uplift v.
to transform a non-sentient species into a sentient species, esp. by genetic engineering
SF Encyclopedia
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1980
David Brin
A young man on the left, wrapped in silver sateen from the throat to toe, held up a placard that said, ‘Mankind Was Uplifted Too: let our E.T. Cousins Out!’
Sundiver 22 -
1989 Nova Express Spring 12/1
I eat chicken and fish, not only because its [sic] more ecologically sound, but because there’s no chance that they might be Uplifted.
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1997
James Alan Gardner
That’s an AI for you: probably trying to ‘uplift’ me by setting an example of ‘correct’ speech.
Expendable (1997) 226 -
2000
Greg Bear
Some researchers suggest that the seeding of provocative artefacts (‘Clarkeing’) below the deep ice may encourage condensation of concentrated intelligences, or, at the very least, induce some interesting emergent properties. The design of these artefacts is currently stimulating intense debate. As one chief communications researcher has asked, ‘How do you uplift slime?’
in Nature 13 Jan. 141/3 -
2000
Eric Flint
Dave Freer
bibliography
The Korozhet also had slowshields, and the wondrous soft-cyber implants which had uplifted the rats and bats. The genetic engineers of the colony had ‘built’ the rats and latterly the bats, to flesh out the ranks of the pitifully small human army.
Rats, Bats & Vats iii. 27 -
2001
James Alan Gardner
Nimbus spoke of diverse alien races—Earthlings and Divians and Cashlings and several other species whose names did not stick in my mind—but they all had two qualities in common. First, they had been ‘uplifted’ by the Shaddill: approached in their native star systems, given new homes elsewhere in the galaxy, and presented with sophisticated Science Gifts as a welcome to the League of Peoples. Second, ever since their uplift, these species had all grown more decadent, temperamental, and culturally sterile…particularly those uplifted for the longest period.
Ascending xix. 235 -
2003
Ken MacLeod
—genetically uplifted the ancestors of the saurs, and culturally—at least—uplifted the krakens.
Engine City 84 -
2004
Charles Stross
They milled about downslope, debating the ideological necessity of uplifting non-human species to sapience—one of them had taken heated exception to a proposal to giving opposable thumbs and the power of speech to cats—and comparing their increasingly baroque implants.
Singularity Sky 370
Research requirements
antedating 1980
Earliest cite
D. Brin 'Sundiver'
Research History
Matthew Hoyt submitted a cite from a reprint of David Brin's "Sundiver"; Rick Hauptmann verified this cite in the 1980 first edition. We suspect this is the first cite and would like citations from other authors after this date, as well as any earlier cites from Brin.Steve Jackson submitted a 2001 cite from Robert Metzger in the SFWA Bulletin. Malcolm Farmer submitted a 2000 cite from Greg Bear's "Deep Ice and DNA Languages". Douglas Winston submitted a 2001 cite from James Alan Gardner's "Ascending". Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a 2003 reprint of Ken MacLeod's 2002 "Engine City". Jeff Prucher submitted cites from Dave Freer and Eric Flint's 2000 "Rats, Bats & Vats". Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a 2004 reprint of Charles Stross's 2003 "Singularity Sky"
Last modified 2021-01-17 18:32:22
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entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
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