Settled Science is a popular term used by politicians and others to support their claims concerning global warming and other phenomena including the recent pandemic. I have a problem with this term, especially when used to support a popular theory. If settled, theories become law. You can think of it like the law of gravity or the first law of thermodynamics. You can test the theory and get predictable and repeatable results. In my opinion, the theory, the science, is not settled until it becomes a law. Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters: Koonin, Steven E.: 9781950665792: Amazon.com: Books
Climate Change
The last ice age on Earth ended between 10,000 and 30,000 years ago. A scientist, Milutin Milankovitch, developed a mathematical model based on the data to determine and predict the cyclic nature of ice ages. This Milankovitch cycle appears to be accurate for the apparent glaciation cycles in the past. Climate scientists today use mathematical models in the same way to predict the effects of various atmospheric gases on our climate. Unfortunately, they have a limited amount of data, and climate change is a long-term proposition. So, when I hear about a climate crisis, I doubt the critical nature of the problem because of the long-term nature of the climate, especially considering global temperatures increase and decrease over time. Milankovitch (Orbital) Cycles and Their Role in Earth’s Climate – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet (nasa.gov)
All of this came to my mind recently while I was watching Jurassic Park III. The scientist played by Sam Neill tells his companions that the creatures they face are not dinosaurs but genetically engineered theme park monsters. The first dinosaur fossils were discovered in England in 1824, nearly 200 years ago. Our understanding of the dinosaur has changed dramatically over the past 200 years. The toys I played with as a child were not any closer to being real representations of the animals than those in the film. Since no one lived during the time of the dinosaurs, we cannot represent them accurately. We cannot settle the science concerning dinosaurs. Neither can we settle the science concerning Milankovitch cycles or global warming.
Imagination
What does this have to do with my blog? Unsettled science presents a science fiction fantasy writer with opportunities to use his or her imagination. Imagination regarding the possible even if it is not probable. I can create a world where gravity drives allow for faster-than-light travel or almost instantaneous travel through localized wormholes. I can create a world inhabited by creatures that lived millennia ago. You, as a reader, need only suspend your belief in settled science. Science Fiction and Imagination
Friday I submitted the final chapter of my second novel to the local critique group. Once I receive the feedback, I can begin editing and assimilating the manuscript. I currently plan to send the completed manuscript out to a developmental editor before sending it to beta readers. This is the opposite of what I did with the first novel. I am halfway through with the rewrite of the first novel based on the feedback from the developmental editor. I hope to complete the rewrite sometime this summer. I cut out a lot of early background stories, some of which I might offer to those who sign up to receive notifications when I post new blogs.