Imagined in the 1900s

A small prize. A suit that keeps a person alive in vacuum is vital to its wearer but serves only the few who work in space.

Who is paid. Space operators buy suits for their crews, and the few firms that already make such gear supply them since the design can be copied.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

No prize. It is a term for the planet a people came from, not a product.

Who is paid. Nothing is sold, so nobody pays and no seller collects.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

No prize. It is a natural thing or place in space, not a product anyone makes or sells.

Who is paid. Nothing is sold, so nobody pays and no seller collects.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. A working vessel for travel between worlds would found a transport industry of its own.

Who is paid. Carriers and expedition firms buy ships, and many yards could build them once shown how, so established vehicle builders collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. Letting any two people talk and read across languages opens up travel, trade and work, which is worth an industry of its own.

Who is paid. Travellers, migrants and other ordinary people buy it to use themselves, firms buy it too, and once it works many can offer it, so no seller keeps much.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. Assuming the planets are settled as in the story, a message link among them carries all their trade and news, an industry of its own.

Who is paid. Assuming firms and settlers pay by the message, nothing described stops a rival from building its own stations, so the carriers and fleet owners who already hold the home networks where every message starts and ends, and the ships to place and tend stations, collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A large prize. A flat screen you hold in one hand is the face of nearly every modern personal device, an industry of its own.

Who is paid. People buy it for themselves, the design can be copied, and the electronics firms with the factories and brands collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. Seeing the person you are talking to is something most people now use, and it is worth an industry.

Who is paid. Ordinary people pay for the device and the line, and since many can make the device, the firms that already own the phone networks and handset brands collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A small prize. The description says what this wound-up man does, which is move and speak, and gives it no work or thought, so it is judged as a figure for show and not as the artificial worker of the stories.

Who is paid. Showmen and exhibitors are assumed to buy it, and many makers could build clockwork figures, so no seller keeps much.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A vast prize. A single system that gives everyone food, air, shelter and talk meets the basic needs of all of humanity.

Who is paid. Nobody could be charged for it piece by piece, so governments pay, and it is assumed many building and supply firms that hold public contracts would be needed and would collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A large prize. Seeing a doctor without travelling saves time for a great many patients and lowers the cost of care.

Who is paid. Hospitals and clinics would buy it, and any firm can link a doctor and a patient over a network, so established health providers and network firms collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. A private vehicle that flies its owner over the roads would be an industry of its own, though it mostly replaces trips people already make by car.

Who is paid. Owners buy it as they buy a car, and once it works many firms could build it, so the vehicle makers that already have factories, dealers and repair networks collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A small prize. A lone vehicle for road, water and air does each job worse than a craft built for it, so it suits a few buyers who want them all.

Who is paid. I assume wealthy owners buy it, and once it was built other makers could copy it, so no seller keeps much.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A large prize. Striking an enemy from the air changed how wars are fought and supports a whole industry of warplanes and their arms.

Who is paid. Armies buy it with public money, and since rival makers can copy it the established arms suppliers with standing army contracts collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A small prize. Assuming a soldier carries it, it does much the same job as a gun, so the gain over a gun is modest.

Who is paid. Armies buy it with public money, and since rival makers can copy it the established arms suppliers with standing army contracts collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A small prize. Aiming and firing through a screen and hand controls keeps the crew under cover, but it is a fitting added to weapons, not a new one.

Who is paid. Armies pay, and the idea is easy to copy, so the arms firms that already build the guns and vehicles fit it and collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A small prize. A cannon that freezes its charge so it survives firing is a modest improvement to artillery armies already have.

Who is paid. Armies pay, and such guns are easy to copy, so the arms makers that already hold supply contracts collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. Sheltering a whole city from weather is a public work on the scale of an industry.

Who is paid. No citizen could be charged singly for the roof over everyone, so the city pays, and the large construction firms that already win such contracts collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A vast prize. A room that delivers every need by machine would free its occupant from housework and errands, whatever the story thinks of the life that results.

Who is paid. Occupants pay for the room and its services, and no single firm could keep the idea to itself, so the appliance makers, builders and delivery networks that already reach every home would collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

A large prize. Cancelling weight at will would cut the cost of lifting, carrying and launching, which changes transport and building more than it changes how most people live.

Who is paid. Carriers, builders and launch firms would pay, and since the trick could be copied once shown, the firms that already build vehicles and craft would collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. Cancelling weight at will would cut the cost of lifting, carrying and launching, which changes transport and building more than it changes how most people live.

Who is paid. Carriers, builders and launch firms would pay, and since the trick could be copied once shown, the firms that already build vehicles and craft would collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A large prize. Cancelling weight at will would cut the cost of lifting, carrying and launching, which changes transport and building more than it changes how most people live.

Who is paid. Carriers, builders and launch firms would buy it, and as the substance could be copied once made, firms that already build vehicles and craft would collect.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.

No prize. A policy or worry about who may have children is a matter of rule and society, not something anyone would buy.

Who is paid. Nothing is sold, so nobody pays and no seller keeps anything.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is fairly sure of this one.

A small prize. A manual for daily life is a convenience.

Who is paid. I assumed the authority that runs the automated world issues it and pays, and anyone can print a book.

A model's judgement, not a reading, of the idea as if it worked the way its story promises. The model is not very sure of this one.