Science Fiction Inspires the Future of Science | National Geographic

Summary

This script explores the symbiotic relationship between science fiction and scientific innovation, illustrating how sci-fi has not only predicted but also inspired real-world advancements. From Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' inspiring the pacemaker to Jules Verne's moon landing visions and H.G. Wells' influence on space travel, the narrative shows how sci-fi has envisioned technologies like video chat, AI, and self-driving cars. It emphasizes the continuous loop of sci-fi inspiring innovation, which in turn fuels new sci-fi creations.

Takeaways

• 🔌 Science fiction has been intertwined with science innovation since its origins, often predicting and inspiring real-world technological advancements.
• 🧠 The novel 'Frankenstein' inspired the development of the pacemaker, showing how sci-fi can influence medical technology.
• 🌕 Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon' and H.G. Wells' 'The First Men in the Moon' helped pave the way for the moon landing by inspiring real-life rocket scientists.
• 📡 Early sci-fi stories like 'A Trip to the Moon' laid the groundwork for concepts like space travel, which later became a reality.
• 🚀 The space race between the US and the Soviet Union was fueled in part by the public's interest in space, which was stoked by sci-fi stories and pop culture.
• 📱 Science fiction has long imagined new communication devices, with video chat and mobile phones appearing in stories before they were invented.
• 🏠 Sci-fi has envisioned a future with helpful robots, which has influenced the development of modern home appliances like the Roomba.
• 🤖 The portrayal of AI in sci-fi, such as HAL 9000 in '2001: A Space Odyssey', has shaped our expectations and fears about artificial intelligence.
• 🚗 While flying cars have been a staple of sci-fi, their realization has been slower, with companies like Uber exploring airborne transportation.
• 🚖 Self-driving cars, another sci-fi staple, are becoming a reality with major companies investing in their development and testing.
• 🔄 The loop between science fiction and real-world innovation continues, with sci-fi inspiring new technologies that, in turn, inspire new stories.

Q & A

What is the connection between science fiction and science innovation?

Science fiction has often predicted and inspired real science innovation by taking existing technology a few steps beyond reality, envisioning new devices, and exploring their effects on society.

How did the experiments of Luigi Galvani and Giovanni Aldini influence Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'?

Luigi Galvani's discovery that electric current could cause a dead frog's leg to twitch and Giovanni Aldini's experiments on corpses with electricity, which seemed to reanimate the dead, influenced Mary Shelley's novel 'Frankenstein', where Dr. Victor Frankenstein uses electricity to bring life to assembled body parts.

What real-life medical device was inspired by 'Frankenstein'?

The wearable battery-powered cardiac pacemaker, developed by Earl Bakken in 1957, was inspired by 'Frankenstein'. This device uses electric pulses to correct abnormal heartbeats.

How did Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon' contribute to the moon landing?

Jules Verne's novel 'From the Earth to the Moon', which involved a fictional journey to the moon using a cannon, attempted to do the actual math to determine what it would take to launch a vehicle to the moon. His calculations were surprisingly accurate and had similarities to NASA's Apollo 11 mission.

What were some of the early sci-fi depictions of space travel?

Early sci-fi depictions of space travel include Jules Verne's novel 'From the Earth to the Moon', H.G. Wells' 'The First Men in the Moon', and Georges Méliès' 1902 silent film 'A Trip to the Moon'.

How did sci-fi influence the development of video chat technology?

Sci-fi envisioned combining pictures with sound in communication devices, like George DuMaurier's 'Telephonoscope' and the video phone in 'The Jetsons'. This inspired real-life development, leading to products like Skype and Apple's FaceTime.

What is an example of a sci-fi inspired household robot?

Rosie the Robot from 'The Jetsons' is an example of a sci-fi inspired household robot. She performed tasks like cooking, cleaning, and helping with homework, which later inspired the creation of the Roomba robotic vacuum.

How has sci-fi portrayed artificial intelligence in machines?

