Category: Science

Science matters

Space Treaty

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Science

When science fiction attempts to get serious about how to best represent the human colonisation of the solar system, films like Ad Astra (2019) establish free enterprise as the plot devises for the story. With commercial flights to the moon, a Luna base that looks like an airport on Earth, fast food facilities, piracy, and private space laboratories…

No human society is going to get off-Earth and colonise the solar system without a powerful driver propelling it. Scientific curiosity can raise billions of dollars to send robots out there to learn things, but inducement is a far greater and more effective driver known to mankind. I’m not talking about a business proposal that sends humans to Mars for a reality TV program, space-faring humans require more of a legal framework, or better, the lack of one, to get it going.

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Panology of Science Fiction: G

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Science

Geography

Nothing builds intricate worlds like the attention to detail given to the story’s geography. What makes a setting compelling is the effort that goes into creating elaborate planets that are logical and familiar in terms of geology, history, climate and all that encompasses the geographical nature of the fictional world.

The more variety and complexity a world has, the further it enhances the other elements in the story. Physical environments can affect the plot and character, and determine what social organizations, culture and belief systems populate the place.

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Panology of Science Fiction: F

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Science, Writing

Finance

For many readers, the field of economics might seem like dry, analytical territory, a realm of graphs, supply curves, and impenetrable jargon. And let’s be honest: most literary enthusiasts, and even a fair number of science fiction fans, probably tune out at the mention of GDPs or fiscal policy. Yet, when wielded thoughtfully, economics can become one of the most fascinating and transformative tools in speculative storytelling. In fact, some of the best science fiction ever written stands out precisely because it dares to construct alternative financial systems and economic frameworks—frameworks that both challenge our current paradigm and make us question the very fabric of our lives.

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Panology of Science Fiction: E

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Science, Writing

Engineering

A good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jamFrederik Pohl

prosthetic arm on blue background
Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels.com

It was stories about the ‘mad scientist’ that kicked off genre literature, ever since Daedalus fabricated wings from feathers and wax for himself and his son Icarus. Invention is the heart of all sci-fi stories, which in turn becomes the heart of inspiration that turns science fantasy into reality. Geosynchronous communications satellites, computer worms, Segways, wall-mounted home theatres, exoskeletons, smartphones, virtual worlds, and organ harvesting were all described by sci-fi writers long before engineers turned them into reality.

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Star Wars

Star Wars: A Lost Hope

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Film, Science

Now that this sad shit-show of a saga is over, the only thing we have left, is the thought, ‘What if they did a decent sequel trilogy with a coherent story without the political rape that Disney inflicted upon this series?’ How hard was it to produce something that remotely resembles a Star Wars story?

Apart from the visuals, there are three fundamental flaws with Episodes 7, 8 and 9. The visual effects and art design are the trilogy’s best asset, but sometimes they do act against the films. The entire narrative seems to be built around these great visuals. And then, to make things unbearable, the cluttering of the SFX is overdone, almost to the point of ridiculousness.

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Panology of Science Fiction: D

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Science, Writing

Disease (Pathology)

Whether it’s curing existing diseases or encountering new ones, a bit or a lot of pathology doesn’t hurt a story or make for a bad plot device. Injecting fear and dread into any scenario can be as easy as prescribing an epidemiologist or two.

The scope in speculating future diseases can again be endless, e.g. microbial, fungal, genetic, psychiatric, crystalline extraterrestrial agents, or cyber infections.

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Panology of Science Fiction: C

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Review, Science

Cliodynamics (psychohistory)

Cliodynamics is a field of research that tries to apply scientific methods and mathematical models to the study of history and its patterns. It aims to explain and predict historical phenomena such as the rise and fall of empires, the cycles of war and peace, the dynamics of social movements, and the effects of cultural evolution. Cliodynamics is based on the idea that history is not random or chaotic, but follows certain laws and regularities that can be discovered and tested with data.

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Panology of Science Fiction: B

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Review, Science, Writing

Biology

Biology is a fascinating and diverse field of science that explores the living world and its interactions. Science fiction is a genre that uses biological concepts, themes, or elements to create imaginative stories, worlds, and creatures. Some aspects of biology that are commonly found in science fiction include evolution, disease, genetics, physiology, parasitism, and symbiosis.

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Panology of Science Fiction: A

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Review, Science

An A to Z of science fiction fields of study.

With Dan Simmon’s Hyperion Cantos and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series inching closer to television screens, a question resurfaces, a question I’ve been asking ever since first reading these two works of classic science fiction, both of whom have been fighting an eternal battle for the number one spot on my favourites list.

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First Planet Candidates Discovered by Planet Hunters

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Science

It’s not every night you stumble across something on the internet that is as bizarre as being officially acknowledged for helping to find an exoplanet. I enrolled with Planet Hunter years ago (around 2011), and dabbled for fun picking out images that may indicate the presence of a planet orbiting a star.

The process was both challenging and rewarding, as I learned more about the science behind exoplanetary research and had a chance to contribute to real scientific discovery. Although I haven’t been active on the platform for some time, I look back on my time with Planet Hunter fondly and am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this exciting field.

Planet Hunter is a citizen science project launched by the Zooniverse organization, which allows anyone to help discover new worlds beyond our solar system. After analyzing data from the Kepler space telescope, I found several potential transit events, which looked like they indicated the presence of a planet orbiting a distant star. I logged my findings and forgot about it.

Being officially acknowledged for contributing to the search for new planets is a unique experience for a writer, especially in science fiction, and a testament to the power of citizen science. It’s amazing to think that anyone with an internet connection can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the universe.

Easy stuff really.

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