A lot of sci-fi authors research real science for their stories as well. So they write about something that builds on reality then engineers and scientists read their stories and push reality further.
Has there ever been anything in fiction mediums where scientist looked at it and said that is possible and made it?
4 months ago by Don_Dickle to c/askscience
phdepressed 9 points 4 months ago
It does...
SaveTheTuaHawk 1 point 4 months ago
Not quite...science fiction writers are often close to scientists and get ideas from them. Not the other way around.
Most sci-fi writers read Science and Nature journals.
ada 1 point 4 months ago
Sure, when they're adults, the science fiction writers get ideas and knowledge from the scientists. But when they're kids, before they become a scientist, those future scientists (and future science fiction writers) are often exploring their love for science through the medium of science fiction! And those visions of possible futures that those kids encounter shapes the perspective they carry with them in to adulthood
DagwoodIII 7 points 4 months ago
Robert A. Heinlein invented waterbeds and screen savers. He also wrote about pocket telephones.
Jules Verne invented the submarine
DrBob 6 points 4 months ago
Verne didn't invent it, not even close. It was first conceived in the 1500s and the first working submarine was built in the 1600s. There were diving bells, diving suits, submarines and everything else.
jacksilver 5 points 4 months ago
They used one in the US Revolutionary war back in 1775- https://en.wikipedia.org/...
DagwoodIII 3 points 4 months ago
Look up TV show TURN George Washington's Spies.
The Turtle shows up briefly. Great show, especially if you're a history buff.
thebardingreen 7 points 4 months ago
EDIT: Retraction. I've believed this to be true since the '90s, but it is apparently wrong.
Michael Crichton came up with idea of looking for dinosaur DNA inside biting insects in amber. Scientists tried it and it worked! They didn't get even close to enough DNA to clone a dinosaur. The molecules were super degraded. But there was something there!
SaveTheTuaHawk 6 points 4 months ago
That's wrong. Scientists were looking at DNA in amber in the late 80s, Crighton got the idea from published work.
Writers often visit university researchers to ask for story ideas. I consulted on Regenesis.
toomanypancakes 4 points 4 months ago
CDs. Thanks Star Trek!
JeeBaiChow 1 point 4 months ago
Transparent alumimum?
SaveTheTuaHawk 2 points 4 months ago
It existed long before sci fi. Sapphires and rubies.
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Science fiction is full of examples like that, because it's authors extrapolating what future science might look like. Sometimes they make accurate predictions, and sometimes, their predictions are the reason the technology is developed in the first place!
Communications satellites, mobile phones, robots, video chat, the internet...
All of them appeared in science fiction long before they actually existed!
As for how many of them exist because of the science fiction? Who knows... I don't think it's even possible to know, because so many scientists become scientists after growing up on science fiction, and at that point, the lines are pretty blurry :)
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