Mastodawn

Doom mongers who remember that the last time this happened, Luna got blown out of Terra's orbit, and the inhabitants went on to meet several evil computers and Catherine Schell, who had a romantic relationship with a bloke twice-named Tony.

These were memorable events, and we wouldn't want to risk any of that happening again. (Except the #commlock s.)

Of course, the BBC uses inflammatory language; because it only got to report these events 20 years after #ITV did.

@ScienceDesk @sciencefocus

#Space1999 #GerryAnderson #MoonbaseAlpha #TonyVerdeschi #ITC #CatherineSchell #SciFi

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JdeBP Dec 15

@Pionir @robpumphrey

If you want prophetic, there's the '#minisec' from Arthur C. Clarke's 1975 novel _Imperial Earth_.

And of course #Orac from #Blakes7 in 1978.

Possibly only Kerr Avon truly twigged that all of the processing power was in the key and the big perspex box with the Christmas tree lights was a glorified base station with the PSU and speaker and simply camouflage for the most part.

https://mastodonapp.uk/@JdeBP/114587658010251638

Orac's key is now realizable as a #RaspberryPi with a 'modular' case from PiHut — I have one. It's the size and appearance of the BBC prop, connects to other computers wirelessly ('Tariel cells'), and has analogue audio output.

The popular #SciFi gadget that we don't have is the '#commlock' from #Space1999 in 1974. Unlike Orac, we have the technology to make full ones today. I suspect that they would go down a storm at SciFi conventions if someone set them up with a LAN, local videoconferencing, and electronic tickets/calendars.

https://mastodonapp.uk/@JdeBP/114590229374309238

JdeBP (@[email protected])

One #RaspberryPi has arrived. It is in one of the PiHut's "modular cases". One of these: https://thepihut.com/products/modular-raspberry-pi-4-case-clear I am resisting the temptation to give it the hostname "Orac". Mind you, it does resemble Orac's key more than Orac itself. It's even approximately the right size. It's a U.K. company. They must know what it looks like, ne? #Blakes7

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JdeBP May 29, 2025

Alright. So Orac's key from #Blakes7 exists now, in the real future, as a #RaspberryPi. One can buy it. From a shop.

But where's the Alphan commlock from #Space1999?

Heck, unlike the Orac key this could be done *for real*.

You could do it with a Pi Pico, one of those small breakout LCD displays, a USB miniature numeric keypad, Li-ion batteries for power, a USB-C base station for recharging, some sort of three-boxes case, a WiFi aerial out of the bottom, and some suitable IR control and video conferencing software.

Plus a belt hook.

Unlike an off-the-shelf mobile 'phone, you could even get the screen oriented the authentic Alphan way with close to the authentic Alphan aspect ratio.

And do it SIM-less.

Come on, Pi people! Let's see some Space 1999!

(-:

https://catacombs.space1999.net/main/cguide/umcomlock.html

#SciFi #commlock