d appreciate what science can and cannot do, the people must get to see and understand the scientists themselves. get to know their work, their aims, their dreams, and their fears.
science fiction can help to explain what science and scientists are all about to the non-scientists. it is no accident that several hundred universities and public schools are now offering science fiction courses and discovering that these classes are a meeting ground for the scientist-engineers and the humanists. science and fiction. reason and emotion.
the essence of the scientific attitude is that the human mind can succeed in understanding the universe. by taking thought, men can move mountains -- and have. in this sense, science is an utterly humanistic pursuit, the glorification of human intellect over the puzzling, chaotic, and often frightening darkness of ignorance.
much of science fiction celebrates this spirit. very few science fiction stories picture humanity as a passive species, allowing the tidal forces of nature to flow unperturbed. the heroes of science fiction stories -- the gods of the new mythology -- struggle manfully against the darkness, whether it's geological doom for the whole planet or the evil of grasping politicians. they may not always win. but they always try.
perhaps, however, the most important aspect of science fiction's role in the modern world is best summed up in a single word: change.
after all, science fiction is the literature of change. each and every story preaches from the same gospel: tomorrow will be different from today, violently different perhaps.
science fiction very clearly shows that changes -- whether good or bad -- are an inherent part of the universe. resistance to change is an archaic, and nowadays dangerous, habit of thought. the world will change. it is changing constantly. humanity's most fruitful course of action is to determine how to shape these changes, how to influence them and produce an environment where the changes that occur are those we want.
perhaps this is the ultimate role of science fiction: to act as an interpreter of science to humanity. this is a two-edged weapon, of course. it is necessary to warn as well as evangelize. science can kill as well as create; technology can deaden the human spirit or life it to the farthermost corners of our imaginations. only knowledgeable people can wisely decide how to use science and technology for humankind's benefit. in the end, this is the ultimate role of all art: to show ourselves to ourselves, to help us to understand our own humanity.
new words
genre
n. a particular type of art, writing, music, etc., which has certain characteristics that all examples of this type share（文艺作品的）体裁，样式；类型
controversial
a. causing much argument or disagreement
forecast
vt. say what will happen ahead of time; predict
planetwide
a. extending all over the planet
humankind
n. human being in general; mankind
probable
a. likely to happen or be true
inevitable
a. which can not be avoided; certain to happen
mode
n. a way of behaving, living, operating, etc.
spaceship
n. a vehicle used for traveling in outerspace; spacecraft
flexibility
n. flexible quality
flexible
a. easily adapted to fit various conditions
tabular
a. arranged in the form of a table
gimmick
n. an ingenious or novel mechanical device 别致的玩意儿；新奇的发明
robot
n. a machine that can move and do some of the work of a human being and is usu. controlled by a computer 机器人
sorrow
n. sadness, grief
prehistoric
a. of a time before events were written down
formula
n. a fixed way of doing sth.; method 公式，程式
decisive
a. showing or marked by determination and firmness
exterior
a. on the outside; outer
n. an outer part, surface or appearance
clash
n. a strong disagreement; conflict
lurk
vi. wait in hiding. esp. for an evil purpose; exist unseen
joint
a. done or shared by two or more people
headline
n. a line usu. printed in large type at the top of a newspaper article
hectic
a. very busy; rushed
badger
vt. bother by requesting sth. repeatedly
tragedy
n. a serious play that ends unhappily; a terrible event; disaster
historian
n. an expert in history; a person who writes about history
craft
n. a trade or art needing skill, esp. with one's hands 工艺
covertly
ad. secretly
poetry
n. (the art of writing) poems
endeavor
n. an earnest effort or attempt
sober
a. not drunk; serious, solemn
plodding
a. proceeding in a slow or dull way
phalanx
n. a closely massed body of persons, animals, or things; a number of persons united for a common purpose 方阵，密集的人群（兽群、东西）；为一个共同目标而团结起来的一群人
soulless
a. having or showing no attractive or tender human qualities
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