This napkin sketch arose from a luncheon conversation about a science-fiction book called The Golden Age, by John C. Wright, in which there are many kinds of beings, including "sophotechs," which sounded to me like very advanced AIs.

The standard-issue alien with large, almond-shaped eyes, with a Star Trek type emblem. A winged cat with a kind of gearshift on the side. The spectra of visible/invisible light and audible/inaudible sound, and a question: Are these spectra finite or infinite? (My concept was to start a parody cult with invisible, inaudible aliens who have been here "since time immemorial.") The notes saying "Web design insubstantial? not real?" mean something I often hear from people who are anti-computer, but I don't think they'd say it to TV or film-industry creatives ... I brought up Fahrenheit 451 because of the wall-size interactive soap opera the wife was into, presented disparagingly, but I always thought it sounded really cool.

The "sophotechs" from The Golden Age were described to me: "Can make copies [of themselves], brain very fast, brain very large, library/factotum, can project 3D image [of themselves]." Totally a description of the Web, except for the 3D image (hologram), and if there were money enough, like there has been for NASA, we'd see that soon enough ... The large bell jar at right shows a B-pic classic, the disembodied brain radiating something or other.

Another disembodied brain, a radiating satellite, a TV mood analyzer, and other unidentified machines.

Labels: image