Date: Sun, 03 Apr 2005 16:49:42 -0400 From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu> To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> Subject: [WSFA] Maltese Falcon, was Who said: SF is fantasy with nuts and bolts painted on? Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> > twhite8 at cox.net 4/1/2005 6:49:32 PM >>> > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <MarkLFischer at aol.com> >To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> >Sent: Friday, April 01, 2005 3:48 PM >Subject: [WSFA] Re: Who said: SF is fantasy with nuts and bolts >painted on? > >> In a message dated 4/1/2005 2:44:54 PM Eastern Standard Time, >> omni at omniphile.com writes: >> >> >Small quibble...teleportation does exist. It's been done in the >lab. >Only >> >useful so far if you want to ship quantum particles though. >> >> That's a reach. One cannot step into a booth and be whisked off >to >another >> place, and it's highly unlikely that we will be able to do so anytime >soon. >> Teleportation is a McGuffin, just like the Fairy Godmother's magic >wand. > >No, no. Not a McGuffin. The actual Maltese Falcon was a McGuffin. >Elements of magic are not...unless they are the object of a quest. Got your Maltese Falcon right here: http://www.btco.net/ghosts/Buildings/Falcon/falcon.html > >--Ted White >