Sci-fi has portrayed artificial intelligence in machines in various ways, often as complex entities capable of human-like thinking and problem-solving. Examples include the AI computer HAL 9000 in '2001: A Space Odyssey' and the android Data in 'Star Trek'.

What is the current status of self-driving cars in relation to sci-fi predictions?

Self-driving cars are being developed by companies like Google, Tesla, Ford, and Uber, and are being tested in cities worldwide. However, they are not yet a common reality due to ongoing challenges with infrastructure, regulations, and public acceptance.

Why have flying cars not become a reality despite being a common sci-fi trope?

Flying cars have not become a reality due to the lack of supporting infrastructure and regulations. Additionally, companies like Uber are developing airborne ride-sharing, but the technology and societal acceptance are still evolving.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Science Fiction and Innovation

This paragraph discusses the profound relationship between science fiction and scientific innovation. It highlights how science fiction, originating in the 19th century during the industrial revolution, has been a catalyst for real-world technological advancements. From video chats to self-driving cars and space exploration, science fiction has not only predicted future technologies but also inspired their development. The paragraph also delves into the historical context, mentioning Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and how it influenced the creation of the pacemaker by Earl Bakken. It further explores the influence of Jules Verne's work on space travel, which had remarkable similarities to the Apollo 11 mission, and the role of science fiction in driving the space race during the 20th century.

05:01

📱 Sci-Fi Visions of Communication and Robotics

The second paragraph focuses on how science fiction has预见 and influenced the development of communication technologies and robotics. It starts with the evolution of mobile phones and tablets, which were imagined in sci-fi long before they became a reality. The paragraph then discusses the concept of video chatting, which was first depicted in sci-fi and later materialized with the advent of the internet and devices like Skype and FaceTime. Additionally, it covers the portrayal of robots in sci-fi, which ranged from helpful assistants to malevolent entities, and how these depictions have inspired real-world robotics, such as the Roomba vacuum cleaner, influenced by 'The Jetsons' character Rosie. The paragraph also touches on the development of more advanced, human-like robots and the integration of artificial intelligence in machines, as seen in '2001: A Space Odyssey' and modern AI assistants like Alexa and Siri.

10:01

🚗 The Persistent Dream of Flying and Self-Driving Cars

The third paragraph explores the enduring fascination with flying cars and self-driving vehicles as depicted in science fiction. It contrasts the futuristic visions of flying cars in movies like 'Star Wars' and 'Blade Runner' with the current state of transportation technology. While flying cars have not become a reality, companies like Uber are working on airborne ride-sharing, indicating a move towards sci-fi's predictions. The paragraph also discusses the progress made in self-driving cars, which are being tested by major companies and even deployed in some cities. It acknowledges the challenges faced during testing, such as accidents and public resistance, and reflects on the broader implications of integrating AI into everyday life. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the ongoing cycle of inspiration between science fiction and technological innovation.

Keywords

💡Science Fiction

Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, and extraterrestrial life. In the video, science fiction is portrayed as a driving force behind real-world scientific innovation, with examples like video chat and self-driving cars being initially imagined in sci-fi before becoming reality.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution refers to the period from the 18th to 19th century where agrarian, rural societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban. In the context of the video, the Industrial Revolution is highlighted as the era when science fiction began to emerge, fueled by the rapid advancements in engineering and technology.

💡Electricity

Electricity is the flow of electrons through a conductor, and it is a fundamental concept in physics and engineering. The video discusses how the fascination with electricity in the late 1700s influenced science fiction, particularly in the creation of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' where electricity is used to reanimate dead tissue.

💡Pacemaker

A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes, to regulate the beating of the heart because of a defect in its natural pacemaker. The video explains how the concept of using electricity to stimulate life, as seen in 'Frankenstein,' inspired the development of the first wearable battery-powered cardiac pacemaker by Earl Bakken.

