S&S vs. SF in BotNS

David Stockhoff · 22 Dec 2011, 17:37 · from 2011-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:37:03 -0500
Subject: (urth) S&S vs. SF in BotNS
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On 12/22/2011 11:27 AM, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:
> 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."

Unless "years of technological and theoretical advances" are actually 
implied by the narration, of course. I hate it when there is none 
implied whatsoever but the fictional world appears to be our own.

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