How Hollywood Inspires The Exploration Of Space

Science fiction takes us to the future and to worlds yet to be discovered, but science fiction is much more than just entertainment. It is a communication device that gives us a glimpse of what could be. The master of this communication technique is Hollywood. Their scope ranges from documentaries, to non-fiction, to the very essence of imagination, fiction. These fictional stories, if done correctly, guide scientists and engineers to consider realities that currently don't exist ... but could. All one has to do is scan the science fiction stories of the 1950s to see that much of their imagined capabilities are in existence today. Communication satellites in geostationary orbit, humans landing on the Moon, space stations, and interplanetary travel all started as fiction. Science fiction is not a luxury but a societal necessity. Science cannot move forward without some idea of what future state must be proved or disproved. Fundamental research has to make a hypothesis, which is its own kind of science fiction, which can be tested through the scientific method. Realities of today have many technologies first articulated in fiction. Even the names of these technologies are sometimes taken from the science fiction as a kind of tribute. Hollywood entertains all of us, but its inspiration is what helps us develop tomorrow.