When we think of science fiction, the first thing that comes to our mind is probably a science fiction novel or a science fiction movie, and we are deeply impressed by the gripping story in the work. If we take a closer look, have the scientific terms that often appear in science fiction works, including "quantum tunneling", "wormhole", "genetic engineering", "warp engine", "time travel" and "dark matter", have attracted our attention or thinking?
Source: Stills from the movie "Interstellar".
We appreciate or watch science fiction works to a large extent not because of how much science they convey, but because of the magnificent imagination they unfold based on science. As Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge, because knowledge is finite, and imagination encapsulates everything in the world, drives progress, and is the source of the evolution of knowledge." ”
Science fiction works do play the function of popular science. The famous science fiction writer Wang Jinkang once mentioned at an event that science fiction is an important aspect of science popularization and a very important "flank force". Although "science fiction is not primarily responsible for transmitting knowledge, science fiction is indeed 'impregnated' with knowledge." In this way, we can use the method of 'diving into the night with the wind and moisturizing things silently' to spread knowledge to everyone, especially to children and teenagers. ”
Many experts and scholars attach great importance to the role of science fiction for young people, such as the American science fiction master Asimov once said: "Children should read science fiction works as early as possible, at the age of 9 or 10, not later than 11 years old." Von Braun, the "father of modern astronautics" and a famous German rocket expert, also said of "On Two Planets": "I will never forget how I read this novel with curiosity and excitement when I was young. "The reason for this emphasis is that science fiction stimulates the imagination, curiosity, and creativity of young people. Studies have also shown that curiosity is a very important quality for teenagers.
However, if we only limit the significance of science fiction to science popularization to young people, then this may be a kind of "derogation" of science fiction.
Science fiction writer Wu Yan believes that science fiction after "delocalization" is regarded as a kind of imaginative literature, a kind of creative literature, a kind of literature that can help the rise of the nation, and a kind of literature that can communicate with the world. As a literary genre, science fiction should also be an important means of education, which integrates art, humanities and science, and should be an educational tool for everyone, including teenagers. American science fiction writer Bradbury said that science fiction is the most important literary work in the history of the world, because its intellectual history is the history of our civilization itself...... Science fiction is at the heart of everything we do, and those who make fun of science fiction writers simply don't know what they're talking about. From this, we need to reflect on and emphasize the role and value of science fiction in popular science. But if we look at science fiction works in the same way as we treat popular science texts, it is somewhat inappropriate.
Physicist Yang Zhenning said that if you can simplify many complex phenomena into some equations, it is indeed a kind of beauty. For many ordinary people, the beauty of science is precisely imprisoned in the equation, and to let people get a glimpse of the beauty of science, science fiction works are an important way and way. Liu Cixin, a famous science fiction writer, also believes that "the beauty of science has a completely different form of expression from the beauty of traditional literature, and the beauty of science is imprisoned in a cold equation, and ordinary people need to go through great efforts to get a glimpse of her rays of light." Science fiction is a bridge to the beauty of science, which releases this beauty from the equation and shows it to the public. Therefore, we can transition to appreciate the beauty of science and technology through the "beauty" shown in science fiction works, enhance the aesthetic taste, and also understand more deeply that science and technology can make life better.
In a broader sense, some science fiction works reflect some problems in contemporary society, which can make people look at the ego, self and superego more introspectively, look at the relationship between human beings and the universe, and talk about and understand the operation of science and technology more rationally, which is actually a sense of public understanding and participation in science.
Science fiction works also open a window to the future, and the stories described in science fiction works help to improve the cognition of scientists to a certain extent, provide clues for the development of modern science and technology, and provide reference for guiding the development direction of future technology.
For the scientific terms mentioned in science fiction works, some viewers will actively search for relevant scientific content for extended learning because they are curious or want to know more, thus playing the role of popular science. On the other hand, some people may have a critical eye after watching science fiction works to identify the scientific errors or "hard flaws" in them, in fact, this also stimulates the desire of other audiences to understand these scientific contents to a certain extent, which may also be a kind of reverse popular science.
In the words of popular science writer Wang Jie, "science fiction is a strange flower that grows out of the soil of science, which has both scientific nutrients and bold imagination, which is an excellent way for ordinary people to feel the power of science, and more importantly, it can allow ordinary people to look at our world and the universe with a broader vision, and understand the relationship between science and technology and people...... In this sense, the role of science fiction is irreplaceable. ”
Israeli writer Yuval Harari once wrote, "Science fiction is arguably the most important genre of literature in the 21st century, shaping most people's perceptions of artificial intelligence, bioengineering, climate change, and more." We need good science...... A good science fiction movie is definitely worth far more than a paper published in a journal Science or Nature. ”
Of course, this is not to deny the value of scientific research, but to emphasize that while promoting scientific research, we should not ignore the significance and value that science fiction brings to scientific research and popular science work.
Source | Voice of the Association for Science and Technology