906:, so that a ship traveling at relativistic speeds can age at the same rate as the rest of the universe, allowing it to return to its starting point within months, rather than centuries, of its departure. Vernon emphasizes that starship pilots are expected to match endochronicity with relativity exactly: a sixty-second difference between the two is regarded as barely acceptable, and a 120-second difference is considered grounds for dismissal. Vernon also emphasizes that endochronic molecules are unstable, and must be renewed before each trip, so that an endochronic ship that finds itself lost might not have sufficient endochronicity to return to its proper time. A ship that finds itself in the future might be able to re-endochronize itself if the technology still exists; a ship that finds itself in the past will be marooned there.
66:
1016:, a mysterious liquid called "motilene" acts as the primary source of electrical power in the setting, and is pumped throughout the city in pipes in lieu of a traditional electrical grid, or alternatively placed into special jars to act as portable batteries. A research note can be found in one location which makes reference to "thiomotilene crystals" and their "endochronic properties", which in turn strongly suggests motilene's name be derived from thiotimoline.
1028:
128:
25:
886:(1973). In it, Admiral Vernon, Commandant of the Astronautic Academy, gives a speech to the graduating "Class of '22". Vernon's speech explains that thiotimoline was first mentioned in 1948 by a semi-mythical scientist named Azimuth or Asymptote, but that serious study of the compound didn't begin until the 21st century scientist Almirante worked out the theory of
787:
Asimov wrote a third thiotimoline article on 14 November 1959 called "Thiotimoline and the Space Age". Instead of a fake scientific paper, this third article took the form of an address by Asimov to the 12th annual meeting of the
American Chronochemical Society, a nonexistent scientific society. In
750:
in the compound's structural formula are so starved of space that some are forced into the time dimension. According to the second article, thiotimoline's time of solubility varies depending on the determination of the person adding the water. It also claims that one effect is that when people with
949:
In Glen Bever's story "And
Silently Vanish Away" a chemist with the unique ability to use psychokinetic catalysis to speed up difficult reactions is shocked by a lab explosion and the mixture he was working on gets changed. Under analysis the structure never appears to be the same twice and when the
699:
By that time Asimov had been writing professionally for nine years and would soon write a doctoral dissertation. He feared that the experience of writing readable prose for publication (i.e. science fiction) might have impaired his ability to write the turgid prose typical of academic discourse, and
807:
According to Asimov, two
Scottish researchers have developed a "telechronic battery", which uses a series of 77,000 interconnected endochronometers to allow a final sample of thiotimoline to dissolve up to a day before water is added to an initial sample. Asimov says there is "strong, if indirect,
957:
Topi H. Barr's story "Antithiotimoline" deals with a chemist who accidentally creates a thiotimoline-like compound which extrudes only into the past, enabling the scientist to create images of past events. The narrator complains that thiotimoline is extremely difficult to obtain, and suspects that
737:
In 1952, Asimov wrote a second spoof scientific paper on thiotimoline called "The
Micropsychiatric Applications of Thiotimoline". Like the first, it included charts, graphs, tables, and citations of fake articles from fake journals (along with one real citation: Asimov's own earlier spoof article
724:
under his own name, and copies of the issue circulated at the
Columbia chemistry department. Asimov believed that Campbell had done so out of greater wisdom. His examiners told him that they accepted his dissertation by asking a final question about thiotimoline, resulting in him having to be led
819:", to get a sample of thiotimoline to dissolve without later adding water to it. In every case where the thiotimoline dissolved, some accident occurred that caused some water to be added to it at the proper time. Several attempts to create a Heisenberg failure in the mid-1950s coincided with a
700:
decided to practice with a spoof article (including charts, graphs, tables, and citations of fake articles in nonexistent journals) describing experiments on a compound, thiotimoline, that was so soluble that it dissolved in water up to 1.12 seconds before the water was added.
950:
substance is injected into lab rats they start to silently and suddenly vanish. It is found that one part of the compound is a molecule which spreads out into four dimensions. The four-dimensional molecule is thiotimoline. The story appeared in the
November 1971 issue of
755:
add the water, some parts of the thiotimoline dissolve before others, due to some of the individual's personalities being more determined than others. "The
Micropsychiatric Applications of Thiotimoline" appeared in the December 1953 issue of
792:". Asimov laments the skepticism with which chronochemistry has been greeted in America, noting with sorrow that his address has only attracted fifteen attendees. He then contrasts the thriving state of chronochemistry in the
898:
to be built out of endochronic materials. One effect of endochronicity is that if one fails to add water to an object that has reacted to water, the object will travel into the future in search of water to interact with.
