Pocketphone vs. Pocketcomp

The Mote In God’s Eye is considered by some to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time. It’s certainly a great read.

It was first published in 1970 and written by the dynamic duo of Larry Niven (who imagined Ringworld) and Jerry Pournelle (who invented the blog). The novel is set 1000 years in the future, where an interstellar human civilization is putting itself back together (as "The Second Empire of Man") following a dark ages that temporarily separated many worlds when the Empire of Man fell apart.

At the time the novel is set, people are walking around with pocketphones and pocketcomps.

The realization that those were coming was pretty prescient for Niven and Pournelle, especially back in 1970.

What they may not have realized was how soon those two items would be coming.

What they also didn’t appear to realize was that, just a few years after their appearance, the two devices would be merged so you only have to carry one doo-dad around in your pocket. Hence, many portable computers are also cell phones now.

I don’t have one of those, but I do have a cameraphone.

What else are cell phones likely to do for us in the near future?

FIND OUT.

At least we won’t have to wait for the Second Empire of Man to get these goodies.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."