Title: Sci-Fi and Real Science: Imagining the Future with Both Feet on the Ground
Not Just Make-Believe
Science fiction has a reputation for wild ideas — spaceships, time travel, alien worlds, and robots that think like humans. But what many people don’t realise is that a lot of sci-fi is actually based on real science, or ideas being seriously explored by scientists right now. It’s not just entertainment — it’s often a glimpse of what could be possible, grounded in the laws of physics, biology, and technology.
From mobile phones to artificial intelligence, many things that once appeared in sci-fi stories have become part of our everyday lives. Writers often draw on emerging research, then stretch it a little to imagine the future. In doing so, sci-fi becomes a powerful space where science and imagination meet.
Science First, Fiction Later
Take space travel. Long before humans went to the Moon, authors like Jules Verne and Octavia Butler were writing about it. They used their understanding of real science — gravity, propulsion, life support — and added storytelling. Today, scientists are actively working on many of the things sci-fi has explored for decades: Mars missions, space farming, robotic companions, and even advanced prosthetics inspired by cyborg characters.
Genetics is another example. Sci-fi often deals with cloning, gene editing, and engineered lifeforms. These aren’t just fantasy — scientists are already using CRISPR technology to alter genes in animals, plants, and even humans in medical trials. Sci-fi simply asks, “What happens next?”
Why It Matters for Our Children
For Black children especially, sci-fi can be more than escapism — it can be a door to science, technology, and creativity. Stories by Black sci-fi writers like Nnedi Okorafor, Samuel R. Delany, and Octavia Butler show young readers a future where they are not just included, but central.
Sci-fi can inspire children to ask bold questions: What if we could cure all diseases? What would cities on other planets look like? How can we build technology that respects the Earth?
Encouraging children to read or watch sci-fi doesn’t pull them away from reality — it helps them understand science better, dream bigger, and think critically about where society is going.
Sci-Fi Builds Thinkers
The best sci-fi doesn’t ignore science — it respects it. It takes today’s discoveries and projects them forward, asking what they might mean for people, communities, and the world. It invites young minds to experiment, explore, and imagine — all skills we need for solving real problems.
Let your child explore science fiction. In it, they might discover science, identity, power, and purpose — all in one story.
