, or penetrating it.
  • Nanobot  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; amended by Stephen Inniss and Ryan B
    A hylotech, biotech or syntech bot that uses nanoscale mechanisms and manipulates objects on the nanoscale. By convention nanobots are less than one micrometre in size; larger bots enabled by nanotech are referred to as mesobots, cytobots, or microbots, or if they are still larger then they may be called as mitebots, synsects, or simply bots.
  • Nanochondria - Text by Anders Sandberg in his Transhuman Terminology
    Hylonano or bionano devices existing inside living cells, participating in their biochemistry (like mitochondria) and/or assembling various structures. A type of nanosome.
  • Nanofac - Text by Stephen Inniss
    An alternative name for an autofab.
  • Nanoferon: Nanotech Inhibitors  - Text by Michael Boncher
    A subset of <{A4.86453E+12, blue goo}> nano-defenses, made up of extremely complex large molecules of very specific shape, bonding and size. They act in a fashion similar to antibodies in a biological system.
  • Nanoflex  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Paper-like programmable matter; a multi-purpose, omni-flexible nanotech effector system still used in many parts of the Terragen sphere.
  • Nanoforge - Text by Stephen Inniss
    An alternative name for an autofab.
  • Nanomachine  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Pran Mukherjee
    Generic term for a microscopic or molecular mechanical (non-biotic) device, for example a hylonanite or nanobot. It is important to note that nanomachines (and indeed nanites in general) do not have to be nanoscale; they may simply be microscale machines that can manipulate nanoscale objects.
  • Nanometallurgy - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Using industrial and assembler nanotech to manufacture specific alloys or metallic configurations on the molecular scale. Although nanometals do not have the strength and lightness of diamondoid, they are excellent conductors of electric current, are malleable, do not catch fire as easily as carbon-based nano, and can easily be installed with shape-memory features.
  • Nanorot  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Synano disassembly swarm, often feral with high nuisance value.
  • Nanoseed - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Nanotech "seed", a self-contained and sealed capsule containing assemblers and replicators either pre-programmed with templates or instructed from an external source. The seed is "planted" on a substrate, and activated with energy or a nutrient spray. It then grows into the desired product, using locally acquired resources and ambient energy (e.g. sunlight) or in the case of some large nanoseeds, a small amat battery.
  • Nanoskin - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Bionano or hylonano augment or application that completely covers the wearer/user's skin, forming a second dermal layer and providing environmental protection and intelligence augmentation.
  • Nanotransistor - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A molecular-sized transistor.
  • Neural Implant, Neural Interface, DNI  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Generic term for any brain implant that enhances a biont's sensory ability, memory, or intelligence.
  • Neuron Star, N Brain  - Text by Damien Broderick, in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    A neutron star used for processing, as part of whole of an archailect-level mind. The exact nature of the processing substrate that is used in such a mind is not fully understood, and may use neutronium, quark matter or exotic matter in various ways.
  • Nimbus Project, The  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Large scale engineering project being carried out by the Negentropy Alliance as an experiment in creating an immortal mind.
  • Nuclear Reactor - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A power plant that uses controlled atomic fission or fusion to generate energy.
  • Nuclear Weapons, Fourth Generation  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Fission and fusion explosives intermediate between chemical and conventional nuclear devices in yield.
  • O'Neill Cylinder  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A pair of cylindrical orbital space colonies that rotate around their respective axis to produce simulated gravity (one rotates clockwise and the other counter clockwise to minimize torques). Usually between 10 to 100 km long, with mirrors providing sunlight and simulating the day/night cycle. The structure is large enough to have its own self-contained ecosystem, microclimate, etc. Named after the Atomic Age Old Earth visionary Gerard O'Neill.
  • Omnicraft  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Versatile mode of transport designed to operate and provide accommodations in a wide range of environments from planetary surfaces to interplanetary space.
  • Optical Computer - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A computer that processes information using light instead of electrons. Each stream of photons represents an independent sequence of data, thereby providing extremely massive parallel computation. Nanooptical computers can use a single photon as a bit.
