33-101 A3: Science and Science Fiction
Participants in this seminar will examine a number of works of science fiction cinema, chosen from throughout the nearly 100 year history of the genre, and will critique the science content of these works in light of our current understanding. The goals of our discussion will be to sort out fact and fantasy, and to identify some ideas that may be possible in principal, but for which the technology is not yet available. Laboratory investigation of the relevant physical phenomena will be performed whenever feasible. Topics for discussion will include the nature of space-time and the possibilities of faster-than-light space travel and time travel; the fundamental interactions and the ideas of" tractor beams," "force fields," and "directed energy" weapons; the conditions necessary for life and the search for extraterrestrial life forms; artificial intelligence and robotics; advanced medical technology; human-computer interaction; and human life in the future. The final week of the course will be devoted to short presentations by the students on topics of their own choosing. The full group will meet once each week for two hours of discussion and viewing of film excerpts. Additional time will be scheduled as needed for individual or small group investigations in the laboratory and for viewing of full-length films.