When you ask a scientist why they chose their career, quite a few will cite some form of science fiction as an early inspiration. In turn, science fiction is often the source of some the most influential technologies now in use or being actively pursued in research labs.
British novelist Arthur C. Clarke, for instance, is probably most famous for penning 2001: A Space Odyssey. But he is also frequently credited with popularizing the concept of a space elevator in his 1979 novel The Fountains of Paradise.
Artist's concept of a space elevator
—courtesy NASA
Today the technology is a hot pursuit, inspiring a NASA contest and, most recently, a professional association and international conference in Japan.
For me, one of the more innovative uses of literature to get the public excited about astronomy has got to be the Space Poem Chain, an outreach project run by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
"JAXA i" public information center, Marunouchi Oazo, Tokyo
—Photograph by Victoria Jaggard
Volume 3 of this unique collection got underway this month, with JAXA announcing the fifth link in the current chain today.
The idea behind a poem chain is for different authors to create a new poem based on the one that came before it, linking the verses by theme. JAXA's version outlines some very specific rules for contributors to follow.
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