I read a column in Wired News (online) today, and wondered if others were familiar with the word teledildonics? Originally coined by Ted Nelson, the father of hypertext, as a semi-jocular term in the '80s. It involves research related to another newish word haptics 'pertaining to the sense of touch'. I thought we'd discussed the latter, but I didn't find it via the board's search function.

I haven't heard of either of those words, though I could have forgotten that discussion of haptics here. Our search function can be off sometimes, I think.

Teledildonics seems quite straightforward. However, "haptics" is an interesting word. There is a medical word, which I am trying to remember, which is similar. It means that you're aware of where your body is, and with some brain diseases that perception can be missing. However, "haptics" seems to be more than this because it includes the sensory receptors from the whole body and is closely linked to the movement of the body and can have a direct effect on the world being perceived. It seems to be used in aerodynamics.

K., I think the medical term you are thinking of is proprioception.

Very interesting article, Z.

Yes, neveu, that is the word. I read a little about it this morning (realizing how much I don't know about neurology!), and my Taber's Medical Dictionary defines "proprioception" as: "The awareness of posture, movement, and changes in equilibrium and the knowledge of position, weight, and resistance of objects in relation to the body." That definition sounds similar to the definition of "haptics" in Wikipedia. However, the word "haptics" is only defined as "the science of touch" of touch in my Taber's, which really isn't all that similar. I am a little confused.