In the novels
Signal to Noise and
A Signal Shattered by
Eric S. Nylund, bubbles are self-contained full-
immersion virtual reality workstations that send signals to
devices
implanted in the
user's
cerebral cortex through extremely
precise electromagnetic induction fields. The only drawback of this -- and it's a
doozy -- is that stray
magnetic fields leak through the user's implant's
shielding unless one is in a already heavily shielded environment, causing painful
feedback and
sensory overload. In the novels, most implanted persons go about with silly-looking
metal helmets on their
heads when outside these shielded areas, so that they don't suddenly walk into a pulse of
EM that
fries their
brains.
Bubbles provide photorealistic virtual environments in which every sensation is mimiced perfectly, where users of other bubbles can interact, perform simulations and control tools. Nearly every high-end electronic device can be controlled from a bubble.
The most interesting thing Nylund's bubbles, though, are the intuition-enhancing features. Bubbles literally help you think better, by taking cues from your subconscious mind and converting them into metaphors that you can perceive in the virtual reality, helping you solidify hunches and make guesses more quickly. This also facillitates human communication, as mood and opinion are expressed by alterations in the bubble environment. Nylund's descriptions of bubble use are fascinating and poetic.
I want a bubble.