Robert Heinlein's Future History I: "Life-Line" Quiz

Answer: The Academy of Science

The Academy of Science is questioning (and for the most part blindly discrediting) Pinero for his wild claims. It is implied that Amalgamated Life Insurance is responsible for this invitation to be ridiculed, but no official representative individual was present.

The Inquisition does not truly come into play in Heinlein's future histories until the novel "If This Goes On-", which takes place many years later.

Answer: When a person will die

The machine would accurately predict when a person would die, and as such Professor Pinero became an instant enemy of the life insurance industry, which tried to stop him from profiting from the device.

Interestingly, in another much later Future History story, the novel "Methuselah's Children", Lazarus Long explains how he had gone to see Professor Pinero for his services, only to be told that the machine was apparently malfunctioning. I will not ruin that novel for you, so if you do not understand why this is interesting, it is time to pick up the book!

Answer: It sends a signal along the world line of a person until it stops receiving an echo

A "world line" in physics is the path of an object in 4-dimensional space (three spatial dimensions and one temporal). It traces the history of that object in space at any given instance of time.

Pinero's machine sends a signal along the subject's world-line, somewhat like sonar, until it stops receiving an echo.

Answer: When the subject is a pregnant mother

In the words of Doctor Pinero himself (from "Life-Line"): "There is just one case in which I can get no determinant reading; when a woman is actually carrying a child, I can't sort out her life-line from that of the unborn infant."

That is to say, he cannot discern the date and time of death because the data is too complicated as a result of there being two living humans inside the machine.

Answer: A member of the press

Luke Timons, a member of the press, volunteers to enter the machine, after which Dr. Pinero gives him some very bad news indeed. After asking if Luke is married, he says: "I am very sorry for you, my dear Luke. You will die before tomorrow."

Timons was killed by a falling sign while walking back to his offices just twenty minutes after the experiment. The media went wild with the news that the machine actually worked.

Answer: Sands of Time, Inc.

He backed his services with a $10,000 guarantee to anyone who outlived his predictions. According to Pinero's attorney, whose explanation appeared along with the advertisement for Pinero's services:

"To whom it may concern, greetings; I, John Cabot Winthrop III, of the firm Winthrop, Winthrop, Ditmars & Winthrop, Attorneys-at-Law , do affirm that Hugo Pinero of this city did hand to me ten thousand dollars in lawful money of the United States, and instruct me to place it in escrow with a chartered bank of my selection with escrow instructions as follows:

"The entire bond shall be forfeit, and shall forthwith be paid to the first client of Hugo Pinero and/ or Sands of Time, Inc., who shall exceed his life tenure as predicted by Hugo Pinero by one per centum, or to the estate of the first client who shall fail of such predicted tenure in a like amount, whichever occurs first in point of time."

It was reported in the press when he had made his 1,000th prediction without having to make good on the $10,000 guarantee. In the same press release, he was called "Prophet Pinero".

Answer: Mr. Weems

Mr. Weems, an "elderly barrister", comes before the court trying to stifle Dr. Pinero's work. He initially tells the judge that he represents the public, but is interrupted by the judge who reminds him for whom he really works. Weems responds:

"In a wider sense I represent several other major assurance, fiduciary, and financial institutions; their stockholders, and policy holders, who constitute a majority of the citizenry. In addition we feel that we protect the interests of the entire population; unorganized, inarticulate, and otherwise unprotected."

The judge is not impressed.

Bidwell works directly for Amalgamated Life Insurance. Winthrop is Dr. Pinero's own attorney. The other choice, Mr. Hugo, is a fabrication based on the first name of Dr. Pinero.

Answer: To predict the date of death for all members of the Academy

He originally offered this to the Academy when questioned in the opening sequence, only to be refused. With the attorney, Mr. Weems, out of options, he agrees to this. Pinero will create two sets of envelopes. One will have the name of the person written on the outside while sealed will be the date of that person's death. The other set will have a date on the outside, with a list of those who die on that date sealed within.

Answer: Mr. Bidwell

Mr. Bidwell of Amalgamated Life Insurance is pressured by massive pay-outs and reduced income. After scolding his attorney, Mr. Weems, he exclaims: "Clear out of here, all of you! I'll handle this my own way."

After the murder, the Academy chairman and others review the envelopes. They find that Pinero has accurately predicted his own death.

As the chairman and his advisers look over the envelopes, trying to decide what to do, Dr. Baird tosses them all, unopened, into the garbage. Thus ends the story.

Answer: Astounding

Heinlein began his publishing career in 1939 with this story sent in to "Astounding", earning him one cent per word. He earned a total of seventy dollars, which is approximately $1,100.00 in 2015 dollars.