THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCIENCE FICTION TO TRAINING NEW SCIENTISTS AND IN THE PRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

When Science Fiction comes into mind, it is common to think about mad scientists, isolated labs and eccentric experiments. Be by coining new terms or amazing younger generations with the science behind the stories, the science fiction it is a useful and underestimated tool, which could be used either on teaching science to children and teenagers or in the scientific divulgation of new theories and concepts. In this article, we will analyze the life of two icons of the science and science fiction from the past century, Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov, and how the science fiction shaped their ways of thinking, influenced the scientific direction of their careers and embased their prophetic previsions on technology and science. Based on this biographical analysis, a parallel is drawn between science fiction as a crucial element in the formation of the scientific interest of both personalities and the validity of science fiction as a way of teaching and disseminating science is raised. Finally, we see a brief survey of real courses that use science fiction as a basis for understanding and producing science and how they have revolutionized teaching in different educational stages.