808:
evidence that the Soviet Union possesses even more sophisticated devices and is turning them out in commercial quantities". He believes that the
Soviets are using telechronic batteries to determine ahead of time whether
746:). This second article described the use of thiotimoline to establish a quantitative classification of "certain mental disorders". It also expounds a putative rationale for thiotimoline's behaviour: namely that the
725:
from the room while laughing hysterically with relief. The article made Asimov famous for the first time outside science fiction, as chemists shared copies of the article. He heard that many children went to the
629:
titled "The
Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline" in 1948. The major peculiarity of the chemical is its "endochronicity": it starts dissolving before it makes contact with water.
713:, accepted it for publication on 10 June, agreeing to Asimov's request that it appear under a pseudonym in deference to Asimov's concern that he might alienate potential doctoral examiners at
788:
his address, Asimov "describes" his first experiments with thiotimoline in July 1947, and timing the compound's dissolution with the original endochronometer, "the same instrument now at the
829:
striking New
England in such a manner as to suggest that nature would find a way to add water whatever man decided, if man were to be resolute in not adding water. Asimov speculated that
1046:
913:. The graduates felt no acceleration because canceling out time dilation also caused the canceling out of inertia. When Vernon concludes his speech, the graduates will be landing in the
909:
Finally, Vernon reveals that the auditorium where he is giving his speech is actually an endochronic starship, and that during his speech, they have all flown to the outskirts of the
692:
in water. As he observed the crystals dissolve as soon as they hit the water's surface, it occurred to him that if catechol were any more soluble, then it would dissolve
924:
After they land, Vernon receives an awful shock and passes out when his pilot informs him that the ship is surrounded by Indians. Vernon wrongly assumed the pilot meant
864:
809:
882:
563:
769:(1957), under the joint title "The Marvellous Properties of Thiotimoline". Asimov also included the original article in his 1972 collection
640:
In Asimov's writings the endochronicity of thiotimoline is explained by the fact that in the thiotimoline molecule, there is at least one
984:
652:, one of the bonds projects into the future and another into the past. Thiotimoline is derived from the bark of the (fictitious) shrub
928:, and thought that they had landed centuries in the past. But the pilot only meant that they had landed at the correct time but near
1211:
902:
An individual with sufficient inborn talent, Vernon explains, can perfectly balance a starship's endochronicity with relativistic
1216:
688:
In 1947 Asimov was engaged in doctoral research in chemistry and, as part of his experimental procedure, he needed to dissolve
1182:
1169:
1095:
958:
the CIA or other agencies are controlling the supply for their own reasons. The story appeared in the December 1977 issue of
1052:
1174:
703:
Asimov wrote the article on 8 June 1947, but was uncertain as to whether the resulting work of fiction was publishable.
1004:
632:
Asimov went on to write three additional short stories, each describing different properties or uses of thiotimoline.
189:
171:
109:
87:
52:
153:
80:
1178:
462:
752:
138:
876:
Asimov's final piece on thiotimoline was a short story titled "Thiotimoline to the Stars", which he wrote for
1151:"Yet Another Thiotimoline Application" in IEEE Design & Test of Computers, vol. 19, no. 02, pp. 80, 2002.
937:
38:
1201:
763:
The first two thiotimoline "articles" appeared together in Asimov's first collection of science essays,
1206:
842:
709:
361:
260:
1124:
1221:
74:
996:
877:
789:
726:
149:
626:
91:
816:
1150:
1139:
841:. He then concludes with some speculation about thiotimoline's potential applications as a
677:
8:
1041:
980:
714:
979:'s 1989 story "The Asenion Solution", thiotimoline is used to send excess quantities of
720:
Some months later Asimov was alarmed to see the piece appear in the March 1948 issue of
1140:"The Last Byte" in IEEE Design & Test of Computers, vol. 18, no. 06, pp. 80, 2001.
145:
1091:
976:
918:
797:
473:
372:
271:
44:
1186:
1083:
887:
771:
704:
537:
436:
335:
234:
965:
826:
820:
765:
618:
547:
446:
345:
244:
1087:
732:
1082:, Science and Fiction, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–22,
1056:, another Asimov scientific spoof about a goose which actually laid golden eggs
914:
823:
801:
669:
645:
1075:
1195:
1165:
1033:
903:
747:
665:
527:
426:
325:
224:
1007:
included spoof articles on the use of thiotimoline for debugging computers.
