U.S. government consults science fiction think tank
SIGMA intends to help the government think outside of the box.
March 11, 2008
A College of Engineering speaker said Friday that his team of science fiction writers could help the U.S. government learn to think outside of the box.a
The Croft Lecture Series brought speaker Arlan Andrews Sr. to MU on Friday afternoon to talk about his science fiction writer think tank, “SIGMA.”
In his presentation called “What If: Science Fiction in the National Interest,” Andrews discussed how science fiction writing applies to real-world thinking and how it could benefit the nation in preparation for future events.
Andrews, who was once appointed a White House fellow by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, said he created the think tank in response to government officials’ straightforward thinking. Andrews said he felt the “futurists,” or government’s future planners were not thinking outside of the box in terms of national security.
“The futurists the government hired never thought of disruptive events or disruptive technologies,” Andrews said. “They did not foresee anything to do with the Internet and they did not foresee anything like 9/11.”
Andrews described science fiction as the literature of the imagination and the future. He said SIGMA’s main goal is to provide the government with the viewpoints of science fiction writers who can creatively imagine how to deal with future events.
“I not only wanted the government to listen to science fiction writers, but I wanted science fiction writers who are also inventors, technologists, scientists and engineers to get their opinion into the government,” Andrews said.
He said SIGMA has already consulted with the Department of Homeland Security on innovative technologies like Cell-All, a cell-phone based detector that can monitor for chemical and biological events when they occur. This week, the think tank will advise the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.
Including Andrews, SIGMA currently has 26 members. He said everyone who is a part of the think tank either had to have a doctorate in a science or engineering-related field upon entering. Andrews also said members had to have written or produced something with science fiction content so they could represent the think tank’s mission appropriately.
When it comes to thinking about future innovations, Andrews said he feels SIGMA is the best organization to complete their task. He said SIGMA is always willing to talk to anyone about how to improve for the future.
“We are willing to talk to the Department of Transportation or a local sheriff’s department, anybody,” Andrews said.
Graduate student Susan Ring attended Andrews’ presentation. Ring, who also reads science fiction, was surprised by the government’s treatment of SIGMA’s work.
“I am completely shocked that the government is listening,” Ring said.
Tom Kochtanek, an MU associate professor of information science who attended the presentation, said he found it interesting that groups like SIGMA are thinking way ahead of their time.
“I do not know a lot of historical perspective,” Kochtanek said. “I just know new technologies, but I find it interesting there are ties between things I study and do now and things that happened in 1938.”
Andrews said things that revolve around “what if” are what are integral for future progression.
“Engineering is a ‘what if’ field,” Andrews said. “Science is a ‘what if’ field. SIGMA is a ‘what if’ think tank.”
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