Dialogues about the Future: building bridges between science and the future continues with a new project at the National Centre RUSSIA
The joint discussion project of the National Centre RUSSIA, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, and the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM), "Dialogues about the Future with Valery Fedorov," started on May 21 at the National Centre RUSSIA. Participants in the discussion "Science Fiction as a Bridge between Science and the Creation of the Future" discussed how science fiction literature influences society's expectations of technology and stimulates scientific and technological initiatives.
The main theme of the new project resonates with one of the key messages of the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future" — to unite the world’s leading minds for joint design of positive scenarios for the future through the synergy of science, technology, culture, and science fiction.
"I believe that we need to think more, talk more, argue more, and communicate more on the topics of the future in order to give birth to new ideas. And within our new platform 'Dialogues about the Future,' we will connect the unconnected, search for new ideas and impulses. This project will become one of the sources of new ideas for the II International Symposium 'Inventing the Future.' If we manage to establish the process of generating these ideas, I am confident that the second Symposium will become more professional and productive, and will bring us all closer to the future that we passionately desire for ourselves and our children," said the author and moderator of the project, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Mass Communications of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, General Director of VCIOM, Valery Fedorov.
Participants of the discussion included the science fiction writer, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, and board member of the Union of Writers of Russia Sergei Lukyanenko, and Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Nanobiotechnology at MIPT, Head of the "Nanobiomedicine" Department of Sirius University, Laureate of the President of the Russian Federation Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists, Maxim Nikitin. Together with the audience, they reflected on the role of science fiction writers in designing the future, evaluated the influence of political and economic transformations on the frequency and quality of fresh ideas in creativity and technological developments. The participants of the discussion predicted possible directions of conceptual convergence between representatives of the scientific and literary communities.
"Of course, a writer will not invent how a particular device works, how the gears in the mechanism of the Universe move. But sometimes the ideas we put forward make scientists think and start moving in a completely different, unexpected direction. Therefore, within the framework of this interesting conversation, we tried once again to make science and science fiction friends," said Sergei Lukyanenko.
The participants discussed how science fiction writers managed to anticipate technological trends: many modern technologies have emerged as a result of implementing ideas from science fiction works. Experts noted that even today, representatives of the scientific community are inspired by the creativity of science fiction writers.
Maxim Nikitin emphasised that at present there is a demand for platforms that would allow scientists and science fiction writers to exchange experience, for the development of both literary and research activities.
"If scientists and science fiction writers gathered at various platforms and generated ideas, it would be a very useful synergistic entity. For example, I have read much less than Sergei Vasilyevich Lukyanenko. And perhaps if I tell him about a particular problem I am working on in the laboratory, he will suggest me a book where this problem has already been written about. This is very much lacking," explained Maxim Nikitin.
Dialogues about the Future became accompanying events in the preparation for the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future." Dialogues about the Future at the National Centre RUSSIA are intended to maintain the audience’s attention on the subject of the future and fill it with current meanings.
Event photobank
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