What is less black and white, however, IS where reality ends, and the stuff of science fiction begins.
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And the devices now routinely do tasks that would have been the stuff of science fiction a generation ago.
But given time, nanotechnology may yet demonstrate that it has more to offer biology than the stuff of science fiction.
Long the stuff of science fiction, technology that can directly tap into, augment, and connect human brains is becoming science fact.
They might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but at their most basic level these medical micro-robots are man-made protein "machines" that produce movement through chemical reactions.
Metamaterials are proving to be quite useful for toying with the electromagnetic spectrum, whether for technology previously thought to be the stuff of science fiction, or for boring real-world applications.
In-car navigation, voice recognition, and MP3 support were still the stuff of science fiction in those dark days (particularly at the four-digit asking price), and the whole thing was doomed to a geeky, spendy niche.
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Dr. Edwards and Dr. Steptoe worked with no public funding or direct research support at a time when the concept of a test-tube baby seemed the stuff of Orwellian science fiction.
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However, the concept of a city within a city, one that appears disconnected from its surrounding environment, rests uneasily with some, who see it as the stuff of dystopic science fiction.
The idea of becoming conscious of the subjectivity of our perceptions is an admittedly abstract one -- the stuff of philosophy and science fiction.
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For corporations, on the other hand, the science is a means to an end goal of selling more stuff.
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Truly getting to the good stuff has required a mix of art and science.
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