[MB Advising note: this course is approved for ‘other marine biology elective’ for the marine biology major]

The Kraken Awakes:  science fiction and the ocean. Creating your narrative

OCEAN 497, C (SLN 18737)

Tuesday 10:30 – 12:20
Thursday 10:30 – 11:20
Ocean Teaching Building 155

The question: What do you think would make a great hard science fiction story in the ocean?

Goal of the course: To use your knowledge and imagination about possible ocean futures

What are your ideas?

Random ideas: Colonies of coral become cognizant and are determined to survive. Brain waves projected between marine species… internal waves powering remote subsea communities ….high energy short waves…. Hive minds….distributed intelligence…boiling sulfur-based Bucky-balls at the seafloor…aliens from the earth’s core learning to deal with the cold environment…humans adapting with CRISPR to live in 100m of water…whales and dolphins learning Navy sonar-speak…new viral threats from the ocean..etc.

This course is centered on shared discussions and working groups exploring different hard science fiction notions of future oceans. In addition, we may imagine how the Norse and Greek gods (Kraken, Aegir, Neptune, etc) might be resurrected and create different imaginary worlds in the Earth’s oceans.

A chance for seniors who want to use their knowledge of the oceans and marine life to imagine different futures using possible emerging technologies of A.I., CRISPR and nanotechnology and fiction.

Responsibility: to work with other students to imagine futures within different constraints in discussion groups. To produce a science fiction story outline that uses your knowledge and pushes the boundaries of scientific laws.