The "Science" in Science Fiction (part I)

"What's the difference between science fiction and fantasy?"

"Genetics, propulsion and the speed limit of the galaxy."

I don't remember where I saw the above quote, but it has a point. Most of my short fiction falls under science fiction or fantasy. My shelves are filled with books on linguistics, travel, military traditions, flight, NASA and the space race, and quantum physics. It's a geek's library, but I'm always pulling down one book or another to check facts. If I can't find it, there's always the Internet.

Science is a starting point in science fiction. Space stations, ships, exotic races, futuristic weapons...the author extrapolates from current trends in biology, chemistry, and physics. Each writer puts their own personal spin on how they envision the future fifty, one hundred or even one thousand years from now. Arthur C. Clarke, Issac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and many classic sci-fi writers took those ideas and made them unique. A science fiction story might have the same elements as another one, but it's how the concepts are presented that makes it different from the others.

That said, I wince when I read something that is scientifically impossible. Even now, I still chuckle at Star Trek's transporter and think, "Heisenberg, Heisenberg." I can handle minor inconsistencies in the story, but a planet with 2 times the gravity of Earth and our heroes can walk on it with no problems? A ship hovering a mere 100,000 miles from and exploding supernova and getting through the holocaust unscathed? (Those must be some really awesome particle shields. Can I get those for my car?) And yes, I've read stories that involve those two examples.

Some of my sci-fi writer friends sit around and analyze every glaring (and not so glaring) scientific mistake in a story or novel. It borders on the nitpicky and ridiculous at times. If I wanted a purely accurate science story, I'll go read a journal or a dissertation. Sure, Einstein said there's a speed limit to the universe (light speed), but should it prevent a writer from telling a good story? What if the Millennium Falcon didn't have hyperspeed? Or the Enterprise with no warp drive?  Or no obelisk on Jupiter in "2010"? Or...

You get the idea. Now for the  "Fiction" in science fiction...(part II)

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Quantum Physics, Sci Fi, and Real-Life Probabilities.

I'm currently reading Michio Kaku's book Hyperspace. People who know me seem a bit surprised that I'm interested in something as "obtuse" as quantum physics. I've always liked the subject, but the mathematics is my Achilles' heel. Kaku has the knack for explaining the concepts in words that the lay person can understand, whether it's the (supposed) origin of the universe, multiple timelines, or warp speed. The right side of my brain can accept vague possibilities, but the left side is very practical, which is probably why I decided not to make physics my career. I'd go nuts stuck in a lab all the time.

Mr. McCausland was my physics teacher in high school. He was enthusiastic about how to apply the principles of physics, instead of just spouting equations more complicated than "energy equals mass times the speed of light (squared)." Schroedinger's Cat (aka, does the cat blow up?), the Great Paper Airplane Race (aka, how to achieve lift without taking a nosedive) and the G-force of roller coasters (aka a 'field trip' to Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA). Hey, we needed to gather data; it just meant riding the Loch Ness Monster multiple times.

And Mr. McC was proud of his Scottish heritage. Think Montgomery Scott as a high school teacher. He even played the bagpipes once during a free period (much to the other teachers' dismay). Plus he was a big Star Trek fan.

I'm always astounded at how often I run into these lessons in other areas. For example, Michio Kaku talks about stuff called "string theory" of matter. Ten years earlier, I'd read it in a Star Trek novel, "Mirror, Mirror", by Diane Duane. One of the minor characters was a "string specialist" on a scientific mission. He tried to explain why it was considered controversial in the scientific community. Interesting that Ms. Duane wrote about the concept a decade before Kaku's book (though scientists like Kaku and Stephen Hawking obviously knew about it and worked on the concept). Life complements-or at least imitates-art.

So...if these quantum theories are true, does it mean I've got an evil mirror double running around in another universe? Does it mean that every time we write about new worlds and new characters, they spring into existence the moment they come out of our pen (or computer)? Literally, in another universe? Like Schroedinger's cat, we won't know the outcome unless we look into the box, but until then, everything's possible and they all have an equal chance of being right?

Does this mean we're all the creators of new worlds and new possibilities?

Yup. As long as we are writers, artists, poets, sculptors, and use creativity in our daily lives, we are.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010