Julie Nekola Novakova
Science Fiction as A Tool of Astrobiology Outreach & Education' is a project team founded at the European Astrobiology Institute with the aim to teach and popularize science and critical thinking through the use of popular fiction. For many people (often ones from otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds), science fiction served as the initial pathway to science. We intend to make this path easier. The first major project of the team was a freely available anthology titled “Strangest of All” (published May 20, 2020) that contains eight SF stories followed up by essays on the science of the story (e.g. how do we know about subsurface oceans of moons such Europa and Enceladus, what can we tell about their conditions and possibilities for life, or whether high-pressure ice presents an obstacle for potential life) and tips for use as a classroom material. It showcases the topics of 1) life in a subsurface ocean, 2) life under high pressure, 2) possibilities for exotic life in the Kuiper Belt, 4) exotic photosynthesis, 5) Dyson spheres, 6) the SETI program, 7) the Fermi Paradox, and 8) planetary protection. The book has been accessed over 6,000 times so far, successfully used in an Astrobiology seminar at the Charles University, and further popularized by interviews with authors, who include well-known scientists and writers such as University of California’s Gregory Benford or NASA’s Geoffrey Landis. Future plans of the team include co-organizing a science exhibition at the Fuencaliente lighthouse at La Palma (with related activities at the Institute's planned BEACON conference in Fuencaliente), maintaining a list of astrobiologically interesting SF, starting a series of themed interviews with SF authors and scientists, following up on "Strangest of All" with a print anthology of stories created in direct author-scientist cooperation, and a SF contest for pupils and the general public.
Science fiction has a surprisingly long history. Humankind has studied the sky with curious eyes since the dawn of our species, but also has always woven stories about it: from medieval Japanese folktales about moon princesses through epic poems featuring travels to the Moon or Johannes Kepler's posthumously published 'first actual science fiction story' Somnium, all the way to modern science fiction directly inspired by science, such as H. G. Wells' The War of The Worlds. Ever since authors such as Jules Verne or H. G. Wells, science fiction has drawn people toward greater interest in science and even to scientific or engineering careers. While most of the genre is not very scientifically accurate or doesn't heavily rely on science in the plot, more scientifically inspired SF can be used in education and outreach in an entertaining way. It's not a unique approach; educators and scientists such as James Kakalios or Andrew Fraknoi have been using SF in outreach and education with success for a long time.
As the first major project of our team at the European Astrobiology Institute, we created an anthology titled “Strangest of All” that contains eight SF stories by award-winning authors, presenting the following topics in Astrobiology: 1) life in a subsurface ocean, 2) life under high pressure, 2) possibilities for exotic life in the Kuiper Belt, 4) exotic photosynthesis, 5) Dyson spheres, 6) the SETI program, 7) the Fermi Paradox, and 8) planetary protection. Each story is followed by an engaging nonfiction essay about the science of the story (e.g. how do we know about subsurface oceans of moons such Europa and Enceladus, what can we tell about their conditions and possibilities for life, or whether high-pressure ice presents an obstacle for potential life) and classroom tips written by the editor and evolutionary biologist Julie Nováková, who has experience in research and STEM education as well as SF writing, editing and publishing. The anthology is freely downloadable at the websites of the European Astrobiology Institute and the editor in order to enable widespread and free access to it and the possibility to use it as an outreach material by anyone, anywhere. Articles about the book have been published in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech, and book has been featured e.g. on the popular science blog Centauri Dreams. It has been accessed over six thousand times so far and has gained positive ratings and reviews. In addition, we have successfully used the anthology in an Astrobiology seminar at the Charles University co-organized by Julie Nováková. The book was further popularized by follow-up interviews with the authors, who include well-known scientists and at the same time writers such as University of California’s Gregory Benford or NASA’s Geoffrey Landis.
Future plans of the team include co-organizing a science exhibition at the Fuencaliente lighthouse at La Palma (with related activities at the Institute's planned BEACON conference in Fuencaliente), maintaining a list of astrobiologically interesting SF, starting a series of themed interviews with SF authors and scientists, and following up on "Strangest of All" with a print anthology of stories created in direct author-scientist cooperation, and a SF contest for pupils and the general public.
More at www.julienovakova.com/strangest-of-all and www.europeanAstrobiology.eu.