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Definitions of Science Fiction

Damon Knight
science fiction is what we point to when we say it.
In Search of Wonder: Essays on Modern Science Fiction. Advent Publishing, Inc.
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Brian W. Aldiss
Science fiction is the search for definition of man and his status in the universe which will stand in our advanced but confused state of knowledge (science), and is characteristically cast in the Gothic or post-Gothic mould.
Trillion Year Spree: the History of Science Fiction (London, 1986)
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Kingsley Amis
Science Fiction is that class of prose narrative treating of a situation that could not arise in the world we know, but which is hypothesized on the basis of some innovation in science or technology, or pseudo-technology, whether human or extra-terresial in origin.
New Maps Of Hell (London, 1960)
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Benjamin Appel
Science fiction reflects scientific thought; a fiction of things-to-come based on things-on-hand.
The Fantastic Mirror-SF Across The Ages (Panthenon 1969)
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James O. Bailey
The touchstone for scientific fiction, then, is that it describes an imaginary invention or discovery in the natural sciences. The most serious pieces of this fiction arise from speculation about what may happen if science makes an extraordinary discovery. The romance is an attempt to anticipate this discovery and its impact upon society, and to foresee how mankind may adjust to the new condition.
Pilgrims Through Space and Time (New York, 1947)
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John W. Campbell, Jr.
The major distinction between fantasy and science fiction is, simply, that science fiction uses one, or a very, very few new postulates, and develops the rigidly consistent logical consequences of these limited postulates. Fantasy makes its rules as it goes along...The basic nature of fantasy is "The only rule is, make up a new rule any time you need one!" The basic rule of science fiction is "Set up a basic proposition--then develop its consistent, logical consequences."
Introduction, Analog 6, Garden City, New York, 1966
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Edmund Crispin
A science fiction story is one which presupposes a technology, or an effect of technology, or a disturbance in the natural order, such as humanity, upto the time of writing, has not in actual fact experienced.
Best Science Fiction Stories (London, 1955)
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Amit Goswami
Science Fiction is that class of fiction which contains the currents of change in science and society. It concerns itself with the critique, extension, revision, and conspiracy of revolution, all directed against static scientific paradigms. Its goal is to prompt a paradigm shift to a new view that will be more responsive and true to nature.
The Cosmic Dancers (New York, 1983)
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James E. Gunn
Science Fiction is the branch of literature that deals with the effects of change on people in the real world as it can be projected into the past, the future, or to distant places. It often concerns itself with scientific or technological change, and it usually involves matters whose importance is greater than the individual or the community; often civilization or the race itself is in danger.
Introduction, The Road To Science Fiction, Vol 1, NEL, New York 1977
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Eric S. Rabkin
A work belongs in the genre of science fiction if its narrative world is at least somewhat different from our own, and if that difference is apparent against the background of an organized body of knowledge.
The Fantastic In Literature (Princeton University Press, 1976)

Face Book....Terms of Use

Facebook is a social networking website that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. One have to read and accept the terms and conditions before signing up,It says that individuals above 13 years of age should only sign up, and the user is responsible for providing the correct and updated registration data and responsible for all the action take place through his/her account. Users should not modify the website content. The scripts, logos, trademarks, headers etc must not be used or imitated by users without the permission of the company. Some terms about the user conduct, content posted by the user are also present which should be read carefully. Face book removes or disable access to the allegedly infringing material and terminate the accounts of repeat inf ringers in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.Facebook Pages are special profiles used solely for commercial, political, or charitable purposes. Users may not set up a Facebook Page on behalf of another individual or entity unless they are authorized to do so.User agree to indemnify and hold the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and each of their directors, officers, agents, contractors, partners and employees, harmless from and against any loss, liability, claim, demand, damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, arising out of or in connection with any User Content, any Third Party Applications, Software or Content they post or share on or through the Site. user and the Company agree that, except as may otherwise be provided in regard to specific services on the site in any specific terms applicable to those services, the sole and exclusive forum and remedy for any and all disputes and claims relating in any way to or arising out of these terms of use, the site and/or the service (including your visit to or use of the site and/or the service) shall be final and binding arbitration.There are diffrent terms for the use of platform application's and application developers.

