Science

April 7, 2005 10:24 AM

Sony patent takes first step towards real-life Matrix
posted by semmi (17 comments total)

So you can patent purely theoretical ideas now?

I hereby want to patent time-travel, the Von Neumann machine and a perpetuem mobile.
posted by kika at 10:36 AM on April 7, 2005

When are companies going to take the first steps toward a real-life Mad Max?

Oh wait, that's actually happening.
posted by Down10 at 10:39 AM on April 7, 2005

That's good. I've been waiting for the time when companies finally start growing fetuses in tubes, raising them comatose, and harvesting the energy they produce to run their gigantic and infernal machines.

*reads link*

Oh. Damn.
posted by koeselitz at 11:11 AM on April 7, 2005

More like a first step towards eXistenZ.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:16 AM on April 7, 2005

Or Brainstorm.
posted by Potsy at 11:21 AM on April 7, 2005

Heck, or Thirteenth Floor.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:32 PM on April 7, 2005

Or Vanilla Sky. Or Dark City.
posted by jonson at 1:39 PM on April 7, 2005

For anyone interested in reading the patent: Method and system for generating sensory data onto the human neural cortex.
posted by Gyan at 1:46 PM on April 7, 2005

At any rate, it has the potential to be hella-cool, but I may wait for the "virtual date with Sandra Oh" plug in before I invest.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:54 PM on April 7, 2005

That is one weak-ass patent.
posted by graventy at 4:07 PM on April 7, 2005

I for one welcome our new Sony overlords.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:10 PM on April 7, 2005

Well, Sony is always exploring bold new frontiers in mass pacification, so I'm not really surprised.
posted by neckro23 at 5:58 PM on April 7, 2005

Kind of reminds me of the PS9, one of their early PS2 promotional TV commericals.

Maybe there was some truth to that malarkey then, ey?
posted by riffraff at 6:36 PM on April 7, 2005

Didn't Sony used to have a "weird science division" or something that was investigating ESP and stuff from a technological perspective? Maybe this is related.
posted by nightchrome at 7:22 PM on April 7, 2005

Didn't Sony used to have a "weird science division" or something that was investigating ESP and stuff from a technological perspective?

Kind of funny you mention that, given the PS controllers use some of the symbols found on Zener cards used in ESP tests.
posted by AlexReynolds at 10:23 PM on April 7, 2005

JoeyMichaels

I just saw "Sideways" and I too have a big crush on Sandra Oh. Too bad she's married to a successful Hollywood director and I'm a loser.

/but I can dream....

Oh yeah, and bring on the Matrix, immediately.
posted by zardoz at 10:33 PM on April 7, 2005

Shhh! They broke up! We have a chance again.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:02 PM on April 12, 2005