Science in science fiction
The surprising creations of science fiction are a magnificent starting point for playfully exploring the fascinating world of science. In the words of Stephen Hawking: "Science fiction is not mere entertainment; it also serves a serious purpose: to expand the human imagination. The science fiction written today often becomes scientific reality tomorrow." Through this genre we can explore how scientific theories, laws and principles are often reflected, with varying degrees of accuracy, in stories that invite us to imagine possible futures and that, at the same time, allow us to discover how these very principles can be introduced in a thought-provoking way by travelling through space and time.
This lecture can be approached in two ways:
- Based on journeys through space (the law of universal gravitation, escape velocity, space debris, current advances, errors in film and literature, etc.).
- Through time travel (covering special relativity, the speed of light, time dilation, length contraction, paradoxes, etc.).
Science in science fiction: time travel
In this lecture we will immerse ourselves in time travel, one of the great recurring themes of science fiction, to discover which concepts from modern physics lie behind these ideas. We will discuss the theory of special relativity, the speed of light, time dilation, length contraction and temporal paradoxes, analysing how literature and cinema have treated these concepts and to what extent they are compatible with current scientific knowledge.
Science in science fiction: journeys through space
In this lecture we will journey through space with science fiction as our guide, analysing some of the great challenges of space exploration. We will uncover concepts such as the law of universal gravitation, escape velocity, interstellar travel, life in space and the current technological advances that are bringing us ever closer to scenarios that once belonged only to the imagination. We will also review some of the scientific accuracies and inaccuracies found in science fiction film and literature.
Any prior work done with students on these topics may prove useful. Teachers may choose whichever of the two themes they prefer.
Brief CV
Julia Suso holds a PhD in Mathematics from the Universitat de València. She has served as Head of Instrumentation at the Astronomical Observatory of the Universitat de València and is currently a lecturer in the Department of Financial and Actuarial Economics at the Faculty of Economics of the Universitat de València.
She has participated in various space projects, collaborating in the design and development of the gamma-ray missions INTEGRAL, run by the European Space Agency (ESA), and LEGRI, on board the Minisat 01 satellite.
She currently works on the study of the nature and physical parameters of Be stars and X-ray transient binaries. She also participates in the space missions CoRoT (CNES/ESA) and Kepler (NASA), dedicated to asteroseismology and the search for extrasolar planets. She has carried out astronomical observations at some of the world's leading observatories, including La Silla (Chile), the Teide Observatory and the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Canary Islands), the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Calar Alto (Almería) and the David Dunlap Observatory (Canada).
More information
Las lluvias de estrellas no solo son para el verano
Social networks
- @JuliaSuso
- @ObservatoriUV
- @FdEconomiaUV
- @CdCienciaUV
- @MednightGTS
Stimulating scientific vocations is a project of the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit of the University of Valencia, which has co-funding from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