  • Optical Phased Arrays  - Text by Luke Campbell and Steve Bowers
    An optical phased array (OPA) uses phase technology to produce a wide range of optical images and emissions.
  • Pandifico: Elastic Diamondoid Fiber Composites  - Text by Michael Boncher
    A powerful diamondoid composite that is constructed to be elastic and flexible like rubber.
  • Paraterraforming  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Steve Bowers
    Roofing over a small world or moon by means of domes or a worldhouse roof to make it habitable to terragen bionts.
  • Paste - Text by Steve Bowers
    Swarm devices manufactured by a forge system, (such as a bioforge or nanoforge) so that the individual units do not carry the code for their own replication (human red blood cells are an example of this in biology).
  • Pencomp  - Text by John B and Todd Drashner
    Networked processing device allegedly very popular in the period leading up to the Technocalypse, and definitely for some time thereafter.
  • Perfect Optics  - Text by Michael Walton
    Materials that almost completely absorb, reflect or conduct specific wavelengths of light.
  • Personal Medical System - Capabilities   - Text by Ryan B
    Artificial medisystems have a number of standard capabilities.
  • Personal Transport Technology  - Text by Terrafamilia, Ryan B (wing pack)
    Some modes of personal transport that became possible during the Nanotech Age.
  • Photoelectrochemical Cell - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Generic term for a wide range of cheap and easily fabricated, flexible photovoltaic device based on nanocrystalline materials and conducting polymer films, that provide a very high efficiency ratio of conversion of sunlight to electrical power. Widely used in many space habitats and for ground-based planetary power production for remote habitats and instruments.
  • Photonics - Text by M. Alan Kazlev based on a list by Robert J. Hall
    The study of the control of photons, especially for the transmission of information. Includes technology such as lasers, laser amplifiers, fiber optic cables, light-conducting buckytubes, light emitters, sensors and imaging systems of all sorts, charge-coupled devices, optical communication systems, holography, phased array optics, optical computers, and all types of optical data storage systems.
  • Pidgin Brain - Text by Michael M. Butler in Anders Andberg's Transhuman Terminology
    An artificial part of a posthuman brain designed so that activity, memories and skills stored in it can easily be transferred to other pidgin brains, a "neural ligua franca".
  • Pimple Socket - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A microscopic interface socket by which a biont can use cyberware (e.g. DNI) without appearing like a "buttonhead". The name cames from the fact that the socket itself is surrounded by a small bump or pimple that allows the user to find it even without augmentations.
  • Plasma Weapons  - Text by Adam Getchell
    Plasma weaponry becomes practical with the advent of controlled nuclear fusion, and is distinguished from other high energy weapons by the use of fusion-grade fuel.
  • Plasmic Furniture - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Furniture based on limited utility fog which allows it to reshape itself fluidly into whatever shapes is desired. Design involves mainly selecting the right behavioral parameters for it to predict the desires of its owners and when not in use form aesthetically pleasing "resting shapes".
  • Plastic (material)  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; some additions by Stephen Inniss
    A synthetic or semi-synthetic amorphous solid material, typically a polymer of high molecular weight made with monomers organic compounds that may be natural or synthetic in origin.
  • Polyfullene - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Polybuckminsterfullerene; nanofactured fullerene composite produced originally for Beanstalks but which also found many uses elsewhere. Polyfullene has a tensile strength close to the theoretical limits of molecular matter; a single one millimeter strand can easily support many tons. The most impressive property is that it is self-healing: if the nanotubes inside a Polyful filament are broken, fullerene from the matrix heals them only causing a slight lengthening.
  • Power and Energy Storage  - Text by John B, Luke Campbell and Steve Bowers
    There have been many different systems used to store energy throughout the ages.
  • Power Shoes - Text by Jorge Ditchkenberg
    Shoes that at night walk by themselves and connect to an energy source, and in the daytime supply their user with energy. Especially popular with children, who are often too small to carry a longer-term energy supply and who might otherwise forget to connect to an external source.
