Newsies

[Patron Zero]

Perhaps showing my age but does anyone else include newspapers inside the 'virtual' plot devices-decorations in their respective TUs ?

Could be a nod to all the cinema noir classics of my childhood that I choose to incorporate the printed word by way of newspapers into MTU.

Data pads and terminals are very handy and have obvious advantages over the venerable collection of presswork produced pages but cannot provide the low tech comfort and 'resources' of such items.

IMTU the 'newsprint' material itself while traditional in appearance has a few 'hidden' features not found in our real world home delivered papers.

The most least visible element being a genetically engineered 'enzyme' introduced before printing that allows for said medium to be consumed as sustenance level nutrition*. So aside from being a 'socially accepted' post-digestion hygiene tool, the newsprint actually is a eco-friendly pre-consumer content item.

The other unseen feature of MTU newspapers is the ink can literally 'disappear' after being exposed to a few readily available low tech processes. Either exposure to a high output Xenon-flash source produces blank reusable paper stock, a spray-on chemical solution also achieves the same desired effect and offers the option of introducing other compounds to said material.

All the above aside, nothing like having a cup of joe while losing one's self in the charm and soothing effect of reading a classic evening edition.


* currently research is being done in just that field to potentially alleviate hunger while combating illiteracy in third world countries.

 

[rust]

Perhaps showing my age but does anyone else include newspapers inside the 'virtual' plot devices-decorations in their respective TUs ?

Yep, there are printed newspapers in my setting.

They are printed "on demand", and after reading them they are re-
cycled to become tomorrow's newspapers - somewhat like it is han-
dled in the Babylon 5 series (if I remember it right).

 

[Patron Zero]

I should have mentioned I mean the classic format newspapers like Metropolis's Daily Planet, those big-enough-to-use-as-bedsheets sized pages now fondly remembered as lost treasures of our childhood.

Anyone sneaking a digest-community format newspaper onto a ship IMTU gets promptly spaced out the nearest convenient airlock !

 

[SSWarlock]

...The most least visible element being a genetically engineered 'enzyme' introduced before printing that allows for said medium to be consumed as sustenance level nutrition*. So aside from being a 'socially accepted' post-digestion hygiene tool, the newsprint actually is a eco-friendly pre-consumer content item...

Well, that's one way of getting some of those low-end rags reporting on the latest "Bat-boy Breeds With Alien" to eat their words.

*grin, duck, run*

 

[saundby]

I have papiatix as a high-tech paper replacement in MTU. Originally it was a trade name, now it's a common name. Papiatix is reprintable, self-binding, capable of reformatting documents with fingertip gestures or flowing together documents when bound together then splitting them when unbound, preserves information through fires, spills, etc. Bare hands can activate its simpler functions, "printers" are actually just a more sophisticated interface to it.

Newspapers are papiatix with an interface to allow automatic updates from an associated news agency. With use, each person's paper tends to acquire characteristics that personalize it beyond the automatic personalization of the content (your paper learns what you like to read.) Wrinkles, folds, thumb impressions, tend to "wear in" over time, and many people feel tied to a particular news service because they don't want a new newspaper without the comfortable old wear marks.

The original Papiatix company sells Papiatix II, which has been "innoproved" to automatically remove any signs of wear, but its not selling well except for government use. Regular papiatix can be reconditioned to remove all wear signs with a printer, and it's considered a dirty trick to do so to someone's favorite newspaper.

 

[Patron Zero]

I have papiatix in MTU. Originally it was a trade name, now it's a common name.

My name for such an item is smart paper, actually have seen some real world efforts to achieve that process and product.