💡Space Flight

Space flight is the act of traveling through outer space, typically in a spacecraft. The video connects science fiction's depiction of space travel, such as Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon,' with the real-life Apollo 11 mission, illustrating how sci-fi can inspire and predict scientific achievements.

💡Video Chat

Video chat refers to the technology that allows people to communicate in real-time over the internet by transmitting both audio and video signals. The video script mentions how science fiction envisioned video phones, predating their actual development, with examples like the 'Jetsons' cartoon and the eventual creation of Skype and FaceTime.

💡Robotics

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots. The video discusses how science fiction has long imagined a future with robots, ranging from helpful assistants to complex AI entities. It also notes the influence of sci-fi on real-world robotics, such as the Roomba vacuum cleaner inspired by 'The Jetsons' character Rosie.

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The video highlights AI's portrayal in sci-fi, like the HAL 9000 computer in '2001: A Space Odyssey,' and how it has influenced the development of AI in real life, such as virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri.

💡Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving cars, also known as autonomous vehicles, are vehicles that are capable of sensing their environment and navigating without human input. The video script discusses how self-driving cars have been a staple of science fiction and are now being developed by companies like Google and Tesla, with some already being tested on public roads.

💡Flying Cars

Flying cars are a type of personal air vehicle that can vertically take off and land, allowing for door-to-door travel without the need for roads. The video mentions flying cars as a common feature in science fiction, such as in 'Star Wars' and 'Blade Runner,' and notes the ongoing efforts by companies like Uber to develop such technology, despite the current lack of infrastructure and regulations.

Highlights

Science fiction and science innovation have been intertwined since sci-fi's origins.

Sci-fi has predicted and inspired real science innovation, such as video chat, self-driving cars, and space flight.

Science fiction emerged in the 19th century during the industrial revolution, influenced by rapid advancements in engineering and electricity.

Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' was inspired by experiments showing electricity's effects on dead organisms.

The novel 'Frankenstein' inspired the development of the first wearable battery-powered cardiac pacemaker by Earl Bakken.

Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon' attempted to calculate the feasibility of a moon mission, influencing NASA's Apollo 11.

H.G. Wells and Georges Méliès' works inspired rocket scientists and contributed to the space race between the US and the Soviet Union.

The public interest in space science reached new heights in the 1960s, influencing future engineers and sci-fi creators.

Sci-fi has imagined new communication devices and their societal effects, with mobile phones and tablets appearing in sci-fi before real life.

The video phone was envisioned in sci-fi and later developed by AT&T's Bell Labs as the Picturephone in the 1960s.

Skype and Apple's FaceTime finally realized the dream of the video phone in the 21st century.

Sci-fi has long imagined a future with robots, often portraying them as helpful assistants or threats to humanity.

The Roomba robotic vacuum was inspired by Rosie the Robot from 'The Jetsons'.

Boston Dynamics' robots demonstrate advanced capabilities, such as opening doors and performing parkour.

AI in sci-fi, like HAL 9000 from '2001: A Space Odyssey', has inspired real-world AI development.

Today, AI assistants like Alexa and Siri are common, though they still struggle with understanding human nuances.

Sci-fi has imagined flying cars but their widespread adoption is hindered by infrastructure and regulatory challenges.

Self-driving cars are being developed by major companies and are being tested in cities worldwide.

The true value of science fiction lies in its ability to inspire speculation and innovation in a continuous loop.

