I've been thinking about how we might encourage more new Big Ideas in science (especially brain research).
There's a lot to unpack there, but one thing that works for some scientists: reading speculative fiction / #scifi. Science excels at its rigor but it can also stifle creativity. Speculative fiction is one way to open that gate back up again.
Here are a few of my favorite #specfic stories about the mind and brain and the big ideas that they are written around.
Ted Chiang, The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling”. Big idea: our personal (and cultural) identities rely on the fallibility of memory.
@gregeganSF, "Axiomatic". Big Idea: we should be wary of perturbing brains to relieve angst.
Ken Liu, "The Cleaners", Big idea: Our attachment to memory defines us.
Jennifer Egan, "The Candy House". Big idea: Sharing our memories has both beneficial and negative consequences.
What are your favorite #specfic stories and what Big Ideas are they attached to?
Have you tried Yōko Ogawa's novel The Memory Police? If I had to pick an idea from the book, it would be the subjective experience of individual memory as a social construct - which would not be terribly new (if very well written nonetheless).
But then it takes a turn into something much more interesting, but I could not even hint at it without spoiling the final third of the book
@cyrilpedia Thank you. I didn't know it; I'll check it out.
@NicoleCRust Let me know what you think - I loved your list
