Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2002 15:35:22 -0400
From: Ted White <tedwhite at compusnet.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Counterfactuals, was Texas, more than you thought
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

"Strong, Lee" wrote:

>         Actually, I am reading up on real cosmology at the present time to
> become better educated on this subject.  Real physicists and cosmologists
> are increasingly leaning towards a quantum mechanical multiple worlds theory
> of the meta-universe.  They're still thrashing out the terminology, and,
> yes, they're very aware that they're invading the realm of science
> fiction... and fantasy.  Some science fiction and fantasy literary terms are
> gaining acceptance in real science.  Stephen Hawking used the term "history"
> to refer to what most science fiction readers call an alternate history or
> alternate historical world.  Kip Thorne used the lower case term "universe"
> to mean a dimensional world including alternate historical world, and the
> capitalized term "Universe" to mean the entire meta-universe or multiverse.
> Research continues.  Fascinating times... at least in this universe.

According to Greg Benford, Hawking "read nothing but SF from age ten on.  Much
of his thinking is very science fictional, and he knows virtually nothing of the
rest of western lit."  (TRAP DOOR #21)

--Ted White