Materials science in science fiction is the study of how
materials science is portrayed in works of
science fiction. The accuracy of the materials science portrayed spans a wide range – sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a physically realistic portrayal of a far-out technology, and sometimes it is simply a plot device that looks scientific, but has no basis in science. Examples are:
*Realistic case: In 1944, the science fiction story "
Deadline" by
Cleve Cartmill
Cleve Cartmill (June 21, 1908 in Platteville, Wisconsin – February 11, 1964 in Orange County, California) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy short stories. He is best remembered for what is sometimes referred to as "the Cle ...
depicted the
atomic bomb
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
. The properties of various radioactive isotopes are critical to the proposed device, and the plot. This technology was real, unknown to the author.
*Extrapolation: In the 1979 novel ''
The Fountains of Paradise'',
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 191719 March 2008) was an English science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.
He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A Spac ...
wrote about
space elevators - basically long cables extending from the Earth's surface to
geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbital ...
. These require a material with enormous tensile strength and light weight.
Carbon nanotube
A scanning tunneling microscopy image of a single-walled carbon nanotube
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