Postal Futures
Looking at the future (and past-future) of postal services and their role in science and science fiction.
Science and Science Fiction
A side interest of mine is researching into representations of science and scientists in science fiction, and the use of science fiction as a pedagogic tool for both formal teaching and public engagement.
Habitability and Science Fiction Studies
- Article commissioned for The Conversation: "For All Mankind's Happy Valley: why a Martian city could well extend below the surface", January 2024.
- Synthesis paper on "Exploring Space Science Community Engagement with Storylistening Principles" with focus on dark skies protection and space debris in science fiction, commissioned as part of the "Future Uses of Space: Narrative Evidence for Science & Technology Advantage through linking Research and Policy", funded by CAPE, July 2023.
- Article: "Evidencing the interaction between science fiction enthusiasm and career aspirations in the UK astronomy community", August 2022.
- Poster: "Cosmic Catastrophes", National Astronomy Meeting, Warwick, UK, July 2022.
- Article: "Changing Conceptions of Solar System Habitability in Dan Dare Between the 1950s and the 2010s", Foundation, Vol 50.3, 76-90 (#140, Winter 2021), peer reviewed.
- Poster: "Exploring Science Perceptions through Science FictionLink opens in a new window", National Astronomy Meeting, Bath, UK. July 2021
- "Who's Moon", chapter in “Doctor Who and Science: ideas, identities and ideologies”, eds Orthia & Harmes, McFarland, peer reviewed. Publication: December 2020 (Amazon)
- Member, Science Fiction Research Association (2020-date)
- Summer research student project on further exploring Cosmic Habitability (2019). Also undergraduate projects in several years.
- Lecture and seminar: “Neocatastrophism” using historical and fiction examples as part of interdisciplinary taught postgraduate module on Habitability (2018-2021)
- Publication on use of cosmological simulations to estimate cosmic habitability (Stanway et al, 2018, MNRAS, 475, pp. 1829-1842)
Public Outreach talks
I offer Science of Sci-Fi public talks on topics including Spacecraft, Cosmic Catastrophes, The science of "Interstellar", or Our Moon in Science and Science Fiction. These can be pitched at a variety of levels and lengths depending on audience. Examples of these include:
- Online talk: Mars in Science and Science Fiction, National Astronomy Week (November 2020). This talk can be found on youtube as part of the session at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dccLkDVt4dU.
An 18 minute version of this talk can be found online here: - Public talk: “By the Light of the Silvery Earth: the Moon in Science and Science Fiction, at Warwick Museum (Jul 2019) and Warwick University (December 2019)
- Public outreach talk on “The Science of Interstellar”, delivered to several different groups (since 2018) including at the Artix Arts Centre, Bromsgrove, as part of an Arts and Science festival (2020).
- “Science of Sci-Fi: Spaceflight” science outreach talk designed for public science communication (delivered five times to different groups, ranging from schools to amateur astronomy societies, 2014-2020).
If you're interested in the connection between science and science fiction, you may wish to read my "Cosmic Stories" blog entries on the subject!
Lunar Excursions
Looking at getting around on the Moon - the weird and wonderful vehicles which have been imagined as driving lunar excursions.
Tintin in Space
Looking at the famous comic book creation of Hergé and what his adventures tell us about contemporary understanding of space.
Lunar Excursions
Looking at getting around on the Moon - the weird and wonderful vehicles which have been imagined as driving lunar excursions.
Tintin in Space
Looking at the famous comic book creation of Hergé and what his adventures tell us about contemporary understanding of space.