At our design jam and book club, Maker Lab visitors respond to a design problem raised by a science fiction novel or story, or a popular science article or book. We try to come up with a design that would solve a challenge faced by the story's characters, or a real-world problem. If time allows, we prototype the design on our lab equipment, including 3D printers and laser cutters. The format includes a short discussion of the reading followed by a collaborative design session. Science fiction has had some surprising influences on actual technology, beyond the obvious effect of sparking young people's interest in science and technology careers.
The next Maker Lab Book Club and Design Jam meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, November 19, in the Maker Lab to discuss and build on Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe.
Librarian John, our host, answered a couple questions about this book to set the stage.
Q: What is the coolest device in this book (plot, technological, magical)?
A: The TM-31 Recreational Time Travel Device. If you want to know how it works, you’ll have to pick up the book to find out.
Q: Is there a work of art or music that would fit right in to this book?
A: Some Doctor Who theme music, opens a new window might be a good choice to play in the background while reading this book. After all, it was the Doctor who provided pop culture's clearest explanation of the theoretical basis of time travel: "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly... timey-wimey... stuff."
