I love science fiction.
My favourite movie is Terminator 2 and I may regret saying this but I am also a Star Trek fan. I used to watch Terminator 2 every weekend. One of the most memorable scenes is where The Terminator and John are at the petrol station and they are watching two children shoot each other with plastic guns saying, “You’re dead.” “Am Not!” “Are too.” There is this feeling of doom that no matter what happens humans can’t change, that we are destined for destruction and misery at our own hands. My favourite quote also comes from this movie. I’m sure you’ve heard it. “The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.” I would like to think this quote is true. That one day in the future the world has stopped fighting. That we are united under the, “Federation,” brought together by common goals, beliefs and principles.
Science fiction has often allowed us to express our fears about the future and reflect on our mistakes.
In most Sci-Fi’s, be it; BSG, Matrix or Aliens we have been, or are at war. The stories tell us this is due to our selfishness, greed and need to conquer. Is it inevitable that we will always face conflict?
Working in the development sector has made me think about our visions for the future. Why is it that we envisage the worst? Could it be that the struggle between different worlds represents what we see today on Earth? Sci-Fi allows us to play out possible answers to the fundamental development questions.
Should we search out new worlds but not interfere with its natural course like the Prime Directive implies? Or should the developed pass on their knowledge and skills to the underdeveloped especially if it is in form of aid? Or is the answer a mixture of both? Perhaps we should we only share with those that are ready and those that ask for our help. It’s hard to say especially when it involves lives and affects generations to come. Maybe it would be easier if we had a worm hole to take us to the future or another solar system where we could see if anyone else in the universe has it figured out.
Science fiction also allows us to express our strengths and dream of the possibilities.
Humanity is a way of thinking, acting and feeling. Both the characters Data and The Terminator show us our ability to learn, love and overcome our programming. They make us realise together we are still trying to become more.
I love science fiction not because it asks the questions but because it allows us to test our answers. And it’s important to remember, “It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”
Featured image from Wikimedia.