  • Q-Battery  - Text by Adam Getchell and Todd Drashner
    High Singularity technology that allows the extraction and manipulation of the stored vacuum energy contained in depleted Q-balls.
  • Q-Mirror  - Text by Adam Getchell and Todd Drashner
    Third singularity artifact that transforms matter into anti-matter.
  • QED Fusion Reactor - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, Inspired by an entry in the Lunar Institute of Technology
    The electrostatic fusion reactor first suggested by Robert Bussard of 20th century Old Earth (C.E.), uses fusion fuel confined by a spherical voltage potential well of around 100,000 volts. It makes an excellent, and fairly low tech (late Information Age / early Interplanetary Age equivalent) light power plant, that it can be used as part of a basic high thrust to weight ratio propulsion system for spacecraft and aircraft. Basic propulsion versions have a specific impulse of between 1500 and 6000 sec.
  • Quadrail Gaussrifle  - Text by From an original article by Michael Boncher
    Rugged and flexible ballistic weapon with smooth bore or caged barrel versions.
  • Railgun  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A ship or vehicular mounted kinetic weapon that uses magnetic fields to accelerate a shell at very high velocity
  • Ratbot  - Text by Jorge Ditchkenberg
    The earliest type of practically usable and self-governed bot known to the terragens. It emulates some aspects of terragen rodents.
  • Reality Room  - Text by Todd Drashner and Stephen Inniss
    Imaging and entertainment technology in use during the 4th and 5th centuries AT.
  • Relativistic Kinetic Kill System (RKKS)  - Text by Todd Drashner, with additional material by Luke Campbell
    RKKS (pronounced rocks) are relativistic weapons system consisting of an unmanned launch vehicle and dense projectiles.
  • Relay - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A hardware node in the Known Net which usually includes computronium servers, docks, service stations, and multiple nano- and microgauge wormhole gates. In some cases, relays may also incorporate flat-space communication systems, and catapults for transport of cargo and hard matter data storage systems.
  • Reseal  - Text by John B
    The civilized galaxy's version of Old Earth 'duct tape'.
  • Respirocyte  - Text by Steve Bowers and Todd Drashner
    Bloodborne, approximately 1-micron-diameter spherical nanomedical device that acts as an artificial mechanical red blood cell.
  • Restriction Swarm  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A nanoswarm designed to keep a planet off-limits from outsiders (or to protect the rest of the universe from the people inside).
  • Ribbonworlds  - Text by AI Vin and Steve Bowers
    Low acceleration megascale Habitats.
  • Rinomolitic Matrix - Text by M. Alan Kazlev based on original idea by Kevin Self
    A self-reproducing crystalline matrix that has the ability to interface with a sentient nervous system and enhance its cognitive abilities. The substance is a nano-lifeform, a kind of wild nanocomputer apparently designed for interfacing, originally discovered on Kariton.
  • Robot  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev; some additional material by Stephen Inniss
    A programmable hardware or software device, agent, or expert system, either non- sub-turing, or dedicated turingrade, that follows certain instructions in order to perform tasks autonomously. A physical (hardware) robot mechanical manipulators and sensors. A robot may perform a physical task normally done by a biont, often with greater speed, strength, efficiency, and precision. Although vecs are sometimes also called robots (because of similarity of appearance), robots differ from vecs in that they are less cognitively flexible, and lack or have only limited initiative. Most vecs would respond to being called "robot" the way most sophont bionts would respond to being called "animal".
  • Rotating Space Habitats  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Space-borne habs that provide artificial gravity do so by spinning. Though there are many variations according to the desired acceleration the available materials and the size of the overall structure there are only a few basic forms.
  • Rotovator  - Text by Steve Bowers
    Device for transferring cargo or passengers from the atmosphere or near surface of a planet to outer space.
