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DESMA 9 Week 9



My father has always enjoyed the concept of space travel and was the reason he became an aerospace engineer. Hence, I grew up watching science fiction films like “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, just to name a popular few. Unsurprisingly, this led me to read books by Arthur C. Clarke and Jules Verne. All the above fuelled my interest in space and technology, in fact one of the reasons I choose mechanical engineering as a major is due to a childish dream to build a lightsabre. Therefore, it is safe to say art plays a huge role in inspiring advancements in science.
Movie Poster for R.U.R.
In truth, there are many examples of how art propelled science to greater heights, many of which have been mentioned throughout this course. The most prominent example would be robots, which was the subject of the lecture in week 3. The term robot was first coined by a Czech writer, Karel Capek, as the subject of his play entitled R.U.R., which explored what happened when sentinel robots were used as slave labour.
Artist Rendition of How a Space Elevator Might Look
Another example would be space elevators which were mentioned in this week’s lecture. Space elevators would be structures that are tethered and built on Earth but reach past the atmosphere, allowing for transportation of materials and people into space without the need for rockets. Originally conceived by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1895, the idea was popularised by Arthur C. Clarke when it became the central plot device in his book entitled, “The Fountains of Paradise”. Currently, scientist from all over the world are working on creating a space elevator. Given the amount of strain on the elevator, an extremely strong material is required. Many have speculated using graphene layers and this idea was discussed in the material science class I am currently taking. Unfortunately, graphene only exhibits its record-breaking strength when it is a layer thick. Attempts to fold the sheet will result in more defects which lowers its tensile strength. Hence, space elevators of graphene are not happening soon.
The Book that Inspired the Taser
Unrelated to space, art has also inspired many other advancements in science. The creation of the submarine is due to American inventor Simon Lake being inspired by Mr. Verne’s book “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”. The invention of tasers are also testimony to my point, where NASA researcher Jack Cover was inspired by the “Tom Swift” book series. The series’ titular character’s stun gun was the spark that led to the creation of tasers. Interestingly, this fact is reflected in the name taser, which is an acronym for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle”. 

Evidently, art has played a significant role in inspiring much of modern technology and have shaped the perception of space for almost everyone. From movies that glorify space travel to grim tales reminding us about the unforgiveness of space, all serve to inspire and influence budding inventors and world changers. Most importantly, this lecture reiterates the central message of this course, that art and science are not separate but in a symbiotic relationship. This message is one that I have seen to be true, time and time again. 

Source: 
"Machine Morality and Human Responsibility." The New Atlantis. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2017. <http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/machine-morality-and-human-responsibility>.
Quirky. "8 Groundbreaking Inventions Inspired by Science Fiction." Quirky. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2017. <https://shop.quirky.com/blogs/news/inventions-inspired-by-science-fiction>.
G4 - Feature - Space Elevator Gets Lift. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2017. <https://web.archive.org/web/20050608080057/http://www.g4tv.com/techtvvault/features/35657/Space_Elevator_Gets_Lift.html>.
Sarah Stone - Today I Found Out. "How the Taser Was Invented." Gizmodo. Gizmodo.com, 07 Oct. 2014. Web. 25 May 2017. <http://gizmodo.com/how-the-taser-was-invented-1643251944>.
"Submarine – The History of Submarine War." Military History Monthly. N.p., 01 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 May 2017. <https://www.military-history.org/articles/submarine-the-history-of-submarine-war.htm>.


Comments

  1. NaingJune 7, 2017 at 8:27 PM

    It is interesting to me that graphene has record-breaking strength. That is very true that artists inspire and influence budding inventors and world changers. We can actually see many tech gadgets from past science fictions are now available and use at the present time.

    ReplyDelete

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