A recent publication from researchers at the University of St Andrews and the Austrian Academy of Sciences has shown the relationship between scientific advancements and changes in scientific fiction literature. The researchers investigated works related to exoplanets, citing a “huge shift” in scientific understanding after the first exoplanet was discovered in 1995 a shift that heavily influenced subsequent sci-fi publications.
"They're sort of ubiquitous in science fiction. They're everywhere. Most stories that are set in space will eventually have a scene on an exoplanet," said Emma Johanna Puranen, a researcher at the University of St Andrews. "The other reason for using exoplanets is that there was a huge shift in our scientific understanding in 1995 when the first exoplanet around a sun-like star was discovered."
The researchers utilized Bayesian network analysis to study 142 works on science fiction ranging from novels to films and video games. The Bayesian analysis provided quantitative data for the subject matter that traditionally is only looked at qualitatively. In the Bayesian network, the various characteristics of the exoplanets used for the sci-fi works were represented by nodes in a large interconnected network. These interconnected nodes allow the researchers to understand how each node affects the others.
In the study, published in the Journal of Science Communication, the researchers observed that after the exoplanet discovery in 1995, the representation of exoplanets in science fiction works changed. "Traditionally in science fiction, there have been a high proportion of Earth-like and habitable planets," said Puranen. "But what has changed since the discovery of real exoplanets is that the fictional exoplanets have actually become a bit less Earth-like."
The scientific reality that most exoplanets lay outside of the habitable zone and vastly differ from ours has seeped into science fiction.
"I do think science fiction is responsive to discoveries in science. I think it's sort of reflective of what was going on in science at the time that it was written," added Puranen. "So I do think it could be incorporated into science communication in terms of providing a jumping-off point. It can introduce concepts to people."