S&S vs. SF in BotNS

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 22 Dec 2011, 16:27 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:27:47 -0800
Subject: (urth) S&S vs. SF in BotNS
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Gerry Quinn wrote:

>> More to the point, it was intended to give the impression that such a
>> physical process was being discussed. However, no serious physical
>> mechanism was ever proposed (beyond unspecified "brain mutations" with
>> no mechanism attached to _them_).

> It?s the difference between a hyperdrive and a magic carriage.? No real
> science is involved in the discussion of the hyperdrive, but the reader is
> to understand that it is a technology made possible by advanced
> understanding of physics.

Correct, so far as it goes. But there is an implied technology behind
"hyperdrive." In the case of psi, something just -- magically? --
happens to give these people powers and abilities far beyond those of
mortals. Calling it a brain mutation is just handwaving; and while
"hyperdrive" is handwaving also, it is handwaving that suggests
something, years of technological and theoretical advances which are
_not_ implied in "psi."

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes

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