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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for September 17, 1999
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ansible [n. AN-sih-bul]
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Although ansible does not appear in any dictionary we could find, the
word is known to science fiction fans, especially readers of Ursula
K. Le Guin, who invented it. An ansible is a device that allows
instantaneous communication across interstellar distances of many
light years -- something that violates the laws of physics as we know
them today, but fits well in some science fiction tales.
No one is sure how Le Guin came up with the word. It was apparently
first used in her book "Rocannon's World," published in 1966. Since
then it has appeared in other Le Guin books, and also in a book by
Orson Scott Card.
The ansible device, by other names or without a name, is now
commonplace in science fiction, including the TV shows "Star Trek"
and "Babylon 5." If such a wonderful device ever becomes a reality,
we hope it will be called the ansible.
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