Transcripts

the wonders of the future the marvels of

the presence

science fiction and science innovation

have been intertwined since sci-fi's

origins from video chat to self-driving

cars to space flight

there's the science fiction

and the science reality

sci-fi popped up in the 19th century

during the industrial revolution

when feats of engineering were being

achieved and widely used at lightning

speed all these are part of a modern age

of machines powered by the electricity

by taking existing technology a few

steps beyond reality

science fiction has predicted and

inspired real science innovation

[Music]

how did frankenstein inspire the

pacemaker

let's go back to the late 1700s

when electricity was a subject of

fascination and scientists were testing

its effects on human bodies

luigi galvani discovered in the 1780s

that electric current caused a dead

frog's leg to twitch

in 1803 galvani's nephew giovanni aldini

conducted experiments on the corpses of

criminals in which a jolt of electricity

to the head seemed to cause the body to

reanimate

[Music]

mary shelley heard about these

experiments through her circle of writer

and scientist friends influencing her

novel frankenstein about a scientist

obsessed with the secret of life

dr victor frankenstein assembles body

parts and uses a jolt of electricity to

bring them to life

creating a monster

frankenstein published in 1818 and has

considered both gothic horror and early

science fiction

the movie version starring boris karloff

premiered in 1931 and it inspired a

young earl bakken to work with both

electricity and medicine

[Music]

in 1957 bakken developed the first

wearable battery-powered cardiac

pacemaker

a device that uses electric pulses to

correct abnormal heartbeats

if this sci-fi monster can lead to a

life-saving medical device what else is

sci-fi inspired here's how another

sci-fi story helped pave the way for the

moon landing

in french sci-fi pioneer jules verne's

1865 novel from the earth to the moon

members of a gun club launched

themselves in a projectile from a cannon

to the moon because

why not

[Music]

vern attempted to do the actual math and

work out what it would take to launch a

vehicle to the moon

as it turned out he was surprisingly

accurate

with striking similarities to nasa's

apollo 11 command module

vern's fictional shell was hollow and

made mostly of aluminum

and was crewed by three people

it launched from florida and splashed

down in the pacific ocean like the

apollo 11 command module would just over

100 years later in july 1969

after vern's novel came h.g wells who

wrote the first men in the moon at the

turn of the century

and french filmmaker georges melies

whose 1902 silent film a trip to the

moon is often called the first sci-fi

film

these stories inspired real-life rocket

scientists to continue working on the

problems of space travel

by the 1950s the us and the soviet union

were in a space race the soviet union is

launching the first earth satellite

sputnik 1 flashes its radio signals from

space

three months after sputnik the us

launched explorer one the first american

space satellite

[Music]

off into space man that takes real

teamwork and here's a team of junior

spacemen with an out of this world

breakfast

with the development of space flight

public interest in space science reached

new heights by the 1960s

inspiring future engineers and sci-fi

creators alike

[Music]

and space appeared everywhere in pop

culture

in fashion fashions for the 21st century

home design

toys i'm going to the moon tonight we

got our buster brown risk

even in our cereal bowls new post count

off a new way to help keep you in shape

for the space age

vern's sci-fi mission inspired science

to reach for the moon

back on earth sci-fi turned the

telephone into a radical new way to

connect

as communication devices have

dramatically changed

sci-fi has been a step ahead imagining

new devices and their effects on society

for better

and for worse hey

quit stalling get back to work

mobile phones and tablets appeared in

sci-fi years before we had them in real

life

but what we've wanted all along is

face-to-face contact

[Music]

through a device telephone tv

with callers able to see as well as here

[Music]

at least since the invention of the

telephone illustrators and authors

envisioned combining pictures with sound

like french author and illustrator

george dumarier's telephonoscope which

looks like a combination video phone and

flat screen tv

the video phone appeared in the first

episode of the jetsons in 1962.

when jane jetson had a chat with her

mother

various versions of video chatting

appeared in sci-fi tv and movies during

the 20th century yes what is it

meanwhile att's bell labs was developing

a real life picture phone

[Music]

in april 1964 the picture phone debuted

for public demonstration at the world's

fair in new york two months later

service began with booths in chicago new

york and washington dc

[Music]

first lady of the u.s lady bird johnson

made an early picture phone call to dr

elizabeth wood of bell labs

may i congratulate you and all who have

helped make this great scientific stride

possible

the system was impractical for home use

involving expensive equipment and a

hefty fee per minute

i'm sure that there'll be many

youngsters off the college and many

mothers and fathers back at home that

will find this a great joy

video chatting remained elusive for

three more decades until we had the

internet computers with cameras and the

software to make it work

i bet your next best customers are

grandmothers

skype software was introduced in 2003

and apple's facetime followed in 2010.

