"Nine Words You Might Think Came from Science but Which Are Really from Science Fiction"
From Oxford University Press, USA:
- "Robotics": Isaac Asimov's "Liar!" (1941). Asimov also apparently coined the related "roboticist" & "robotic".
- "Genetic engineering": Jack Williamson's "Dragon's Island" (1941). "Genetic engineer" was used some years later by Poul Anderson.
- "Zero gravity": Some work of Jack Binder in 1938. Arthur Clarke's "Islands in the Sky" (1952) was first with "zero-g".
- "Deep space": Attributed to E E "doc" Smith. Some work in 1934.
- "Ion drive": Jack Williamson's "The Equalizer" (1947).
- "Pressure suit": E E "doc" Smith.
- Computer "virus": Dave Gerrold's "When Harlie Was One" (1972).
- Computer "worm": John Brunner's "Shockwave Rider" (1975).
- "Gas giant": James Blish's "Solar Plexus".
[via Boing Boing]
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