Science prophesy

[WhiteCrowUK]

The way I always look at it is science is always pushing boundaries and creating new marvels. It's like the old Tomorrows World programs showing us the marvels of tomorrow.

The primary job of science fiction of course is much like any fiction to tell a good story.

But it's secondary role is to take this science of tomorrow, look at how it will impact our world, what will be the moral issues and what happens when it goes wrong.

One example as you've said is genetic modification, which scientists always claim is there for our benefit. It takes a film like Gattaca to raise alarm bells of "if we do go down this line will there be a two tier society between those who are perfect genetically and the rest of us?".

[climacus]

I agree with what another person once told me. He said something like some artists have a heightened sense of reality and where it is going. And so in their works we can see hints of the future. It is not prophetic in the fullest of senses.


Climacus

[steve12553]

I've contended that Science Fiction has to, at least conceptually, extend beyond beyond Science, as we know it, into Science that we speculate might be true, either today outside our grasp, or at some other time.If you eliminate the stories that merely dabble in concept while concentrating on the story or relationships within the story, and just count the heavy speculaters, we're being to fall into the "enough monkeys , banging on enough typewriters scenerio. Jules Verne speculated about powerful electric submarines. (Nuclear power generates electricity). It's starts there and keeps on going. Granted, there are a lot of predictions or speculations the aren't even reasonable, but there are some that are scary. Fortunately there are always enough veriations to make life interesting...................................... and to keep us speculating.

[Dirthouse]

Originally Posted by Joel007

I don't think they claimed to have divine insights into the world of tomorrow, they just looked at where the world was going and made up a story that highlighted some theme of what could go wrong, and sometimes they got close to the truth.
Anyway, the best stories, the ones that influence people, are the ones with a basic truth as the central message.

That is definately true, but what come to mind is that it is possible that they spark these ideas...something that starts off as a fictional dream could be logically dismantled by the powers that be. I mean something as trivial as simple as flying. Started off as a dream but because a reality using science.

Rather than looking at them as Prophets its probably more fitting to reffer to them as instigators...in theory.

[steve12553]

I really think inspiration is more appropreate than instigation. Someone has to have an idea first even if it is a broad, unfleshed out thing.

[steve12553]

I was going to start another thread but I remembered this one. I just stumbled across another example of prediction. Some years ago (probably in the 1980s) there was talk of a Neutron Bomb that killed life but kept building and roads intact. It was supposed to be a clean bomb to allow a city to be depopulated and then safely taken over by the enemy after a while. It was debated for a while and a lot of moral objection were voiced. Eventually the talk died down and I haven't heard anything for several years.

Tonight, I put one of my Christmas gifts in the DVD player and watched one of the first Doctor Who episodes from 1963 "The Daleks" and listened to the story of how the Daleks unleashed a Neutron Bomb. It killed people but didn't damage the city. I thinks that's a little more that a coincidence, don't you?

[apokalypsis]

The role science fiction plays in our societies today is a lot like apocalyptic literature in ancient civilizations -- projecting future conflicts between good and evil, and dealing with ultimate things at the outer fringe of reality. After a few millenia, we humans are still fascinated with such scenarios as "aliens invade" and the end of the age.

These kinds of stories have fascinated people since the ancient Zoroastrians and Hebrews, though the source of "inspiration" and amount of credence ascribed to them has changed a good deal.

As for prophecy as a declaration of things fated to happen vs. a call for action, that could probably be argued for ages. Is a prophecy less prophetic because it required people's free will decisions to bring it about?

I think sci-fi has definitely fueled the imaginations of many creators and played an important role in the development of various technologies and media. (Case in point: the creators of Second Life have openly admitted to being inspired by Neal Stephenson's metaverse.)

[Harpo]

How well do the best sci-fi predictions compare with the detailed roadmap of the 21st Century?
Let's wait and see...

[K. Riehl]

I remember when Science Fiction was under the influence of the "Scientific American" effect. From late 40's to the early 60's discoveries and stories in science that appeared in Scientific American magazine would start showing up in science fiction stories about 3-4 months later. This ended when more technical information begain to be available from other sources, as well as the sad decision to "dumb down" the articles in the magazine. Today the internet, when there is actually content, seems to drive the ideas behind the stories.