Sci-Fi Timelines: Science Fiction Based Works

Tom

An Old Friend
Purpose of this discussion:
  • Explore the creative imagination of Science Fiction writers and their limitations.
  • Expose the limits of imagination of human beings.
  • Expand the limits of Science Fiction to new possibilities.
  • Get Creative.
I find time very entertaining. Not only do I enjoy references to the 'First Ones' fascinating I also look for extreme future settings. First we need some scientific perspective:

My favorite head banger is Earth's Timeline in 1 my increments(Go ahead - Scroll down)
beginning at 4.6 billion years ago
by Troy Cowan
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/check/earth.html
The scale of this page gives a little insight as to how much time has passed for the Earth.
Since the Earth is about mid-way into its natural lifetime it can be safe to say that this page could be doubled.
That's just this planet!
Each entry represents One Million Years.
Most science fiction takes place within a one million year time-frame. The few exceptions barely explore the differences, concentrating on the story elements more than the setting details. It makes for great stories but leaves my scientific mind wanting.
Even the far future Dune is set at a mere 10,191 year.
According to the ScifiWikia, The most advanced timeline setting is 100 Trillion Years as sampled in Dr Who, Utopia.
Timeline of fictional future events | WikiSciFi | Fandom
There are references to greater distances in time but they refer to time beyond the Universe.
The Restaurant At the End of the Universe, A Red Dwarf Episode, A Chrono Trigger setting and the end of Asimov's The Last Question.

Not only do I want to explore the possible cosmological changes of the far future, If mankind survives into the far future what will we look like, how will we think, reason and live.
Orion's Arm explores humans as having trans-humanistic abilities.
National Geographic explores a limited view on how humans might evolve over time. It groups evolution into four categories.
  • No Evolution
  • Continuing Evolution
  • Electronic Evolution (Trans-Humanism)
  • Off-World Evolution
Each category holds a multitude of Science Fiction worthy exploration. What I find funny is that all the theories occur within a relatively short time period. It's like mankind is unable to fathom extreme time periods realistically. Our ability to grasp changes beyond 2 million years is thwarted by our limited imaginations. Our species is only 2 million years in the making. That is two increments in the Timeline I posted.

Presently our bodies are stagnated because we have created mechanized extensions of ourselves to give us our requirements for life. WE no longer need fur to keep us warm. Our upper body strength and prowess, Our sense of smell and sight and our need to replicate are slowly becoming a non-issue for our body design. These changes have occurred rapidly compared to evolutionary time scales. Eventually our bodies will do away with features that are no longer needed. What will be left? How many people 'Have to hunt' for every meal? When is the last time you killed a cow for your steak? How many people are alive today that would perish if they were required to exist in the world of pre-sapien sapiens? Over time genetic traits change to account for variations in environment. What happens to the human body when it no longer has to deal with gravity, chewing food or reproduction? I find science fiction that deals with the possibilities most entertaining.

Science Fiction that truly explores future possibilities must take evolution into consideration. Not only the evolution of mankind but the evolution of the Universe as well.

Now I realize that an encyclopedia of possible changes over time may not be a best seller. People need stories and plots to be entertained. Every time I try to write any science fiction I get so engrossed in the settings and details I never really make it to the story. Its like - Here is a Universe with all the details - You put in the character, the plot and tell the actual tale.
 
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