Something that surprised me from Jill Tarter's interview was her support for science fiction, for the reason that it helps us to imagine life as we don't yet know it. This surprised me, as I had previously viewed the main practical benefit of science fiction as a vehicle for garnering public interest in science, which would lead to increased funding for scientific projects, as well as more young people interested in becoming scientists. To think that real scientists actually take inspiration from works of science fiction is surprising, and I'd be interested in knowing how much of an effect science fiction actually has on the direction that science moves in.
Hi Eric!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Dr. Jill Tarter’s interview! I was surprised by her support for science fiction. I also previously thought the main benefit of science fiction is to drive public interest. In addition, I thought that science fiction might create unrealistic expectations about what is possible in science. I think this connects to the idea of uncertainty in science that Professor Goodman and Professor Avi Loeb discussed. Since scientists often do not know what they are looking for until they find it, science fiction might also serve a purpose of revealing some of the inventions that might be possible in the future.
Emily