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Science fiction, of course.

Junk sci-fi gives us a lot of red herrings -- where are those Star Trek teleporters I ordered, eh? But if you really want to know what's just around the corner, just read what today's few visionary science-fiction writers are dreaming up. And without a doubt, the current high priest of high tech to the "hard science" faithful is Neal Stephenson, who visited Carnegie Mellon University for a free lecture Thursday.

"A lot of us who are excited about technology and the future were inspired by science fiction," says Dr. Matthew Mason, of the Center for the Foundation of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. "Neil Stephenson is a great example. His novel 'Snow Crash,' I think, probably changed the way a lot of people envisioned future interaction between humans and computers ... and skateboarding."

"Snow Crash" depicted a not-too-distant future in which America is controlled by corporate micro-states, high-speed pizza delivery is controlled by the Mafia, and nobody controls the vast online Metaverse, where ordinary people live entirely different lives. And don't forget the scenic -- and vital -- detours through ancient Sumerian mythology and the Tower of Babel.

Carnegie Mellon often brings in well-known authors to talk about their work. But few get as rapturous a reception on this computers-and-engineering-dominated campus as Stephenson did. He rarely does speaking engagements or book signings, and admits that he doesn't have time to respond to e-mail, so he remains largely a mystery to most of his fans.

Considering Carnegie Mellon's reputation for robotics and computing, however, it's not too surprising that he's got a serious following here. The line that developed for his free talk began more than an hour before the lecture, and snaked its way through the hall and out the doors.

What's the appeal for these serious scientists-in-the-making?

"Stephenson actually understands the science of what he's talking about (in his books)," said George Tzanetakias, 28, a student from Greece. "They're interesting because they're not the obvious thing that people think of."

On Stephenson's book jackets, he's all dark glasses, dark trenchcoat and dark goatee, looking every inch the inscrutable, mythical geek god that his fans seem to want him to be. At Carnegie Mellon, though, he showed up sporting a neatly pulled-back ponytail and an impeccably sharp suit.

With help from his Powerbook, he began a slideshow and lecture not on the minutiae of his novels, but on an intellectual argument between Sir Isaac Newton and his great German rival, Leibniz.

It's not immediately obvious why a science-fiction author would lecture on an obscure 16th-century feud, but the rapt, packed house gave him the kind of concentrated attention that teachers dream about. This argument has reverberated to this very day, said Stephenson, cutting to a slide of Fig Newtons and Leibniz butter cookies. The crowd erupted in laughter.

Stephenson's dry wit scored throughout, but some jokes were clearly meant only for robotics engineers. He made his point soon enough, though. Leibniz, while struggling with the relationship of God to the physical universe, struck upon an idea that the world is comprised of tiny atom-like elements that are each connected to every other one of them in the universe. Leibniz's metaphysical musings predicted "nanotechnology," a world of microscopic robots that construct things at the cellular level, which Stephenson explores vividly in his novel "The Diamond Age."

Recognition dawned quickly on the audience. These young faces -- some of them nodding with unconscious approval, a few tapping away quietly on laptops -- probably include some of the world's finest young engineers, programmers and robotics experts.

Overheard in the crowd: "The nerd density in this room is off the charts."

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