Reply To: A new way of generating electricity

[jamesr]

Taking the concept of a Thought Experiment from the scientific to the philosophical. I think there is a place for science fiction to probe areas of scientific research and technological developments to run through the what-if scenarios, and consequences (intended or not) of progress.

A sci-fi narrative can bring together many aspects of human interactions with technology and the world around them to investigate possibilities that would be difficult to comprehend as individual case studies.

So, for example, a sci-fi story based in a near-future world where focus fusion devices are a reality, can explore the shift in the power structure of society. So just as Asimov pondered one outcome of the 3-laws of robotics as revolution of the robots seeking to do what was perceived as in the interest of the greater good. The knock-on effects of what could be seen as a utopian goal of cheap clean energy (and so everything else) available to everyone, may ultimately backfire as different groups scrabble to retain power and control over society.