Why society needs science fiction
Imagining the future: Why
society needs science fiction
First published on 3rd April 2012. Last updated on 7th
January 2018 by Dr Helen Klus
3. Why science fiction is important?
Science fiction is important for at least three reasons.
Firstly, by considering worlds that are logically possible, science fiction can
be used to explore our place in the universe and consider fundamental
philosophical questions about the nature of reality and the mind. Books that
explore these issues include Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott, Ubik by Philip K.
Dick, and 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke. Clarke once described
science fiction as "the only genuine consciousness-expanding
drug"[3].
Secondly, science fiction can inspire more people to become
scientists. Edwin Hubble, who provided strong evidence for the big bang theory,
and was the first person to prove that galaxies exist outside of the Milky Way,
was inspired to become a scientist after reading Jules Verne novels. Astronomer
and science fiction author Carl Sagan was influenced by Robert A. Heinlein, and
theoretical physicist Michio Kaku enjoyed the television show Flash Gordon as a
child.
Kaku stated that:
...years later, I began to realize that the two passions of my life -
that is, physics and understanding the future are really the same thing - that
if you understand the foundations of physics, you understand what is possible
and you understand what could be just beyond the horizon.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, science fiction is
the only genre that depicts how society could function differently. This is the
first step towards progress as it allows us to imagine the future we want, and
consider ways to work towards it. It also makes us aware of futures we wish to
avoid, and helps us prevent them.
Perhaps the most famous example of the positive effect of
science fiction comes from the inclusion of a multiracial cast on the original
Star Trek television series. When Michelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant
Uhura, was considering leaving the series, civil rights leader Martin Luther
King Jr. convinced her to stay. King argued that her inclusion on Star Trek was
important because, as a black woman, she helped represent a future people could
aspire to, one where people were judged solely on the content of their
character.
Shortly after Nichols publically criticised NASA for only
selecting white male astronauts, she was invited to NASA headquarters and asked
to assist in convincing former applicants to reapply. This led to the selection
of Sally Ride and Guion Bluford, who became NASA's first female and first black
American astronauts respectively. Mae Jemison, NASA's first female black
American astronaut to travel in space, directly citied Star Trek as an
influence, and later appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
In some ways, society has changed dramatically since Star
Trek first aired in 1966. Many things that were once science fiction have
already become reality: we have walked on the Moon, we have created clones, and
synthetic life, and many people now have access to almost all human knowledge
through a device that can fit in their pocket. Technology is progressing so
fast that it is changing society, leading to unprecedented moral dilemmas and
scientific challenges. This means that science fiction is more important now
than ever.
As well as considering the effects of current and developing
technologies, science fiction can help address long-term problems, such as
global warming. It can help with the development of space exploration, and
prepare us for problems we may not anticipate. One day, time travel,
teleportation, or the genetic engineering of humans may happen, we might
communicate with aliens, invent simulated realities, or build intelligent
robots, and we'll be better prepared to deal with these, and other potential
dilemmas, if we have already thought about them.
Scientist and science fiction author Isaac Asimov summarised
the importance of science fiction in 1978, stating:
It
is change, continuing change, inevitable change that is the dominant factor in
society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into
account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be...Science
fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes
may be inevitable, solutions are not.
Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the
blinder critics and philosophers of today - but the core of science fiction,
its essence...has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all.
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