Science Fiction, Science Future

- by Sylvia Ney

One of my favorite stops this summer was at the Reuben H. Fleet museum in San Diego, California. I took my daughters to the traveling exhibit "Science Fiction, Science Future".

We spent the day learning about what has led to our current understanding of science, what humans are currently working to develop, and being teased with challenges for the future. Gallery stops included:

- understanding what we know of sound and light
- move this object with your mind challenge
- become invisible
- design your own cyborg
- interact with robots
- and more than I can write about in one post!

Here are just a few of our explorations:

A section honoring the history of science fiction development - its authors, artists, and innovators. Rare books from the Department of Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA), artwork from comic book publisher IDW, and even displays from the Star Trek franchise were available for perusal - including a very special challenge (see pics below).

Created by the renowned Scitech Discovery Centre in Perth, Australia this exhibit is a visually compelling way to share a deeper understanding of how science fiction concepts of today are becoming a reality: including holograms.

Visitors are completely immersed in possibilities for medical technology, communication, and even transportation. This exhibit includes many innovations, inventions, and challenges -  a taste of anything a science lover could be looking for, especially when sharing the concepts with family and friends.

Thanks to this trip, my daughters truly enjoyed a glimpse at the possibilities for themselves and their future. I can't wait to see how they will contribute.

How will you contribute to our science fiction, science future? Will you or someone you know want to compete in the tricorder challenge listed in the above picture?

Science: Past, Present, and Future

One of the things I love so much about science fiction is the way the past, present, and future can all continue to influence each other.

What do I mean?

  1)      The last ten years have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of the Steampunk genre. Society is so enamored with the idea of steam-powered and gear driven technology that it influences our reading, writing, television entertainment, and even our music industry.  I discovered one such band in San Diego a couple of years ago. Check out Steam Powered Giraffe below!

  2)      Scientific theories which have been accepted for 100 years, like Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, make a frequent appearance in our books and television entertainment. However, did you know that physicists were still trying to prove, or disprove, that theory? See how David Tennant explains this: 

  3)      Both of the above examples can influence parallel universes like the ones found in our anthology, but what about when an author tries to stay ahead of popular and developing technology? Scientists are often pursuing breakthroughs based on sheer speculation. Authors in turn come across these theories and use those ideas to fuel their own works. Whether it’s shark skin technology (scientists hope to use it for recreation, medical, and aeronautic purposes), genomic imprinting, or Hymenoptera training (similar to Antman or Fran Wilde’s “Like a Wasp to the Tongue”) any theory in development can open the door for an authors imagination. When nine writers were invited to Microsoft’s research lab’s, the result was an anthology of scifi stories. Read more about that HERE.

  4)      Likewise, writer’s imaginations can open the door for scientific discovery. Just look at all of the gadgets used in episodes of Star Trek. Many of them fueled the drive for scientists to create the technology we use today. Check out these other sciences stimulated by fiction HERE, or the books that motivated Steve Jobs HERE.

All of these examples show how science, technology, and art can inspire and feed each other.

WHAT SCIENCE DRIVES YOU?

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Parallels: Felix Was Here!