The Dead Past By Isaac Asimov

"Tim Bruening" <tsbrueni DeleteThis @pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote in message
news:48EC8C67.B232A66B@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us...
>
>
> I wonder how Nimmo sent the chronoscope details. If he used snail mail,
> I believe that it might still be possible to stop those details from
> spreading by intercepting those pieces of mail at the publicity outlets.
> If Nimmo used e-mail, the situation is clearly hopeless.


Asimov wrote the story in the days when the post (US or UK) was fast and
reliable. Believe it or not, back then a letter might even reach its
destination the very next day! And in big cities, if posted in the early
morning the second delivery might bring it the same afternoon! At one point
London had regular deliveries every two hours or so. And in the US there
were Sunday deliveries back in the 1940s and 50s. Does the US still have
Saturday delivery?

Interception of physical mail is harder than you think, and requires a vast
staff and a lot of setting up. The CIA used to watch and open the mail of
people it suspected of this or that (e.g., Lee Harvey Oswald is especially
well documented) but it was a huge operation.

--
Mike Dworetsky

(Remove pants sp*mbl*ck to reply)
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"Mike Dworetsky" <platinum198.TakeThisOut@pants.btinternet.com> wrote:

>"Tim Bruening" <tsbrueni.TakeThisOut@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:

>> I wonder how Nimmo sent the chronoscope details. If he used snail mail,
>> I believe that it might still be possible to stop those details from
>> spreading by intercepting those pieces of mail at the publicity outlets.
>> If Nimmo used e-mail, the situation is clearly hopeless.

>Asimov wrote the story in the days when the post (US or UK) was fast and
>reliable. Believe it or not, back then a letter might even reach its
>destination the very next day! And in big cities, if posted in the early
>morning the second delivery might bring it the same afternoon! At one point
>London had regular deliveries every two hours or so. And in the US there
>were Sunday deliveries back in the 1940s and 50s. Does the US still have
>Saturday delivery?

Since at least the 1960s, if not earlier, Saturday deliveries for
business had been discontinued. Saturday home deliveries
continue.
--
OJ III
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Mike Dworetsky wrote:

> "Tim Bruening" <tsbrueni.RemoveThis@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote in message
> news:48EC8C67.B232A66B@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us...
> >
> >
> > I wonder how Nimmo sent the chronoscope details. If he used snail mail,
> > I believe that it might still be possible to stop those details from
> > spreading by intercepting those pieces of mail at the publicity outlets.
> > If Nimmo used e-mail, the situation is clearly hopeless.
>
> Asimov wrote the story in the days when the post (US or UK) was fast and
> reliable. Believe it or not, back then a letter might even reach its
> destination the very next day! And in big cities, if posted in the early
> morning the second delivery might bring it the same afternoon! At one point
> London had regular deliveries every two hours or so. And in the US there
> were Sunday deliveries back in the 1940s and 50s. Does the US still have
> Saturday delivery?
>
> Interception of physical mail is harder than you think, and requires a vast
> staff and a lot of setting up. The CIA used to watch and open the mail of
> people it suspected of this or that (e.g., Lee Harvey Oswald is especially
> well documented) but it was a huge operation.

I was figuring that Nimmo would tell the government the names and addresses of
all the places he sent the chronoscope details to. Then the government could
send troops to occupy those places until Nimmo's letters arrive, then intercept
those letters!
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On Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:59:45 -0700, Tim Bruening
<tsbrueni.DeleteThis@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:

>> >It is if everyone in the world can see what you are doing at any time!
>>
>> I always wanted the end of that story to be the line "Ehn. We'll get
>> used to it."
>
>I don't want people to see me go to the bathroom or make love!

Ehn. You'd get used to it.
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David Johnston wrote:

> On Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:59:45 -0700, Tim Bruening
> <tsbrueni RemoveThis @pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:
>
> >> >It is if everyone in the world can see what you are doing at any time!
> >>
> >> I always wanted the end of that story to be the line "Ehn. We'll get
> >> used to it."
> >
> >I don't want people to see me go to the bathroom or make love!
>
> Ehn. You'd get used to it.

I'd feel inhibited!
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:::: It is if everyone in the world can see what you are doing at any time!
::: I always wanted the end of that story to be the line
::: "Ehn. We'll get used to it."
:: I don't want people to see me go to the bathroom or make love!
: Ehn. You'd get used to it.

I rather like Damon Knight's treatment of the issue in "I See You".
It's told from the perspective of the future society. Somebody is
researching history, and reviewing the life of the inventor of the
widget essentially identical to Asimov's (with slightly different
bafflegab to explain it I suppose, maybe slight different capabilities
and limitations, but essentially the same deal). He sent out plans to
many people, by methods nigh-untraceable, even to people with the viewing
devices... but eventually things are traced back. He lived out most
of his lifetime anonymously, before massive changes in society occured.
The person viewing him didn't understand why, at various times, he'd
give the finger to the empty air. And why this was especially frequent
when he was defecating.

The implications of this, and the fact that the inventor knew very well
what would happen, but did it anyways... well, like I said, I like
the way he handled it.


Wayne Throop throopw.TakeThisOut@sheol.org http://sheol.org/throopw
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In alt.books.isaac-asimov Tim Bruening <tsbrueni.DeleteThis@pop.dcn.davis.ca.us> wrote:

: I'd feel inhibited!

You say that like it's a bad thing.

-----
Richard Schultz schultr.DeleteThis@mail.biu.ac.il
Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Opinions expressed are mine alone, and not those of Bar-Ilan University
-----
"an optimist is a guy/ that has never had/ much experience"
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