837:
might have been brought about by thiotimoline experiments among the ancient
1012:
910:
793:
622:
574:
517:
416:
315:
214:
992:
925:
673:
641:
513:
412:
311:
210:
895:
848:"Thiotimoline and the Space Age" appeared in the October 1960 issue of
834:
614:
890:. Later scientists worked out ways to form endochronic molecules into
649:
1047:
List of fictional elements, materials, isotopes and atomic particles
156:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
988:
935:
Asimov included "Thiotimoline to the Stars" in his 1975 collection
929:
858:
689:
657:
585:
1027:
891:
1003:
The November/December 2001 and March/April 2002 issues of the
983:
to the end of time, where they will fall over the brink into
852:, which was then in the final stages of changing its name to
838:
782:
661:
16:
Fictional organic compound from short stories by Isaac Asimov
845:
by deliberately using it to artificially induce hurricanes.
830:
656:, and the thiotimoline molecule includes at least fourteen
1175:"The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline"
205:"The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline"
871:
613:
is a fictitious chemical compound conceived by American
676:
nucleus is unknown, although it seems in part to be an
968:'s story "Mirror mirror, off the wall", published in
1023:
777:
Fifty Years of the Best Science Fiction from Analog
1179:"The Micropsychiatric Applications of Thiotimoline"
1118:
1116:
1114:
1112:
1080:
Fake Physics: Spoofs, Hoaxes and Fictitious Science
944:
733:"The Micropsychiatric Applications of Thiotimoline"
306:"The Micropsychiatric Applications of Thiotimoline"
865:The Asimov Chronicles: Fifty Years of Isaac Asimov
991:. "The Asenion Solution" appeared in the Asimov
800:, nicknamed "Tiotimolingrad", established in the
1193:
1109:
815:Finally, Asimov describes attempts to create a "
1129:. Garden City NY: Doubleday. pp. 488–501.
1126:The Early Asimov; or, Eleven Years of Trying
921:, where they will be spending the weekend.
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
742:, which was listed tongue-in-cheek as the
644:such that, while two of the carbon's four
729:trying to find the nonexistent journals.
190:Learn how and when to remove this message
172:Learn how and when to remove this message
110:Learn how and when to remove this message
1076:"Science Fiction Posing as Science Fact"
856:. The article was reprinted in full in
73:This article includes a list of general
1074:May, Andrew (2019), May, Andrew (ed.),
972:in 1981, also references thiotimoline.
1194:
1122:
635:
1170:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
775:. The first article also appeared in
744:Journal of Astounding Science Fiction
894:, allowing large structures such as
121:
59:
18:
1073:
1005:IEEE Design & Test of Computers
952:Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
717:if he were revealed as the author.
13:
672:group as well. The nature of the
79:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
1233:
1159:
34:This article has multiple issues.
1183:"Thiotimoline and the Space Age"
1026:
945:Other references to thiotimoline
783:"Thiotimoline and the Space Age"
407:"Thiotimoline and the Space Age"
126:
64:
23:
1212:Short fiction about time travel
463:Analog Science Fiction and Fact
42:or discuss these issues on the
1144:
1133:
1067:
625:. It was first described in a
1:
1217:Short stories by Isaac Asimov
1060:
938:Buy Jupiter and Other Stories
683:
970:Time Travelers Strictly Cash
796:, with the research town of
779:(Davis Publications, 1982).
7:
1088:10.1007/978-3-030-13314-6_1
1019:
872:"Thiotimoline to the Stars"
508:"Thiotimoline to the Stars"
152:the claims made and adding
10:
1238:
843:weapon of mass destruction
710:Astounding Science Fiction
696:it encountered the water.
654:Rosacea karlsbadensis rufo
362:Astounding Science Fiction
261:Astounding Science Fiction
600:
592:
580:
570:
558:
553:
543:
533:
523:
512:
507:
495:
487:
479:
469:
457:
452:
442:
432:
422:
411:
406:
394:
386:
378:
368:
356:
351:
341:
331:
321:
310:
305:
293:
285:
277:
267:
255:
250:
240:
230:
220:
209:
204:
668:group, and possibly one
727:New York Public Library
94:more precise citations.
1168:series listing at the
1123:Asimov, Isaac (1972).
753:multiple personalities
627:spoof scientific paper
888:hypersteric hindrance
997:Foundation's Friends
812:will be successful.