we finally achieved the dream of the

video phone

now call your grandma she'd love to see

you

scifi cartoons didn't just predict new

devices they've even influenced modern

housekeeping

sci-fi has long imagined a future with

robots but has often portrayed them as

one-dimensional fully good

or fully evil

early sci-fi robots sometimes tried to

destroy humanity but often they were

helpful assistants doing menial chores

for humans carpet's a bit dirty leave it

to robert he's the perfect household

help all right

like rosie the jetsons family's

housekeeper who cooked cleaned and

helped the kids with homework

most homes today don't yet have robot

butlers but in 2002 robotics company

irobot introduced the roomba a robotic

vacuum that could automatically clean

floors

colin engel co-founder of irobot cites

rosie the robot as an inspiration for

the roomba

thanks rosie

robots that move more like animals or

humans have long been in development

some even exceed human abilities like

that

boston dynamics robots can open doors

carry heavy objects and do

parkour sci-fi has also imagined

artificial intelligence inside machines

that can think and problem solve at a

human-like level

[Music]

one of the first complex sci-fi

portrayals of ai is in 2001 a space

odyssey co-written by arthur c clarke

and director stanley kubrick

marvin minsky an early ai researcher at

mit advised kubrick on the direction of

ai computer hal 9000

hal 9000 could speak good afternoon mr

amer play chess bishop takes knight's

pawn and make plans open the pod bay

doors hell

deadly plans i'm sorry dave

i'm afraid i can't do that

today many of us have a.i in our homes

in the form of assistance alexa and siri

which are friendly

we

hope but as helpful as ai might become

it stops short of processing human

idiosyncrasies and emotion sorry i

didn't quite get that

an issue illustrated in sci-fi by star

trek's android data you told a joke yes

i am not laughing yes

perhaps the joke was not funny no

the joke was funny it's you data

rosie led to the roomba and now we've

got alexa

but where are the cars scifi promised us

sci-fi has long imagined that flying

cars would zip around unencumbered by

traffic where we're going we don't need

roads in star wars blade runner and the

fifth element flying cars just seem

right

coming out of the garage it's an

automobile on its way to a hangar to

become an airplane

while flying cars once seemed inevitable

they haven't quite caught on yet even

though inventors have been trying for

decades

now companies like uber are developing

airborne ride-sharing but the

infrastructure and regulations don't yet

exist to support it

[Music]

sci-fi also predicted self-driving cars

but didn't quite explain how it worked

self-driven self-drive engaged

may i suggest you put the car in the

auto cruise mode for safety sake no you

may not

the self-driving car may soon be a

common reality

google tesla ford uber and others have

been developing self-driving cars for

years

cities including paris and beijing are

testing self-driving cars on the road

and waymo has released a fleet of truly

driverless taxis in phoenix arizona

the cars use sensors and complex

algorithms to navigate and to avoid

collisions

problems have cropped up with some test

projects including crashes a pedestrian

death and even violence towards the cars

which could be typical road rage or the

quirks of interacting with ai

i'm johnny cat where can i take you

tonight which sci-fi also predicted

science fiction creators have not only

envisioned new technologies but have

prototyped the worlds in which they

exist

able to go where science has not yet

gone

the true value of science fiction

to me

threats in the fact that it permits

speculation and makes it respectable

such speculation is important today more

than ever before

tomorrow more than today

the science fiction writer can leap

across chasms where no evidence has yet

filled in matters

as sci-fi's imaginings become reality

they will again inspire real world

innovations which will inspire new

science fiction in a continuing loop

[Music]

you