|
For several years, "G. David Nordley" contributed the "Science Question and Answer" column to Speculations Magazine, an effort to provide science information in sufficient detail to be useful in working out background material for science fiction writing. This material is generally at an "interested and informed" layperson level, and some of it does include occasional equations, tables and graphs, but nothing beyond high school college prep level. The columns are not necessarily as they appeared in Speculations; they don't contain the final edits, and in some cases certain questions were postponed an issue, or ommitted, for space reasons. Toward the end of the columns run, questions became few and repetative, and the column dribbled off somewhat before the magazine ceased publication itself. But it was fun while it lasted and one hopes the incidence of bad astronomy, bad biology, and bad rocket science in sf was at least marginally reduced. Caveat: Of course, some of this may be mistaken, or at least dated here and there, and this isn't wikipedia. So if you think something needs to be changed, please send an email. Finally, if you're doing student or academic research, please check primary sources. |