678:aromatic hydrocarbon
1202:Fictional materials
1042:Tachyons in fiction
715:Columbia University
636:Chemical properties
817:Heisenberg failure
810:satellite launches
474:Street & Smith
373:Street & Smith
272:Street & Smith
137:possibly contains
1207:Hoaxes in science
1097:978-3-030-13314-6
1053:Pâté de Foie Gras
977:Robert Silverberg
919:Lincoln, Nebraska
608:
607:
503:
502:
402:
401:
301:
300:
200:
199:
192:
182:
181:
174:
139:original research
120:
119:
112:
57:
1229:
1187:Internet Archive
1153:
1148:
1142:
1137:
1131:
1130:
1120:
1107:
1106:
1105:
1104:
1071:
1036:
1031:
1030:
987:and lead to the
772:The Early Asimov
707:, the editor of
705:John W. Campbell
664:groups, and one
593:Publication date
505:
504:
488:Publication date
404:
403:
387:Publication date
303:
302:
286:Publication date
202:
201:
195:
188:
177:
170:
166:
163:
157:
154:inline citations
130:
129:
122:
115:
108:
104:
101:
95:
90:this article by
81:inline citations
68:
67:
60:
49:
27:
26:
19:
1237:
1236:
1232:
1231:
1230:
1228:
1227:
1226:
1222:False documents
1192:
1191:
1162:
1157:
1156:
1149:
1145:
1138:
1134:
1121:
1110:
1102:
1100:
1098:
1072:
1068:
1063:
1032:
1025:
1022:
966:Spider Robinson
947:
874:
785:
766:Only a Trillion
735:
686:
638:
619:science fiction
548:Science fiction
447:Science fiction
346:Science fiction
245:Science fiction
196:
185:
184:
183:
178:
167:
161:
158:
143:
131:
127:
116:
105:
99:
96:
86:Please help to
85:
69:
65:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1235:
1225:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1204:
1190:
1189:
1172:
1161:
1160:External links
1158:
1155:
1154:
1143:
1132:
1108:
1096:
1065:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1058:
1057:
1049:
1044:
1038:
1037:
1021:
1018:
946:
943:
915:United Nations
878:Harry Harrison
873:
870:
784:
781:
748:chemical bonds
734:
731:
685:
682:
670:nitro compound
650:space and time
648:lie in normal
646:chemical bonds
637:
634:
606:
605:
602:
598:
597:
594:
590:
589:
582:
578:
577:
572:
568:
567:
560:
556:
555:
551:
550:
545:
541:
540:
535:
531:
530:
525:
521:
520:
510:
509:
501:
500:
497:
493:
492:
489:
485:
484:
481:
477:
476:
471:
467:
466:
459:
455:
454:
450:
449:
444:
440:
439:
434:
430:
429:
424:
420:
419:
409:
408:
400:
399:
396:
392:
391:
388:
384:
383:
380:
376:
375:
370:
366:
365:
358:
354:
353:
349:
348:
343:
339:
338:
333:
329:
328:
323:
319:
318:
308:
307:
299:
298:
295:
291:
290:
287:
283:
282:
279:
275:
274:
269:
265:
264:
257:
253:
252:
248:
247:
242:
238:
237:
232:
228:
227:
222:
218:
217:
207:
206:
198:
197:
180:
179:
134:
132:
125:
118:
117:
72:
70:
63:
58:
32:
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1234:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1213:
1210:
1208:
1205:
1203:
1200:
1199:
1197:
1188:
1184:
1180:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1167:
1164:
1163:
1152:
1147:
1141:
1136:
1128:
1127:
1119:
1117:
1115:
1113:
1099:
1093:
1089:
1085:
1081:
1077:
1070:
1066:
1055:
1054:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1039:
1035:
1034:Novels portal
1029:
1024:
1017:
1015:
1014:
1008:
1006:
1001:
999:
998:
994:
990:
986:
982:
981:plutonium-186
978:
973:
971:
967:
963:
961:
955:
953:
942:
940:
939:
933:
931:
927:
922:
920:
916:
912:
907:
905:
904:time dilation
900:
897:
893:
889:
885:
884:
880:'s anthology
879:
869:
867:
866:
861:
860:
855:
851:
846:
844:
840:
836:
832:
828:
825:
822:
818:
813:
811:
805:
803:
799:
795:
