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Pseudoscience and Science Fiction
The Science and Fiction Series (Related to this series)
- Author
- Andrew May
- Narrator
- Steven Crossley
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 24 August 2021
- Run Time
- 6 hours 48 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Physics
What to expect
Aliens, flying saucers, ESP, the Bermuda Triangle, antigravity … are we talking about science fiction or pseudoscience? Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference.
Both pseudoscience and science fiction (SF) are creative endeavors that have little in common with academic science, beyond the superficial trappings of jargon and subject matter. The most obvious difference between the two is that pseudoscience is presented as fact, not fiction. Yet like SF, and unlike real science, pseudoscience is driven by a desire to please an audience—in this case, people who “want to believe.” This has led to significant cross-fertilization between the two disciplines. SF authors often draw on “real” pseudoscientific theories to add verisimilitude to their stories, while on other occasions pseudoscience takes its cue from SF—the symbiotic relationship between ufology and Hollywood being a prime example of this.
This engagingly written and well researched audiobook explores a wide range of intriguing similarities and differences between pseudoscience and the fictional science found in SF.
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Details
- Author
- Andrew May
- Narrator
- Steven Crossley
- Duration
- 6 hours 48 minutes
- Release Date
- 24 August 2021
- ISBN
- 9781799916352
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Physics
Synopsis
Aliens, flying saucers, ESP, the Bermuda Triangle, antigravity … are we talking about science fiction or pseudoscience? Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference.Both pseudoscience and science fiction (SF) are creative endeavors that have little in common with academic science, beyond the superficial trappings of jargon and subject matter. The most obvious difference between the two is that pseudoscience is presented as fact, not fiction. Yet like SF, and unlike real science, pseudoscience is driven by a desire to please an audience—in this case, people who “want to believe.” This has led to significant cross-fertilization between the two disciplines. SF authors often draw on “real” pseudoscientific theories to add verisimilitude to their stories, while on other occasions pseudoscience takes its cue from SF—the symbiotic relationship between ufology and Hollywood being a prime example of this.This engagingly written and well researched audiobook explores a wide range of intriguing similarities and differences between pseudoscience and the fictional science found in SF.
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