Welcome to the StarDestroyer.Net Science Fiction Resources page. The purpose of this page is to serve as a useful source of information for science fiction writers or fans who are interested in relating science fiction to real science and engineering.
Unfortunately, a large part of science fiction fandom has become indifferent (or worse yet, actively hostile) to those who would inject any scientific realism into the genre. The reality is that most ordinary people (and most science fiction fans, by extension) disliked science in school and did not show particular aptitude for it. The world is full of people who claim to be science enthusiasts, but who couldn't pass a first year university physics exam to save their lives.
As a result, the bulk of the population is simply not capable of discerning good science from bad science. Witness the popularity of scientifically laughable nonsense like creationism, 9/11 "controlled demolition" conspiracy theories, "paranormal investigations", etc. Even those who reject such beliefs often do not entirely understand why; they simply reject it because the experts do.
The average viewer of a medical drama would not accept a character saying that a man sustained a serious brain injury from a blow to the stomach, so why should we accept equally stupid science fiction writing? Why are there Star Trek fans who lovingly memorize trivial details of what happened in this episode or that, but who seem completely oblivious to the absurdity of things like machines which alter the laws of probability, ghost hauntings, or "plasma conduits" which look exactly like a piece of copper tubing from Home Depot?
Hopefully, the information in these pages will help inform people about some of these common crimes against realism, and how to avoid them. Click on the menu at left to find out more.
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