791:
780:
778:
774:
773:
768:
767:
761:
759:
754:
749:
745:
741:
730:
728:
723:
718:
716:
712:
711:
706:
701:
697:
695:
691:
681:
679:
675:
671:
667:
666:sulfonic acid
663:
659:
655:
651:
647:
643:
633:
630:
628:
624:
620:
616:
612:
603:
599:
595:
591:
587:
583:
579:
576:
573:
569:
566:
565:
561:
557:
552:
549:
546:
542:
539:
536:
532:
529:
528:United States
526:
522:
519:
515:
511:
506:
498:
494:
490:
486:
482:
478:
475:
472:
468:
465:
464:
460:
456:
451:
448:
445:
441:
438:
435:
431:
428:
427:United States
425:
421:
418:
414:
410:
405:
397:
393:
390:December 1953
389:
385:
381:
377:
374:
371:
367:
364:
363:
359:
355:
350:
347:
344:
340:
337:
334:
330:
327:
326:United States
324:
320:
317:
313:
309:
304:
296:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
273:
270:
266:
263:
262:
258:
254:
249:
246:
243:
239:
236:
233:
229:
226:
225:United States
223:
219:
216:
212:
208:
203:
194:
191:
176:
173:
165:
155:
151:
147:
141:
140:
135:This article
133:
124:
123:
114:
111:
103:
93:
89:
83:
82:
76:
71:
62:
61:
56:
54:
47:
46:
41:
40:
35:
30:
21:
20:
1166:Thiotimoline
1146:
1135:
1125:
1101:, retrieved
1079:
1069:
1051:
1013:We Happy Few
1011:
1010:In the game
1009:
1002:
995:
974:
969:
964:
959:
956:
951:
948:
936:
934:
923:
911:Solar System
908:
901:
881:
875:
863:
857:
853:
849:
847:
814:
806:
798:Khrushchevsk
794:Soviet Union
786:
776:
770:
764:
762:
757:
743:
739:
736:
721:
719:
708:
702:
698:
693:
687:
660:groups, two
653:
639:
631:
623:Isaac Asimov
611:Thiotimoline
610:
609:
604:Thiotimoline
575:Random House
562:
559:Published in
518:Isaac Asimov
499:Thiotimoline
491:October 1960
461:
458:Published in
417:Isaac Asimov
398:Thiotimoline
360:
357:Published in
316:Isaac Asimov
297:Thiotimoline
259:
256:Published in
215:Isaac Asimov
186:
168:
159:
136:
106:
97:
78:
50:
43:
37:
36:Please help
33:
993:festschrift
926:Red Indians
862:(1969) and
790:Smithsonian
674:hydrocarbon
642:carbon atom
554:Publication
514:Short story
453:Publication
413:Short story
352:Publication
312:Short story
251:Publication
211:Short story
92:introducing
1196:Categories
1103:2024-03-10
1061:References
896:spaceships
883:Astounding
850:Astounding
827:hurricanes
758:Astounding
740:Astounding
722:Astounding
684:Background
615:biochemist
581:Media type
564:Astounding
480:Media type
379:Media type
289:March 1948
278:Media type
162:March 2024
146:improve it
100:March 2024
75:references
39:improve it
985:anti-time
932:, India.
839:Sumerians
571:Publisher
470:Publisher
369:Publisher
268:Publisher
150:verifying
45:talk page
1020:See also
989:Big Bang
930:Calcutta
917:Port at
892:polymers
868:(1989).
859:Opus 100
690:catechol
586:Hardback
544:Genre(s)
534:Language
483:Magazine
443:Genre(s)
433:Language
382:Magazine
342:Genre(s)
332:Language
281:Magazine
241:Genre(s)
231:Language
1185:on the
658:hydroxy
621:author
584:Print (
538:English
524:Country
437:English
423:Country
336:English
322:Country
235:English
221:Country
144:Please
88:improve
1181:, and
1094:
960:Analog
854:Analog
821:series
694:before
601:Series
496:Series
395:Series
294:Series
77:, but
835:flood
802:Urals
738:from
662:amino
1092:ISBN
831:Noah
617:and
596:1973
1084:doi
975:In
833:'s
516:by
415:by
314:by
213:by
148:by
1198::
1177:,
1111:^
1090:,
1078:,
1000:.
962:.
954:.
941:.
824:of
804:.
760:.
680:.
48:.
1086::
588:)
193:)
187:(
175:)
169:(
164:)
160:(
142:.
113:)
107:(
102:)
98:(
84:.
55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.