Physics for the future by Leah

Physics for the future by Leah - June 2014 Scholarship Essay

I would like to write a young adult science-fiction book that incorporates current theories from physics into a more concretely understandable narrative. I think one of the best ways to get future generations involved in, and enthusiastic about, STEM fields is to engage their imaginations about the possibilities science can create in the future. Historically, speculation about our future helped make NASA a reality, and the ripple effect of the discoveries NASA has made are still propelling our world’s technology and innovation.

If ideas like the Boson-Higgs particle or Heisenberg's uncertainty theory were put into a story about the near future, with a protagonist who views them as everyday fact and practical humanism, showing what those discoveries might allow us to do in the future, it would be much easier for those children to fearlessly enroll in the sciences, armed with knowledge, but more importantly imagination.

I like to think we’ll have computers that we can control with thought, which is an idea already being developed. We’ll also have advanced ways of manipulating matter built from the same ideas that 3D printing is using. Tying current projects and theories to a not-so-distant future world would hopefully inspire the next generation of scientists.