Skip to content
Science Fiction episode artwork

Jun 12, 2017 54 min

Science Fiction

from Big Picture Science Hosted by Big Picture Science

No one knows what the future will bring, but science fiction authors are willing to take a stab at imagining it. We take our own stab at imagining them imagining it. Find out why the genre of science fiction is more than a trippy ride through a bizarre, hi-tech world, but a way to assess and vote on our possible shared future. Also, an astronomer learns how many rejection slips it takes before becoming a published science fiction author …. what author Bruce Sterling wants to get off his chest … and what the joke about the neutron walking into a bar to ask the price of beer has in common with H.G. Wells, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Ridley Scott. Oh, and the price of beer? Bartender: “For you, no charge.” Guests: Ed Finn - Director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University Andrew Fraknoi – Chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College. His story, "The Cave in Arsia Mons", is in "Building Red", here. His list of astronomically correct science fiction is here. Bruce Sterling - Science fiction author, journalist, and editor Brian Malow - Science comedian, science communication officer, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Science Fiction

0:00 54:00

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Big Picture Science?

This episode is 54 minutes long.

When was this Big Picture Science episode published?

This episode was published on June 12, 2017.

Can I download this Big Picture Science episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.