KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY

WHAT ROLE DOES IMAGINATION PLAY IN PRODUCING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD? IMAGINATION PRODUCES KNOWLEDGE

Rey & BB8: Scene from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

This object illustrates the relationship of Rey & BB8 in the Star Wars™ movie The Force Awakens which is Episode VII. What does this object tell us about the role of imagination in producing knowledge? Well it can be said that things produced from our imagination are based off of things that we see in real life. We see a need and multiple real life objects that we combine to create something nonexistent in our world, but satisfies our need. In this case the relationship of BB8 and Rey shows us that his role is to be a pet-like companion. Parallel to reality, BB8 could be the combination of a dog and artificial intelligence to create the perfect companion for Rey. He could be a better companion because BB8 is a droid that has superior intelligence than say a dog, since he can be programmed to know anything. Additionally, because he is a droid then he does not have the “fragility” of living things. For example BB8 could be shot with a laser and nothing would happen which is why he is Rey’s ideal companion since she is constantly getting in trouble. He also doesn’t give anyone allergies, due to his lack of hair, and does not require food or water. Overall, BB8 is a combination of the need of something combined with real things to make up an imaginary being. How imaginary is BB8 though? BB8 has been recreated by Disney and many fans so now there are real life versions of BB8 due to our technological advancements with batteries and artificial intelligence. So we can say that because George Lucas, the writer/producer/director of the Star Wars™ movies, imagined a robot like BB8 it encouraged fans to explore different ways that fictional characters could become reality, essentially producing knowledge.

Submarine, the Nautilus from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, 1870) “About the Nautilus.” Welcome Aboard the Nautilus, source

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. During this book, Jules Verne describes the Nautilus, “a masterpiece containing masterpieces", which is a submarine that became famous for resembling submarines centuries into the future. The book was originally published during June of 1870 which means Verne’s idea of the submarine was born after its original invention that dates back to the 1620s when Cornelius Drebbel, a Dutch polymath and inventor, created the first prototype of the submarine. What was different about Verne’s submarine, the Nautilus, is that it had an immense design with many seakeeping capabilities. Verne describes it through the main character Nemo as a submarine that runs on “large and powerful” Bunsen batteries. He describes using sodium zinc amalgam to double “electromotive force” of the batteries (which today we call voltage). The new sodium would recharge Verne's hypothetical batteries, which seem to last for months between charges. What is so revolutionary about this idea, the imagination of a submarine powered by sodium zinc amalgam batteries, is that this technology was incredibly out of reach for Verne’s time. The use of the battery for submarines was only until 1884 when they were first tested. Although now, submarines powered by onboard nuclear reactors were atoms in the nuclear reactor split and released energy as heat later used to create high-pressure steam, they utilize the energy in a similar way to Verne’s hypothetical battery. We could say that because Verne found a need for large underwater crafts, he imagined a solution for it that made other people wonder if it was possible. By doing so Verne’s imagination contributed to challenging current technologies to produce new knowledge that could deem the imaginary submarine, the Nautilus, a real object. This essentially motivated the production of knowledge to prove how hypothetical an imaginary object can be.

“X-Men: Days of Future Past Movie Poster (#5 of 17).” IMP Awards - All the Latest Movie Posters, sources

Stan Lee, the creator and director of the X-Men™ movies and comics, imagined a world where some humans have evolved genetically to have superhuman powers such as: telekinesis, super strength, elasticity, and teleporting. These are only some examples of what Stan Lee imagined could occur, but among these there are many more complex superhuman abilities that could now be a reality in the near future. The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, or OMRF, decided to test Stan Lee’s theory of genetic mutation. According to their research, there are genetic anomalies in humans due to exposure to environmental factors (such as cigarette smoking and radiation). What this exposure does is that it causes error in cell division leading to spontaneous alternation of DNA. This DNA is changed permanently and can be passed down through generations, creating a mutation. Although OMRF argues that our genetic mutations cannot lead to superhuman capabilities such as: x-ray vision and the ability to regenerate our limbs; other sources such as STAT News along with many others believe that very few individuals actually do have these favorable mutations such as an individual who had enhanced durability due to a low-density lipoprotein (LRP5) also known as the gene that determines your body’s bone density, giving him nearly indestructible bones. What Stan Lee did was question our reality based on real life sciences of genetic mutation allowing his viewers to question whether such things could be true. He took the existing information on the theory of genetics and with his imagination he produced fictional characters to satisfy the reason for something, similarly to how the greeks used gods to satisfy their need for an explanation. For example Stan Lee utilized Storm to satisfy the need for humans to control the weather that could otherwise have not been done with science and the greeks used the god of thunder, Zeus, to explain anomalies in the weather. Because of the X-Men™ movies and comics, many have researched the possibilities of how true his theory of genetic mutation is through technological advancements, but also the other theories that he has created with characters to satisfy the need for an explanation such as Professor X’s powers to control the human mind.