When it comes to matters of national security, a motley crew of science fiction writers makes an unlikely port of call. Kudos, then, to the US Department of Homeland Security for thinking outside the steel-reinforced box. At the recent Homeland Security Science and Technology Stakeholders conference in Washington, defence chiefs once again rubbed elbows with members of Sigma, the "science fiction thinktank".
Founded by writer and scientist Dr Arlan Andrews, Sigma aims to "provide the practical futurism of science fiction writers for vital national needs", bringing together a unique group of academics and writers – often in the same person – to aid the US government and NGOs in their forays into the future, particularly in the field of national security. Ben Bova and Larry Niven are just two of the sci-fi heavyweights on Sigma's member list, and the group holds a galaxy of Hugo and Nebula awards, as well as several post-doctorates and notable positions in the defence and technology industries.
So what can this multi-disciplinary group, admired for minds that rarely orbit this galaxy, let alone planet, offer to US Homeland Security when it comes to concerns a little closer to home?
Quite a lot, it seems. Over the years, Sigma's members have reportedly consulted with bodies such as the US air force, Department of Energy, Nasa and Nato over ideas ranging from anti-terrorism technologies (such as brain-wave monitors for sniffer dogs), to communications (self-directing "intelligent bullets" relaying information back to their sender) and disaster mitigation (such as the dissipation of potential hurricanes).
This isn't the first time governments have turned to literary names for a spot of innovative thinking. HG Wells reputedly met with both Roosevelt and Stalin, as well as Lenin, though presumably not all at the same time. After all, science fiction has long been the breeding ground for out-of-this-world theories and technology, many of which have the knack of turning up in reality, sooner or later.
Long before space missions and Mars landings, Jules Verne described the state of weightlessness in his novel From the Earth to the Moon. In fact, the concept first appeared in 1638 in The Man in the Moone by Bishop Francis Godwin, where the protagonist Domingo hitches a ride with a flock of giant birds on their annual lunar migration. Verne is also oft-cited for his uncannily accurate glimpses into the future: he arguably foresaw the submarine, television, the internet, skyscrapers and gas-powered cars, many of which appear in his novel, Paris in the Twentieth Century.
As for security measures, Mark Twain is often credited for the idea of the electrified fence, while the polygraph (lie-detector) is based on research by Dr William M Marston, also known (under his pseudonym Charles Moulton) as the creator of Wonder Woman and her unyielding Lasso of Truth.
Even more homely inventions such as the humble water bed, favourite of all 1970s playboys, first turned up in fictional form. Indeed, Charles Hall, inventor of the modern water bed, was unable to patent his creation due to its having already appeared in various novels, including Robert A Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.
However, for every sci-fi creation that has wormed its way into our lives, there are dozens more than remain stubbornly in the realms of fiction. In the meantime, while we await the arrival of flying cars, hyperdrive, and telepathic transmitters, perhaps there are other genres that could contribute to ongoing government debate. The historical romance thinktank, anyone?
