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illuminationWhat will the future hold? This is such a simple question and yet it has amazed our species for so long. Crystal balls, clairvoyant visions and prophecies are all aspects of our culture that have their origin in our desire to know the unknowable future.Science is sometimes seen as a concept separate from "true" humanity (cliched images of cold laboratories and mad professors come to mind), yet science lies at the core of humanity. The search for knowledge, trying to find out why and how things work are necessary mental tools for our survival. Science is a manifestation of this search, and has played an increasingly important role in our lives. For this reason it is essential to consider its role in the future Science has given us power: the power to survive, the power to create, but also the power to kill ourselves, the power to destroy. It is the goal of SF to remind us of this power, and also to explore the amazing possibilities raised by science into human grasp. An example of how science fiction can inform us in this way is to warn us about asteroids colliding with earth (a big threat as seen in Deep Impact), and about the possibilities and disadvantages of genetic engineering (as seen in Gattaca). With Copernicus, Galileo and many other brilliant scientists, astronomy has progressed astoundingly, and it has informed us about the true nature of our universe. It is a strange yet wonderful place, and we seem incredibly small and insignificant in contrast to the great expanse. We find it difficult to comprehend, but reality does extend past the boundaries of our Earth. In some way, the reading science fiction helps you form an objective point of view. It is after all not easy to describe a building by looking out of its windows. Science fiction illuminates the future, it shows us with the help of speculations what may be or what may not. Every decision we make today, could affect our future, and it is the role of SF to give us some knowledge of the consequences. |