# Name that Machine **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364 "2006-08-19T18:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/21 "2006-08-19T20:47:12Z")
Ash is the android from _Alien_. ROK is the ship’s computer from _AirplaneII: The Sequel_. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/22 "2006-08-19T21:14:39Z")
MU-TH-UR is the main computer in _Alien_. Zhora is Joanna Cassidy’s character (I think), a replicant, from _Brade Lunner_. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/23 "2006-08-19T21:22:08Z")
GWB-666 is the robotic anti-christ that managed to be elected President. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/24 "2006-08-19T21:22:54Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] GWB-666 is the robotic anti-christ that managed to be elected President. [/QUOTE] Incorrect, but you’re close! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/25 "2006-08-19T21:27:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Rosewater] The story is called Epicac. :smack: [/QUOTE] _Player Piano_, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Rosewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mr.Rosewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Rosewater)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/26 "2006-08-19T21:34:41Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] _Player Piano_, actually. [/QUOTE] Both Actually. There is a short story called Epicac orriginally published in Collier’s Magazine in 1950, and reprinted in Welcome to the Monkey House in 1968. I had forgotten about the computer in Player Piano also named Epicac (Vonnegut is famous for reusing names). Player Piano was published in 1952. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/27 "2006-08-19T21:48:55Z")
You’re really good at this. I knew I should’ve picked a harder subject than robots. Too many science fiction fans on here. 🙂 I’ve got my next category picked out when the last of the robots is done with, though. ---
**Author:** ![Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_And_Candy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/28 "2006-08-19T21:52:17Z")
[QUOTE=Fish] …Red Queen … [/QUOTE] That’s from the film **Resident Evil**. It had that creepy holographic little girl avatar thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/29 "2006-08-19T22:25:25Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Rosewater] Both Actually. There is a short story called Epicac orriginally published in Collier’s Magazine in 1950, and reprinted in Welcome to the Monkey House in 1968. I had forgotten about the computer in Player Piano also named Epicac (Vonnegut is famous for reusing names). Player Piano was published in 1952. [/QUOTE] God bless you. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/30 "2006-08-19T22:50:29Z")
WOTAN - Will Operated Thought ANalogue, from the early \Doctor Who\ story “The War Games”. (Computer) Hector and Vector - two deeply crappy robots from the original \Battlestar Galactica\ series. Orac is the super-computer designed by Ensor in \Blake’s Seven\. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/31 "2006-08-19T22:54:25Z")
Oh, and Robbie, Speedy and Cutie are from Asimov’s robot stories - I think the names are derived from their serial numbers (RB-1, SPD-1, QT-1? Something like that.) ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/32 "2006-08-19T23:36:00Z")
These remain: > [@](#): > > IQ-9 > XR > Annalee > Vanessa > Vector Sigma > GWB-666 > Obie > Alex 7000 > Futura ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/33 "2006-08-20T02:45:31Z")
IQ-9 is the robot from StarBlazers ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/34 "2006-08-20T16:52:28Z")
Isn’t Vector Sigma the computer that made all the Transformers come alive? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/35 "2006-08-20T16:56:54Z")
**XR** is the little robot from **Buzz Lightyear of Star Command**. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/36 "2006-08-21T01:36:12Z")
Obie is from the Well World books by Jack Chalker, a sentient computer designed to control reality-reshaping technology. He can alter to specification anything from one person to a whole world. He’s built into an asteroid, with a large projector dish on one side. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/37 "2006-08-21T03:02:17Z")
Test. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364/38 "2006-08-22T08:37:32Z")
IQ-9 is indeed the robot from “Star Blazers,” and Vector Sigma is the creator of the Transformers. XR is from “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,” and Obie is from a bunch of forgettable Jack Chalker novels. As for the rest… [Annalee](http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/8421/CALL.JPG) the android from _Alien: Resurrection_ [Vanessa](http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/set/6172/photos/fembot2.jpg) the fembot from _Austin Powers_ GWB-666 (no picture available) was the computer system known as the Great Western Beast in Robert Anton Wilson’s _Schrödinger’s Cat_ trilogy. Alex 7000 (no picture available) was an evil computer from an episode of “The Bionic Woman.” [Futura](http://noemata.net/maria/img/MetHel2.gif) the robot from _Metropolis_. This was my trick question: Futura was the robot’s _original_ name in the script, but not the one that made it to the final cut. Now available: [name that pet!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=385072) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-machine/369364.md?page=1)