When I started thinking about how I would put this project together, it occurred to me that there are two distinct worlds that most fans of science belong to. (NB: I feel that the word ‘world’ best described these two very different yet inextricably connected groups of science enthusiasts)
One is the world of science fact.
One is the world of science fiction.
Upon these two worlds there are nations, groups, and clubs that have gargantuan passions for the real, the rational, the predictable, and for the imaginary, the heretical, the improbable.
And, yes, a fan of science can claim to be of both worlds. I would say that a person claiming dual citizenship would have to choose the world on which they reside most of the time. While our species is mobile, you still need a place that you call home.
These two worlds, being of approximately the same diameter and somewhat equal in mass, orbit each other in a binary system. The balance point for the mass of these two worlds is the barycenter. In a similar manner, the world of science fact and the world of science fiction orbit around their common center of science.
Let us return to the world of science fact for a moment.
On this world, the nations seek to find out the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of the universe. They invoke skepticism and rigor in testing an idea, even when (especially when) the idea smashes into the biases of those performing the tests. Science fact can lift your sense of wonder to new highs and crush your expectations with new lows. It cares not for how dispassionate or heartfelt your reasoning is; it only knows that the laws and the rules of the universe are there for us to work with as best as the human animal can.
This world has given us the ability to grow more food, to live in disparate climates, and to fend off the viruses and bacterium that would consume us without hesitation. This world has created the means for us to harness electricity, to reshape the surface of our planet, and to send envoys to our neighbors in the solar system. This world has discovered ways to eradicate our species rapidly through nuclear and biological weapons and increasingly through climate change. This world reaffirms that we must be as vigilant with our power to do wrong as we are with our power to do right.
We will now take our leave of this world and journey to its companion, the world of science fiction.
On this world, the nations seek to find out the ‘how come’ and ‘why not’ of the universe. They appeal to the tendrils of our imaginations, even when (especially when) coaxing a new idea into reality grates against the tried-and-true of what our species is comfortable with. Science fiction can embrace the finest parts of our species’ cultures, arts, and creativity, envision an ideal world for all to thrive upon. Science fiction can condemn our human race through suppression of thought, barbaric acts of unchecked power, and eradication of our entire species from the cosmos. This world reaffirms that our proclivity to imagine the impossible and make good thing happen must be balance with our need to foresee and prevent unintended harm as best we can.
As we leave the world of science fiction, we take a moment to view this world and the world of science fact from the vantage point of the barycenter. From here, we have the ability to enjoy the differences and the similarities of these worlds. We can learn about new discoveries that sustain our lives and fulfill our imaginations. We can use our hands to build better widgets, our intellect to design better processes, and our hearts to empathize with our fellow fans of science. We can be a citizen of one while being a fan of both.
Which world are you from? Be it the world of science fact or the world of science fiction, I look forward to connecting with you.