@astronomerritt
I find the same with many fans of what is often called โhard science fiction.โ
Those with a little knowledge are quite pretentiously committed to it and sneer at literature, film and television that explores a wider canvas of possibility and their audiences. Those with advanced science degrees are often impatient with the implausible logical contortions that authors of recent โhard SFโ make just to keep the science speculation to a minimum.
While the concept seems intended to describe science fiction, imaginative stories that extrapolate from established science fact and theory, what it usually means to its proponents is that the fiction has to be limited to what a person with a mid 20th century bachelorโs degree in physics would know.
Setting aside the weirdness of holding physics theory constant while allowing fictional biology, chemistry, math and engineering to advance around 20th century physics, such fiction usually lacks the curiosity and โWhat if?โ elements that drive scientists.
#scepticism #ScientificMethod #Curiosity #ScienceFiction #HardScienceFiction #UnexplainedPhenomena