  • RV-5 Transport Vehicle - Text by M. Alan Kazlev inspired by entry by Kevin Self
    Robust and popular Federation era all-environment wheeled vehicle used by extraterrestrial mining and exploration teams. The RV-5 carried four crew and a limited amount of cargo, and came with turingrade expert systems and pilots. Both electric and hydrogen fuel cell versions were available. Variants on the design remained common for centuries on many middle region, frontier and less developed worlds.
  • Safety Blades  - Text by John B
    A common implement in most work areas. These are knives with smart matter cutting surfaces and various sensor capabilities. The basic premise is a device which will stay ever-sharp and ready to cut, but will not cut unless it is held in a living hand, nor will it cut a living being.
  • Sapphiroid - Text by Stephen Inniss
    An alternative term for corundumoid, suggestive of sapphire, which is a blue form of corundum. Early in history, and well into the Information Age, sapphires were a valuable and rare gem stone, and the name was considered more attractive because it implied value. Corundumoid was considered too suggestive of carborundum, an industrial material, and alternative names derived from other coloured forms of corundum, such as ruby, were less euphonious.
  • Scanning Probe Microscope - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    An atomic and information age microscope-manipulator that allowed researchers to see individual atoms and molecules. The device was fitted with a fine point that allowed it to push atoms or molecules around on a surface. A precursor to nanotech.
  • Sea Of Logic Machine - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, based on KurzweilAI
    A computer or information processor constructed only of NOR gates. Many aioids are constructed as a sea-of-logic machines.
  • Self-Propulsive Tethers - Text by Steve Bowers
    Satellites which are joined by tethers orbiting any world with a magnetic field will generate electrical power by passing through the lines of magnetic force; this energy can be used to power ion thrusters for example and thereby power rotating tether systems, amongst other uses.
  • Shellworlds  - Text by Michael Beck, amended by Steve Bowers
    Worlds with several concentric habitable layers.
  • Shower in a Bottle - Text by James Ramsey
    Active nanite gel that is used to clean the body of bionts. Uses body heat and organic dirt from cleaning for energy. The gel in the shape of a sphere is placed somewhere on the body. The gel then spreads out to cover the being's entire body. Once finished the gel reforms into a sphere which then can be placed in the carrying bottle.
  • Slidewalks and RiverRoads  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Moving walkways — transport for passengers and other objects.
  • Smart Dust - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Scattered meso- or nano- bots used as an invisible surveillance device.
  • Smartex  - Text by Michael Boncher
    "Smart" latex rubber.
  • Solar and Microwave Passive Propulsion  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Sail propulsion using reflected photon pressure.
  • Spraywear  - Text by Michael Boncher
    Form of clothing was originally developed as an effort to pack protective gear into a small area for use in emergencies. It has since become a popular form of outerwear for many sophonts.
  • Star Lifting  - Text by Dave Criswell, in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    Removing material from a star for industrial use or for stellar husbandry. Methods include increasing its rotation until material begins to drift off the equator or squeezing it using intense magnetic fields from particle accelerators.
  • Starbooster  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Solar output enhancement array.
  • Synsects  - Text by Stephen Inniss
    Small bots, or occasionally cyborg/neogen or synano constructs on the scale of arthropods. They exhibit artificial instinct (as opposed to artificial intelligence), and are capable, like insects of considerably complex emergent behaviour. They are a ubiquitous in most modern mechosystems.
  • Technocyte  - Text by Anders Sandberg, in his Transhuman Terminology. Updated by Ryan B
    A synthetic autonomous machine of microscale dimensions and smaller intended to operate within a biont's body.
  • Temporary Bodies  - Text by Michael Boncher, revised by Steve Bowers 2015
    Bot or biobot body that is used to temporarily house the mind of a virtual person or any other discorporate entity.
  • Terraformer Swarms  - Text by Somes Jung Hallinan
    Large swarms of self-replicating devices that travel in front of colonization fleets. They are usually carried within small seeding missiles that travel close to the speed of light, well ahead of the main colony ships. The seedtech or sporetech devices are usually embedded within a solid block of metal, concrete, diamondoid, or some other encapsulating material.
