Spurred on by both the science and science fiction of our time, my generation of researchers and engineers grew up to ask what if? and what's next? We went on to pursue new disciplines like computer vision, artificial intelligence, real-time speech translation, machine learning, and quantum computing.

One of the scariest statements I ever heard came from a young relative of mine: "All the science I know I learned from your books!" To which I replied, gasping a little, "But you know I make it up, right?" But not entirely--which raises a critical question. While much has been written about how to use science to create, plot, or enhance one's fiction, not as much has been written about how speculative fiction impacts our understanding of science. Consider the following: Haijun Yao, editor of China's major SF magazine, Science Fiction World, told me last year that the Chinese government, which banned SF during the Cultural Revolution, is now very enthusiastic about its publication.