Post by James NicollFive SF Novels Inspired by Disproven Scientific Theories
Plenty of exciting hypotheses eventually fall out of scientific favor
but not before they've found their way into science fiction!
https://reactormag.com/five-sf-novels-inspired-by-disproven-scientific-theories/
The Destruction of Planet V
The region between Mars and Jupiter is filled with a myriad of small
bodies. That is not controversial. The Belt’s origin, however, has
been the subject of various competing theories over the years. In
1972, M. W. Ovenden proposed that the Belt is the remnant of a
large planet that exploded about sixteen million years ago.
Overden draws upon centuries old theory:
Physical sciences: Bode's Law and the Missing Planet
Ovenden, M. W.
Abstract
EXACTLY two hundred years ago, Titius published a mnemonic for
the mean distances of the planets from the Sun. His rule was
[a_i is proportional to 2^(i - 2) . 3 + 2^2]
where a_i is the major semi-axis of the orbit of the ith planet
from the Sun. Titius's law represents the distances of the then
known planets with an accuracy of a few per cent, provided that
(i) for Mercury, we take i= -∞ instead of i=1 and (ii) the
orbital i=5 is left vacant. The law made three valid predictions.
Uranus (discovered by William Herschel in 1781) fits the orbital
i=8. After the discovery of Uranus, Bode publicized the law,
which became known as Bode's Law. The search for a planet for
i=5 culminated in the discovery of the first asteroid, Ceres,
in 1801. Recognition of a similar law for the satellite system
of Saturn led to the discovery of Hyperion in 1848.
(10.1038/239508a0)
Ovenden himself presents his proposal's planet Phaeton problem in the
summary of his paper:
Two major problems remain. First, what physical caused the sudden
dissipation of A? From the point of view of the dynamical arguments
presented, it is probably true that A was always in the form of a
ring. But while it may be difficult to "explode" a planet, it would
seem even more difficult to dissipate a ring suddenly after it has
been quiescent for 4.5 X 10^9 yr. Second, only ~0.1 M [sun cross]
seems now to reside in the asteroid belt. What has appended to the
other 89.9 M [sun cross]?
(ibid)
Here's another sfnal romp around planet Phaeton:
Science fiction naturally reflects the interest in this supposedly-
lost world, and continued to do so even as the hypothesis fell out
of scientific favour. The idea that something as large as a planet
could be destroyed both horrified and appealed to audiences, and -
particularly in the mid twentieth century when the world-shattering
potential of nuclear weaponry was recognised - suggested a deep
suspicion of the scientific theories and processes that might
release enough energy for the task.
<https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/research/astro/people/stanway/sciencefiction/cosmicstories/the_vermin_of/>
Danke,
--
Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php
telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God.
tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.