Blockbuster Science Read online

  Published 2017 by Prometheus Books

  Blockbuster Science: The Real Science in Science Fiction. Copyright © 2017 by David Siegel Bernstein. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or a website without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Trademarked names appear throughout this book. Prometheus Books recognizes all registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks mentioned in the text.

  Cover design by Jacqueline Nasso Cooke

  Cover images courtesy of NASA and © Shutterstock

  Cover design © Prometheus Books

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Bernstein, David Siegel, 1967- author.

  Title: Blockbuster science : the real science in science fiction / David Siegel Bernstein.

  Description: Amherst, New York : Prometheus Books, 2017. | Includes index.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017021982 (print) | LCCN 2017035332 (ebook) | ISBN 9781633883703 (ebook) | ISBN 9781633883697 (hardback)

  Subjects: LCSH: Science fiction—History and criticism. | Science in literature. | Science fiction films—History and criticism. | Science in motion pictures. | Science fiction television programs—History and criticism. | Science in popular culture. | BISAC: SCIENCE / Philosophy & Social Aspects. | FICTION / Science Fiction / General.

  Classification: LCC PN3433.6 (ebook) | LCC PN3433.6 .B466 2017 (print) | DDC 809.3/8762—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017021982

  Printed in the United States of America

  Introduction

  CHAPTER 1. ONCE UPON A SPACETIME

  Einstein Considers the Gravity of His Ideas

  Mass Is Energy, and Sometimes It Makes Holes

  No Witnesses…Yet

  Two Scientifically Plausible Ways to Surf Spacetime Waves

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 1 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: A Special Relativity Paradox

  Bonus 2: How Much Energy Is Contained within the Matter of Your Body?

  Bonus 3: Mutants

  CHAPTER 2. IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN, CALL A QUANTUM MECHANIC FOR A FIX

  What Is a Quantum Leap?

  That Special Moment…When You Just Know

  Real Science and Science Fiction

  Mind-Blowing Quantum Trivia

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 2 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: A Time-Travel Paradox

  Bonus 2: Photosynthesis and Quantum Mechanics

  Bonus 3: What Are Quantum Suicide and Quantum Immortality?

  Bonus 4: Time-Traveling Text Messages

  Bonus 5: Subatomic Uncertainty in the Classical World

  FIRST INTERLUDE: A TOUCH OF ATOMIC THEORY

  The Four Universal Forces

  What Is an Atom?

  How Old Is the Oldest Atom?

  What's the Matter with Antimatter?

  Going Deep

  First Interlude Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: The Range of Influence of the Four Universal Forces

  Bonus 2: Nuclear Fusion versus Nuclear Fission

  CHAPTER 3. STRUMMING OUR WAY INTO EXISTENCE

  Extra Dimensions

  Meet the Competition

  Can Quantized Space Solve a Paradox and Hurt a Villain?

  Parting Comments

  For the Record

  CHAPTER 4. OUR UNIVERSE (AS OPPOSED TO THOSE OTHERS)

  How Big Is the Universe?

  How Is the Observable Universe Different from the Actual Universe?

  How Are Galactic Distances Calculated?

  And in the (or Rather a) Beginning…

  What Caused the Big Bang?

  What Happened Next?

  What Are Gravitational Waves?

  Have Gravitational Waves Ever Been Detected?

  Some General Facts about Our Universe (as We Know It)

  Our Solar System, Home of Sol, Our Sun

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 4 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: Olbers's Paradox

  Bonus 2: Your Suntan

  Bonus 3: The Brief History of Our Sun

  Bonus 4: The On and Off Lighting System of a Cepheid Star

  CHAPTER 5. PARALLEL WORLDS

  Parallel Worlds from Math

  Parallel Worlds from Distance

  Parallel Worlds from Branching

  Mem(brane) Theory

  The We Live in the Best of All Worlds Theory

  Parting Comments

  CHAPTER 6. POWERING UP OUR CIVILIZATIONS

  Civilization Rankings

  Are There Quantum Energy Sources?

  Is There Evidence of Virtual Particles?

  Virtual Particles and Zero-Point Energy in Science Fiction

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 6 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: An Inward Look: An Alternative Classification of Civilizations

  Bonus 2: Comparing Energy Sources

  CHAPTER 7. BLACK HOLES SUCK

  How Do Black Holes Arise?

  Why Does Escape Velocity Matter?

  How Do Black Holes Relate to Spaghetti?

  Do Black Holes Last Forever?

  How Are Black Holes Detected?

  Wormholes (Again)

  Can Black Holes Be Used for Time Travel?

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 7 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: A Massive Mystery

  Bonus 2: The Information Paradox

  CHAPTER 8. ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON EARTH

  The Human Story

  Fossils Are So Yesterday (Literally)

  Whoa! Slow Down and Keep It Real

  How Did Life Begin on Earth?

  What Is DNA?

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 8 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: Evolution Is Smart

  Bonus 2: The “Ome” Home

  SECOND INTERLUDE: MORE OR LESS HUMAN

  CHAPTER 9. BADASS BIOLOGY

  Genetic Engineering and Evolution

  How Is Genetic Modification Done?