  • Terraforming  - Text by Anders Sandberg
    Planetary Engineering (with the aim of creating a habitable environment
  • Thicksuit  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Nanotech/bionanotech vacuum survival suit.
  • Thruster Pack  - Text by Todd Drashner
    A compact propulsion unit used for individual operations in free-fall environments.
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation  - Text by Loopquanta
    Non-invasive neural interfacing using magnetic fields.
  • Transistor - Text by M. Alan Kazlev based on original by Ray Kurzweil
    A switching and/or amplifying device using semiconductors, first created in 1948 by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley of Bell Labs (pre-singularity Old Earth). These atomic age devices were soon superseded. During the early to middle Information age molectronic and nanotransistors were developed, thus enabling extremely dense and fast rates of computation.
  • Triphibious - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    A vehicle that is able to travel on or under water, on land, and in the air. Triphibious vehicles are very popular on Pacifica.
  • Uberwatch  - Text by John B
    The UberWatch is a low-tech input device utilized by various semi-regressed clades throughout the known volumes. It is a bracelet or, much more commonly, a watch designed to read the positioning of a person's hand both in relation to their main body and, via neural pickups (usually non-intrusive, occasionally intrusive), the positioning of fingers, wrist, etc.
  • Ultimate Chip  - Text by Adam Getchell and Todd Drashner
    Colloquial term for a class of diamondoid based processing devices used as the fundamental unit for constructing Second Singularity mind cores as well as various other applications.
  • Utility Fluid  - Text by John B
    Form of utility fog which, in its un-self-altered state looks like a puddle and has the rough consistency of pudding or thick soup.
  • Utility Fog  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev, after the concept by J. Storrs Hall, in Anders Sandberg's Transhuman Terminology
    A collective of mesobots ("foglets") that link together into a complex network, able to work together to exert force in any direction or transmit information between each other. Utility fog can be used to simulate any environment, essentially providing rl with the environment-transforming capabilities of virtual reality.
  • Utility Sand  - Text by AI Vin
    A dense, load bearing form of utility fog.
  • Vac Trains  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Fast train transport in evacuated tubes to reduce atmospheric resistance.
  • Vacuum Dirigibles   - Text by Todd Drashner with additions by Steve Bowers
    Lighter-than-air flying machine built around the use of nanotech constructed materials.
  • Vacuum Equipment  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Thinsuits, airdust, nanolungs: the basic requirements for vacuum survival.
  • Valhalla Cluster  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Colloquial term for massive artificial concentrations of matter believed to be operating as archai level (Fifth Singularity or higher) industrial centers.
  • Vision Chip - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Information Age implant used by baseline and nearbaseline humans, involving silicon emulation of the human retina that captures the algorithm of early mammalian visual processing, and an algorithm called center surround filtering. By the early interplanetary age this was replaced by bioware, except among some dedicated cyborg clades.
  • von Neumann Self-Replicating Systems  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Self-replicating autonomous machines, mainly referring to those working in space, especially exploring regions too remote to be easily reached by organics.
  • Warchive  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Anders Sandberg
    Nanotech weapons archive/assembler.
  • Weather Machines  - Text by Steve Bowers and Todd Drashner, with additional material by J. Storrs Hall
    Atmospheric devices designed to affect the energy flow of the atmosphere
  • Wer-weave  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Smart matter cloth.
  • Wingpack  - Text by Todd Drashner
    Personal transportation device that allows bird-like flight.
  • Worldhouses  - Text by James Ramsey
    Also known as paraterraforming or pseudoterraforming, this technique is widely used by colonisation projects to produce suitable living conditions for baseline or nearbaseline humans relatively rapidly.
  • Worldship  - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
    Huge nomadic interstellar ship, typically moving at 0.01 to 0.1 c, where relativistic effects are unimportant.
  • Zipper  - Text by John B
    Small cutting device for opening the amazingly resilient packaging materials common in any mid to high tech part of the Terragen Sphere.
 
Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev

Initially published on 06 February 2002.

 
Additional Information
OA Glossary of Terms