"Founded on a Base of Proven Science and Logical Theory..."

[beamjockey]

Ansible led me to Rob Hansen's effort to put online Novae Terrae, Maurice Hanson's classic UK science fiction fanzine; browsing it, I found "Petition for Science" in the February 1937 issue.

Donald G. MacRae, author of the petition, writes:
Those who aren't among our band but who are in agreement with the views as expressed in the petition which

Comments

semi-premature semi-announcement

[apostle_of_eris]

Next Windycon seems to have declared itself to be concerned with “Hard Science”. I assume they mean physics and chemistry and like that.
But . . . more to the point for many of our friends, what science is particularly difficult? Neutrino detection is not easy. Gravity wave detection is even worse. Meaningful investigation of genuinely unaccountable aerial phenomena is very hard in other ways. (I'm a fan of Jaques Valee.)

So . . . What is “Hard Science”? We have about eight months to turn over the question.

Re: semi-premature semi-announcement

[beamjockey]

Neutrino detection is not easy.

Sailing around the world is not easy, but it can be done by applying well-understood technology. The same is true for neutrino detection. (At least for mu and electron flavors. The tau neutrino is much more difficult-- but it has been detected.)

Figuring out the connection between thoughts and neurochemical activity? That's hard. Why do fools fall in love?

Of course, the "hard" in "hard science" doesn't mean "difficult." Not in the SF context.

[charlie_meadows]

"...the day the last science fiction story is published."*

When will this occur? Inquiring Delphi panels want to know!

* Not necessarily the same as "the End of History", or even "the End of Physics", both once predicted to have occurred by now...