  What Does Science Fiction Say about the Ethics of Gene Modification?

  Speaking of Immortality, Is It Possible?

  Is a Longer Life Worth It?

  Can't Get Enough of Yourself? Send in the Clones

  Genetics for the Zombie Apocalypse

  Bacteria and Viruses to the Rescue

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 9 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: Crime-Busting Science

  Bonus 2: Metamorphosis

  CHAPTER 10. WELCOME TO TECH U

  Celebrity Fictional Cyborgs

  The Transhuman Brain

  Sometimes You Need to Go Small

  And in the End, Posthumanism

  Cybering (Everyone Is Doing It)

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 10 Bonus Materials

  Bonus: Nano for Food

  CHAPTER 11. MAN AND NATURE

  Can Climate or Weather Be Predicted?

  What Is the Greenhouse Effect?

  People Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Carbon

  How Is the Average Temperature of the Earth Calculated?

  Is There Ev
idence of Global Warming?

  Is Anything Being Done to Prevent Global Warming?

  Let There Be (a Little) Light

  What Other Human Activities Affect Weather?

  Is Fiction Being Used to Help Warn about Global Warming?

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 11 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: Negative Greenhouse Effect

  Bonus 2: A Dawning of a New Age (Really, an Epoch)

  Bonus 3: The Ozone Layer

  CHAPTER 12. TIME TO MOVE (PLAN B)

  What Basic Planetary Elements Make for Happy Colonists?

  Extra Resources: Can Asteroids Be Used to Our Advantage?

  Thinking Galactically but Searching Locally for a Vacation Home

  Searching Galactically: What Is an Exoplanet and How Do We Find One?

  To Invade or Not to Invade?

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 12 Bonus Materials

  Bonus: How Do We Handle All the Radiation the Universe Throws at Us?

  CHAPTER 13. INTELLIGENCE COMES IN ORGANIC AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS

  What Do Emergent Properties Have to Do with My Thoughts?

  How Do Neurons Create Consciousness?

  Where Does Cognition Fit?

  What Is Intelligence?

  The Importance of Creativity (Something Your Neurons Might Do for Fun)

  Rise of the AI

  Should We Put It to the Test?

  What Is the Technological Singularity?

  Ethical Concerns of a Post-Singularity World

  Full Circle

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 13 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: Moore's Law

  Bonus 2: Time Is in the Eye of the Beholder

  Bonus 3: Nefarious Software (Three Annoying Computer Infections)

  CHAPTER 14. THE RISE OF THE ROBOTS

  In the Beginning, There Was a Word and a Few Wires

  Robotic Evolution

  To Serve and Obey

  Robots in Our Everyday Lives (as Servants)

  Question of Ethics

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 14 Bonus Materials

  Bonus: A Few Celebrity Science Fiction Robots

  CHAPTER 15. ARE WE ALONE? EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE

  Never Mind Meeting Them. Do Aliens Exist?

  So, Why Haven't We Heard Anything from Aliens?

  Perhaps Earthlike Planets Are Rare

  Any Ideas about What Alien Life Looks Like?

  Parting Comments

  Chapter 15 Bonus Materials

  Bonus 1: Ufology

  Bonus 2: Carbon and Water, a Marriage Contract for Life. Is It Recognized Everywhere?

  Bonus 3: A World Protocol for Extraterrestrial Contact

  CHAPTER 16. A REALLY LONG-DISTANCE CALL: INTERSTELLAR COMMUNICATION

  Theoretical Long-Distance Calls

  Parting Comments

  CHAPTER 17. AD ASTRA PER ASPERA: A ROUGH ROAD LEADS TO THE STARS

  Keeping It Local: Atmospheric Travel

  The Long Journey: Space Travel

  Gravity and the Space Traveler

  If Science Fiction (Adventure) Uses Artificial Gravity, Then Why Not…

  A Hopefully True Story: A Tale of Application

  Parting Comments

  THIRD INTERLUDE: A MATTER OF SUBSTANCE

  So, What Is Mass?

  Why Do We Have Mass?

  What Makes Dark Matter and Dark Energy So…Um…Dark?

  Is There Evidence of Dark Matter?

  Sometimes Substances Like to Change Their Outfits Before Going Out

  CHAPTER 18. WHY ARE WE SO MATERIALISTIC?

  What Is Material Engineering?

  Are Any New Materials under Development Now?

  Speaking of Athletes, Here Are a Couple of (Literally) Cool Proofs of Concept

  It's Elementary

  What Is a Superconductor?

  Any Way around That Freezing Problem for Superconductors?

  A Carbon Solution for Materials

  Can Any Materials Harvest Light?

  Now You Saw It, and Now You Didn't

  Parting Comments

  CHAPTER 19. TECHNOLOGY (COOL TOYS)

  The Laser

  Popular Names for Light-Energy Weapons in Science Fiction

  3-D Printing

  How about a Technology Combo Meal with a 3-D Printer?

  Great Tool, but Are There Ethical Issues with 3-D Printing?

