Research insights and insides:“Science-in-Fiction”as a contribution to the Third Culture Concepts

Summary 

Here we suggest to encourage more “Science-In-Fiction” [SIF], a genre which has been explored by Carl Djerassi since the late 1980s with the intent to convey science in writing beyond traditional publication categories and “to smuggle scientific facts into the consciousness of a scientifically illiterate public”. In our view, SIF can serve 3 purposes: (a) inform the public at large about scientific findings, ethics and procedures; (b) infuse lay readers with interest in scientific endeavours; (c) enable the general population to better evaluate and judge scientific conduct, results and implications. While it would be desirable to have more scientists write about their own (like Watson and Maguejo) and others’ discoveries (like Voltaire and Perutz), this expectation is not realistic. Indeed, some scientists may not want to share and write about their experiences and others simply should not. As one recipe for informing the lay public and instigating interest in research insights and insides, science-in-fiction such as Dr. Djerassi’s novels could be written and read. This may contribute to the The Third Culture Concepts envisaged by Snow in the 1960s and elaborated by Brockman in 1995.