Why Science Fiction and Fantasy is Important for your Life | Chuck Adler | TEDxGreatMills

Science fiction provides a crystal-ball view of our world. The genre is often thought of as far-fetched and escapist, but Chuck shines a light on the many ways we should pay attention to what these imagined worlds can teach us about our own. Chuck Adler is a physics professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland; he got his Ph. D. in Laser Physics at Brown University, and has done research in a variety of areas including atmospheric optics, atomic physics, and Physics pedagogy. He has written over 40 research papers, and is the author of the popular book Wizards, Aliens and Starships: Physics and Math in Fantasy and Science Fiction. He has a course for the Great Courses lecture series, “How Science Shapes Science Fiction”, and has given popular lectures, including "Where is the Science in All That Fiction?" (Rensselaer Polytechnic Unviersity and other venues), “Let’s Design a Dragon!” (Duke University), "Particle Fever and the Grandfather Paradox: Physics for Everyone" (Kavli Conversations on Communicating Science, with Dr. Mark Levinson), and “Cylons, T2’s and the Borg! Oh my!” (YHouse lecture, Manhattan, New York, with Dr. Bow van Riper). A lifelong fan of science fiction, he hopes one day to write his own work. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx