Science Fiction is Learning About Exoplanets From Science. As long as it has existed as a genre, there has been a notable relationship between science fiction and science fact. Since our awareness of the Universe and everything in it has changed with time, so have depictions and representations in popular culture.

Science fiction has a long history of representing exoplanets, which are planets that orbit other stars. Science fiction stories often depict alien planets and extraterrestrial civilizations

Scientists have studied the representations of exoplanets in science fiction since 1995. The discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star in 1995 changed how scientists understand exoplanets and solar system formation. 

Research shows that science fiction exoplanets designed after the discovery of real exoplanets are less Earth-like. A researcher suggests that science fiction authors might read headlines about worlds covered in lava or where it’s raining diamonds, which are often seen in the media. 

Exoplanetary science is a branch of astrophysics that studies planets outside of our solar system. It’s a growing field that involves: 

• Space missions: Developing new space missions 
• Ground-based observations: Pursuing ground-based observations 
• Theory advancement: Advancing the theory of exoplanets

Astrobiologists study the atmospheres of exoplanets to determine the elements and chemical compounds that make them up. 

Astronomers look for exoplanets by looking at the effects those planets have on the stars that they orbit. One technique is astrometry, which uses repeated measurements of the positions of stars in the sky to infer motion. However, exoplanets are difficult to see directly with telescopes because they are hidden by the bright glare of the stars they orbit. 

Other techniques for studying exoplanets include:

• Photometric studies: Using interferometers and coronagraphs to directly observe exoplanets 
• Coronagraph methods: Spectroscopy of planet’s atmospheres Some say that geology, astronomy, or physics are good choices for exoplanet research. 

In the field of science communication, however, there is a certain hesitancy to use science fiction materials as an educational tool. In a recent paper that appeared in the Journal of Science Communication (JCOM), a team from the St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science and the Space Research Institute (IWF) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences focused on a specific area of scientific study – extrasolar planets. After analyzing a multimedia body of science fiction works produced since the first confirmed exoplanet discovery, they found that depictions have become more realistic over time.

The interrelationship between scientific discovery and their portrayal in science fiction is certainly well-known. However, that does not mean that the phenomenon is well-understood, and attempts to study it are still in their infancy. As part of her thesis work, Puranen and her colleagues sought to address this by documenting a key example. As she explained to Universe Today via email, it is difficult to pin down when the tradition of science informing science fiction began since its roots go rather deep:

“I would say it consciously goes back to the time in the early 20^th century when the genre as we know it today was being defined. But in practice, it goes back further. Science and SF have always influenced each other. Shelley, for example, was inspired to write Frankenstein by what she read of contemporary experiments on galvanism [the therapeutic use of direct electric current].”

Some people consider the discovery of planets around other stars one of the most important events in the history of astronomy. Some astronomers have been surprised that the public is not more excited about the planet discoveries. One reason that has been suggested for this lack of public surprise and excitement is that science fiction stories have long prepared us for there being planets around other stars. (The Starship Enterprise on the 1960s Star Trek TV series found some in just about every weekly episode.) What do you think? Did you know about the discovery of planets around other stars before taking this course? Do you consider it exciting? Were you surprised to hear about it? Are science fiction movies and books good or bad tools for astronomy education in general, do you think?

Science and science fiction are not separate human endeavours. Scientists have been shown to demonstrate a strong connection to science fiction (SF) as fans and creators [Wright & Oman-Reagan, 2018; Stepney, 2015]. A survey of 239 UK astronomers attending the 2022 UK National Astronomy Meeting provided statistical evidence that the majority were interested in SF and stated that SF influenced their career decisions [Stanway, 2022]. There is growing interest in analysing SF’s utility for science communication [Joubert, Davis & Metcalfe, 2019; Irani & Weitkamp, 2023] and the role SF plays in imagining futures for scientists and the public alike [Reinsborough, 2017]. Several studies analyse how SF affects its readership’s understanding of science: Eichmeier et al. investigated audience understanding of the human genome [2023], Lowe et al. similarly investigated audience understanding of environmental science [2006], and Orthia interviewed Doctor Who viewers about how the show impacts their ideas about science [2019]. There are examples of scientists using SF for science communication: the European Astrobiology Institute recommends its science fiction anthology Life Beyond Us [Nováková, Law & Forest, 2023] for educational use, several university courses use SF to teach science [Luokkala, 2014; Saunders, Brake, Griffiths & Thornton, 2004], and scientists have presented their research at SF conventions in ‘science programming’ tracks [Childers, Governor, Greer & James, 2023]. However, SF has yet to be widely utilized as a science communication tool by full-time science communicators. Although interest in its potential science communication use has been established, and there is evidence that narratives are useful teaching tools for non-expert audiences, there are concerns about the inherent persuasiveness of narratives [Dahlstrom, 2014], and, significantly, concerns that SF misrepresents science [Childers et al., 2023; Lowe et al., 2006]. Given the interest and potential concerns about the accuracy of SF content, an important step in current scholarship is to examine not just audience reactions to SF, but the representations of science in the content of SF itself.

SF involving exoplanets — planets outside our solar system — presents us with an appropriate corpus for analysing the presentation of scientific discoveries in SF. This is because exoplanets are a very common setting in SF stories, but real exoplanets were only confirmed to exist by astronomers with the 1995 discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star, which completely changed scientific understanding of exoplanets and solar system formation [Mayor & Queloz, 1995]. While data about real exoplanets have only been available for the past three decades, imagined exoplanets have featured in SF for centuries. The example of exoplanets offers the opportunity to investigate changing representations of science in SF, which aids in determining its use for science communication.

If an active role is to be assigned to SF as a driver and communicator of science, we must consider how best to measure the influence of science on SF and its presentation therein. There are some strategies available. We could focus exclusively on SF by scientists, for example Carl Sagan, Joan Slonczewski, or Isaac Asimov. Another method is to collect acknowledgements by authors in works of SF: where present, these may include lists of published sources, names of scientists and science advisers. A recently-published SF collection suggests such a new and more egalitarian model of co-authorship by pairs of scientists and creative writers who reflect on their joint process in the volume [Puranen,2021]. Some secondary sources do exist, e.g. Lawrence M. Krauss’s The Physics of Star Trek, but these typically focus on a limited canon of popular works. However, in addition to being essentially subjective, none of this data can be collected on a large scale or assessed over time to determine if science fiction changes as scientific knowledge expands — a question to be answered if SF is to be used for science communication.

Please like subscribe comment your precious thoughts on universe discoveries

Full article source google

Best wearable technology on heavy discount on Amazon