Review of the article: An informal introduction to Constraint Database System

This paper gave new database model with merits over object-oriented and relational one. Key idea of constraints is to view both data as constraints and vice versa. This paper discussed how geographic data, spatial data and cad cam data are integrated with Generalized tuples. This paper gave idea on how constraint solver handles different operators involved in the query for efficient query evaluation. Thus constraint data base have potential to overcome the impedance mis-match not just hiding it. Active use of constraints is called as constraint propagation. Constraints are accumulated through query evaluation, both during progression down the index tree and when data is retrieved. Very important uses of constraints in data base are 1) integrity constraints, which must be satisfied in every database state. 2) Capturing partial information of the object. This paper is not much concern about Partial information of object. Major advantages of using Constraint logic Programming are it provides means to express complex problems in simple way. It also supports for rapid prototyping. It typically allows users to control the search for solution. These programs can be integrated with standard mathematical programs. This logic programming systems find solutions one-at-a-time. And finally constraint propagation is suitable tool for finding feasible solutions effectively. In GIS application, routing is the typical GIS problem in planning and operating in a mines, escape routes must be planned for each point, here escape routes are naturally satisfy safety constraints. This is one of the major application of constraints in the field of GIS, considering multidimensional indexing techniques as constraints, it is easy to optimise, better, to constraint the search of relevant data. This paper described various applications of constraints logic programming in Utility Companies, Marketing companies, Warehousing and transportation.

GIS in emergency management

GIS is useful in emergency management by comprehensive emergency management. CEM has four phases namely Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and recovery. The role of GIS in emergency management can be examined by selecting a conceptual framework which helps to organize existing research and development activities, in the emergency management frame work is comprehensive emergency management. Hazard is defined as a threat, natural, technological, or civil to people, property and the environment.
Role of GIS in emergency management are in four phases the first phase is mitigation, natural hazard assessment and mapping, vulnerability assessment and mapping, risk assessment and mapping, hazard mitigation, vulnerability mitigation come under first phase. Preparedness and response is the next phase which includes disaster preparedness and response systems, emergency vehicle routing, evacuation planning, evacuation zoning and enhanced 911 (emergency-calling system that automatically associates a physical address with the calling party's telephone number). Recovery is the phase in which damage assessment, recovery analysis, disaster database design and risk education are provided. There is large scope of research for application of GIS in emergency management, though there are some limitations like availability of data, difficulty in understanding the errors in GIS modules, deficiencies of available software, necessary infrastructure.

Review of the Book Technological Visions: The Hopes and Fears That Shape New Technologies

Technological Visions originated as a series of projects at the Annenberg Schools for Communication at the University of Southern California and the University of Pennsylvania. Both the original projects and the material added for this volume were selected with the aim of presenting a range of perspectives on technological innovation and the strong emotions it engenders in American culture
Book includes lively discussion about the technology used by the teenagers, the debate is binary, the technology is a new hope which can be a solution for existing problems and also it is a threat about the capacity to transform human relationships in everyday life. Different types of technologies and communication devices such as web, internet, computer, telephone were analysed. The authors have expressed their views on how teenagers should use technology. Technology should be reframed in order to be productive than saying its main cause for social problems and prevent teenagers from using technology. The main vision and aim of the book is “contribute to an elevation of public discourse about technologies”.
This book contains the challenges of generating new visions about technology through different essays (book also contains perspectives from many authors) the central questions of the book are ‘Why are technologies the screens onto which our cultures project such a broad array of social concerns and desires? Why is technology the object of such unrealistic expectations? How is it possible to think about technology outside of these frameworks? These questions are answered in the essays. Thomas also explains the relationship between technology and the body through an analysis of computer hackers and viruses. The transportation of medical metaphors to computer technology serves to affirm systems of social control. They have mentioned in the book “technology is an extension of human lives” which means technology did not exist but technology was shaped. Internet and globalisation in everyday’s life is discussed.
Finally this book is very interesting for the readers who want to find new ways to understand and discuss technologies. The book as a whole has lively discussions in courses that address the relationship of technology, society, and culture.