  Wearable Technology

  Camera Technology

  Computer Identification

  Machine Mind Control

  Parting Comments

  CHAPTER 20. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO EXIST?

  Do Any of Our Ideas about Reality Matter?

  What Is Augmented Reality?

  What Is Virtual Reality?

  When Did the Science of Virtual Reality Begin?

  Any Practical Uses for VR Unrelated to the Military and Entertainment?

  Can False Memories Be Considered Virtual Reality?

  What about Erasing Memories?

  Holographic Reality

  Let's Get Deep into Some Science Fiction

  Holographic Theory and Black Holes

  Parting Comments

  CHAPTER 21. THE END OF EVERYTHING

  Speaking of Endings (an Author's Confession)

  The End of the Individual

  The End of the Human Species

  Roid Rage (Destruction by Asteroid)

  Is Anyone Watching Out for These Rocks and Ice Balls?

  If the Bigger NEOs Target Earth, Can They Be Stopped?

  The Sun and Earth: A Relationship That Ends When the Lights Go Out

  Why Will Only Supersized Galaxies Exist in the Future?

  We Came Along at a Good Time (to Predict the End of the Universe)

  Thermodynamics Will Be the End of Us, but First Learn Its Laws

  How Does Entropy Explain the Direction of Time?

  How It All Ends

  When All the Suns Turn Out the Lights

  Life after This Universe

  Parting Comments

  Acknowledgments

  Notes

  Glossary

  Reading/Movie/Song List

  Index

  Everything starts as somebody's daydream.

  —Larry Niven, science fiction author who has big dreams

  Science was many things, Nadia thought, including a weapon with which to hit other scientists.

  —Kim Stanley Robinson, Red Mars

  Have you ever dreamed about voyages between worlds in starships fully equipped with faster-than-light warp drives? Have you ever dreamed about battling aliens from other dimensions, or traveling to a parallel universe to defeat your evil twin and rescue the princess or prince? How about a world where princesses and princes can't be differentiated by biology because gender is flexible?

  I'm guessing that if you are reading this, then you must have. The good news is that although some of these dreams are unlikely, all are scientifically possible by extrapolating from today's technology.

  The power of stories to inspire us has held true for all of human history. Today, science fiction has the ability to inspire breakthroughs that change our world. Companies used words like “robot” and “android” after they were popularized in fiction. Our STEM experts often say they were first inspired by stories they read when they were young.

  This book exists to help you to understand a few of the more popular topics in science as well as how they are used (and sometimes misused) in science fiction. This book isn't only for science fiction fans who want to know more about the science behind the plot. This book is for the curious—anyone who wants to know more about the natural world and the universe of which they are a part. It's for the science geek in everyone.

  Throughout each chapter, you will find a number of question marks. Many recent discoveries have led to questions that scientists never thought to ask before. Curiosity about our world drives fiction authors and filmmakers to
explore the realm of possibility. Besides, isn't science itself all about asking questions? Another thing to beware of is that this book contains spoilers. I only trend toward spoilage when it's necessary to make or fully explain a scientific point about something in fiction.

  Science fiction is about change, a world (or worlds) yet to be. Science fiction can explore a hopeful world where problems are solved, or a dangerous (dystopian) world where problems are caused, or a world of existential threats such as drastic climate change or destruction by asteroid (chapters 11 and 21 might cause you some anxiety on these last two topics).

  To paraphrase Mark Watney, the intrepid engineer-agriculturist of Andy Weir's novel The Martian: in the face of overwhelming odds, humans have scienced the shit out of a lot of problems. This book is packed with examples.

  What if change is impossible, unlikely, or even unimaginable? By today's standards, it's difficult to imagine a time when the idea of a different type of future (socially, technologically, politically) would be alien. This is not a fantasy, however. It's human history.

  There was a time when the things that our ancestors observed just didn't change all that much. The idea of wildly different futures didn't exist in the age of limited science. Plenty of fiction lurked about, including the magical thinking of fantasy, but stories about radically different tomorrows due to changes in technology, not so much. Back then, people usually didn't travel far from their towns or villages. Mostly they performed the same daily tasks that their parents and grandparents had, and they performed those tasks in the same way.

  Enter the Industrial Revolution. The technology and social norms that arose during this period were radically different than they had been in the previous century. After this time, extreme lifestyle changes that occurred within a single generation became commonplace. During this new age, the common wisdom among the common people was that the future was going to be different. But different in what ways?

  Welcome, science fiction. The entire category exists partially thanks to the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. This event led to the volcanic winter of 1816, the so-called Year Without a Summer. Living through this year inspired one person to find a way to express a radical future.

  Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, her boyfriend Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, Dr. John William Polidori, and Claire Clairmont were all hanging out at a villa in Switzerland one of those chilly summer days. Because it was too cold to go outside, the friends challenged each other to write a ghost story (a magical thinking type of story).

  Mary struggled to come up with an idea. Then one night as they sat around talking about the nature of life, a great concept hit her. On that night, Frankenstein's monster was born. Mary and Percy Shelley were married later that year. Mary Shelley completed her novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus in 1818. The book is possibly the first science fiction novel ever.