Scare Away the Dark

"We want something more not just nasty and bitter
We want something real not just hash tags and Twitter

It's the meaning of life and it's streamed live on YouTube
But I bet Gangnam Style will still get more views"

Scare Away the Dark, Passenger

Treasures:A Beautiful Day UCF

Sometimes, the day just amazes you. 

Words: The Humanity of Science Fiction

             

        I recently watched a video called, “The World Needs More Magic”. The creator suggested that we need to read and watch more fiction that incorporates magic realism. It emphasizes symbols and provides people with exciting “cranial sugar rushes”. He states that what is amazing about magicians isn’t that you believe it is real magic, but rather that they can make something amazing happen in a world where magic is impossible.  As a concluding thought, he says that humans are very talented at that—making amazing things possible in an impossible world.

               

     

  So, with this video fresh in my mind, I watched Terminator 2. Now, I’m sure you’re laughing at the thought. This movie is cheesy and the special effects can be downright silly. However, I noticed for the first time that it addresses an interesting idea: what it means to be human and the value of human life. Young John Connor becomes a teacher for the Terminator, a super killing machine, as it tries to blend in and appear more human all while protecting John from the other Terminator. One of his first rules is that the Terminator is NOT allowed to kill anyone. Even when it could mean stopping the formation of Skynet, John is adamant that killing is not an option. The Terminator, a machine capable of learning, eventually decides that he is worth less than a human. He values human life above that of his own. The movie ends with a final statement, “If a machine can learn the value of a human life, maybe we can too.”

                Science Fiction offers the ability to look at our entire human race from an outside perspective. We can analyze what we believe it means to be human.  Through the use of crazy and fantastical creatures and characters, we are able to get at some really interesting truths. Instead of dismissing that next giant robot movie or alien exploration film as just an action movie, realize that it might have some interesting thought questions within.