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Scientifictionist, v. 1, issue 1, September 1945
Page 3
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SCIENTIFICTION IDEA CORNER by Walter Coslet Scientifction is an especially interesting form of literature to me because, in it, I find a wealth of thought-provoking ideas. Ideas ranging from the field of astrophysics to fields of sciences hardly gussed at as yet; from Paleontology to sub-space; and from telepathy to guaranteed psychology. The fields are so many and varied that we can hardly begin to scrath the surface of these thing, which, in Stf, are presented in such entertaining forms. However, in this department, we will attempt to discuss and compare ideas of various Stf stories, authors, fans and ideas from other sources. All comments and suggestions will be welcomed. Stf authors are free to give full rein to their imaginations to suit the needs of their stories insofar as there are no conflictions with any know physical law or condition. But this is not strictly followed. Especiailly notable in the case of other plants in our solar system. Many are the stories that refused to take into consideration the evidence as to conditions on the various plants, which conditions have been quite accurately figured out by the aid of modern astrophysical methods. However, it is not our purpose here to magnify this fault unnecessarily. There may be factors, unknown at present, which will eventually change scientists' opinions on many things. But the point I am trying to stress is that Stf should try to be as accurate as possible. Genuine fansy, however, is not concerned with such sticking to facts. For that reason, I, personally, find fantasy unsatisfying. However, I find quite often that there are stories classified as fantasy that I am willing to call scientifiction I have attempted in this introduction to explain briefly my attitude toward Stf. The so-called fourth dimension has long been a subject for Stf authors to speculate upon. Nor do they stop at the fourth. Since it has been, and quite naturally -- to tri-dimensional beings, rather difficult to imagine four dimensions and the conditions that would apply, authors have given widely differing story-opinions on the subject. Some state definitely that time is the fourth dimension and some say they refer specifically to a fourth spatial dimension, but very few describe a universe that can accomodate travel in four dimensions as easily as ours accomodates travel in three. Strictly speaking, I do not believe that any of the dimensions have been ascribed a number, as, for instance, vertical [vertical underlined] being necessarily the third dimension, and just so, it would seem that there is no definite fourth dimension. Vertical [Vertical underlined] seems to indicate the direction of the pull of gravity. In finding a way to counteract the pull of gravity, thus obtaining release, we find ourselves free to travel in that direction. It seems that time is quite naturally a (not the) fourth dimension. At least, it is the direction down which events flow. Thus, if a way was found to counteract the pull of time, it would seem logical that we could find ourselves free to travel the time dimension. The thought then comes, could time be, say, tri-dimensional! Also, if space is curved, how about the possibility of time being curved? Perhaps you call this useless reasoning? But is it not in the same class as reasoning in Stf? And could it not be worked up into a story? Now let us consider a few of the ideas re the "fourth dimension" from various stories. In Clifford D. Simak's HELLHOURS OF THE COSMOS (June 1932 Astounding Stories) we have a tale of invasion by fourth dimensional "things", However, when they invade the three dimensional world of ours, they lose one dimension, and when fighters were "warped" into the fourth dimension to copy with the problem, they gained a dimension. Just as we would be unable to attack a two dimensional being, because to us, it would have no mass, so, Simak felt, the 4-D creature would have to lose a dimension to attack us. And, to send people into --(page 3)--
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SCIENTIFICTION IDEA CORNER by Walter Coslet Scientifction is an especially interesting form of literature to me because, in it, I find a wealth of thought-provoking ideas. Ideas ranging from the field of astrophysics to fields of sciences hardly gussed at as yet; from Paleontology to sub-space; and from telepathy to guaranteed psychology. The fields are so many and varied that we can hardly begin to scrath the surface of these thing, which, in Stf, are presented in such entertaining forms. However, in this department, we will attempt to discuss and compare ideas of various Stf stories, authors, fans and ideas from other sources. All comments and suggestions will be welcomed. Stf authors are free to give full rein to their imaginations to suit the needs of their stories insofar as there are no conflictions with any know physical law or condition. But this is not strictly followed. Especiailly notable in the case of other plants in our solar system. Many are the stories that refused to take into consideration the evidence as to conditions on the various plants, which conditions have been quite accurately figured out by the aid of modern astrophysical methods. However, it is not our purpose here to magnify this fault unnecessarily. There may be factors, unknown at present, which will eventually change scientists' opinions on many things. But the point I am trying to stress is that Stf should try to be as accurate as possible. Genuine fansy, however, is not concerned with such sticking to facts. For that reason, I, personally, find fantasy unsatisfying. However, I find quite often that there are stories classified as fantasy that I am willing to call scientifiction I have attempted in this introduction to explain briefly my attitude toward Stf. The so-called fourth dimension has long been a subject for Stf authors to speculate upon. Nor do they stop at the fourth. Since it has been, and quite naturally -- to tri-dimensional beings, rather difficult to imagine four dimensions and the conditions that would apply, authors have given widely differing story-opinions on the subject. Some state definitely that time is the fourth dimension and some say they refer specifically to a fourth spatial dimension, but very few describe a universe that can accomodate travel in four dimensions as easily as ours accomodates travel in three. Strictly speaking, I do not believe that any of the dimensions have been ascribed a number, as, for instance, vertical [vertical underlined] being necessarily the third dimension, and just so, it would seem that there is no definite fourth dimension. Vertical [Vertical underlined] seems to indicate the direction of the pull of gravity. In finding a way to counteract the pull of gravity, thus obtaining release, we find ourselves free to travel in that direction. It seems that time is quite naturally a (not the) fourth dimension. At least, it is the direction down which events flow. Thus, if a way was found to counteract the pull of time, it would seem logical that we could find ourselves free to travel the time dimension. The thought then comes, could time be, say, tri-dimensional! Also, if space is curved, how about the possibility of time being curved? Perhaps you call this useless reasoning? But is it not in the same class as reasoning in Stf? And could it not be worked up into a story? Now let us consider a few of the ideas re the "fourth dimension" from various stories. In Clifford D. Simak's HELLHOURS OF THE COSMOS (June 1932 Astounding Stories) we have a tale of invasion by fourth dimensional "things", However, when they invade the three dimensional world of ours, they lose one dimension, and when fighters were "warped" into the fourth dimension to copy with the problem, they gained a dimension. Just as we would be unable to attack a two dimensional being, because to us, it would have no mass, so, Simak felt, the 4-D creature would have to lose a dimension to attack us. And, to send people into --(page 3)--
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