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Im Myung Shin, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Yi Dong Shin, Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature
Science and literature explore the world in different languages, but they converge in their search for what has not yet arrived. Facing each other, with the universe and science fiction between them, Professors Im and Yi noted that expansion is the process of becoming intertwined and creating new questions.
Scientific discoveries provide literature with fresh imaginative material, while literary imagination, in turn, motivates scientists to pursue particular research directions. Words like robot, cyberspace, and metaverse were all born in science fiction and later became reality.
Professor ImAmong the many branches of physics, I chose astronomy because it is a field where so much is visible and observable. Whereas disciplines such as nanoscience and solid-state physics explore largely invisible worlds, we are able to see the cosmos through a telescope. Still, with about 95 percent of the universe composed of unseen components, technological progress can bring us the additional pleasure of discovering what we couldn’t see before.
Professor YiSF envisions futures yet to come and worlds still untrodden. It is about bringing the unseen to life through imagination. My deepening interest in posthumanism—a theoretical framework closely linked to science—naturally led me to study SF. In this spirit, following my studies in quantum mechanics and astronomy, I have recently exposed myself to zoology. However, with little background in this discipline, I am not entirely sure how much I truly understand it. Anyway, I am doing my best!
Professor YiThe widely recognized terms “robot,” “cyberspace,” and “metaverse” all originated in science fiction. Writer William Gibson coined the term “cyberspace” in 1984, when commercial internet services were almost nonexistent. What started as an imagined term inspired by early computers became reality in just a few years. Conversely, science these days fuels literary inspiration in a powerful way. Given the perception that human imagination seems to have reached its limits, could fresh discoveries in science create fertile ground for a variety of new literary works?
Professor ImI shoulder a heavy responsibility as a scientist. We scientists use science fiction as a potent source of inspiration. When we encounter a new idea or concept in SF, we seriously ask ourselves, “Could this be scientifically feasible?” Some of these inquiries can lead to tangible research outcomes. A well-made film like Interstellar is an effective learning tool. It accurately portrays the appearance of a black hole and the phenomenon where time runs more slowly near intense gravity. Thus, it is frequently used to enhance understanding, both in the classroom and in public talks.
Expansion can be achieved in many different ways. For example, astronomy expands the boundaries of knowledge by striving to see the universe more clearly, while literature expands the boundaries of imagination by exploring non-human beings.
Professor YiI do a lot of animal research, and I am particularly drawn to the octopus. With roughly two-thirds of their neurons distributed throughout their arms, octopuses are reported to make certain decisions using not only the head but also all eight appendages. For example, when an arm needs to be sacrificed, they are believed to redistribute roles, deciding “This time, you will be the one to detach.” People often think of aliens when discussing strange beings, but some scientists say you only need to look under the sea. In other words, Earth itself is home to many beings that think and live differently from humans. Along with octopuses, spiders have emerged as a major theme in science fiction. The way they build and live in tangled webs can be associated with the concept of entanglement1 in quantum physics.
Professor ImI am glad that Professor Yi raised the idea of quantum entanglement. I am currently working on seven-dimensional cosmic exploration. This research aims to gain insight into the universe through seven parameters—three spatial dimensions plus time, brightness, wavelength, and radial velocity. In fact, in our work we have been forced to rely on static observations due to technological constraints, which is far from sufficient for studying a dynamic universe, with celestial objects constantly changing in brightness and color. All we could do was take photographs and measure a star’s brightness and color. However, once seven-dimensional cosmic exploration progresses in earnest, we will be able to view the universe in high-definition videos with approximately 40 color channels, allowing us to further unlock cosmic mysteries.
Professor ImWe are able to make more accurate predictions about what extraterrestrial life might look like, which is also one of the topics I cover in my class. Perceiving depth necessitates two eyes, and surviving strong gravity requires robust legs. With this in mind, we might end up with something human-like. Nevertheless, there are certainly life forms out there that elude our imagination.
Professor YiAs you said, human imagination has its limits. For instance, in science fiction, most aliens walk on two legs even when the environment wouldn’t require them to. Could it be that we are confined by our sense of familiarity? In this context, I couldn’t agree more with the statement, “The true mission of science fiction is to reveal our inability to imagine.” Acknowledging our limits, we struggle to break the boundaries of our imagination by studying strange creatures like octopuses and spiders.
Professor ImThat reminds me of my postdoc days when I observed the universe with the Keck Telescope
Each new discovery sparks a new question. As AI increasingly encroaches upon human-centric thinking by taking over synthesis and analysis, the questions raised by astronomy and literature matter more than ever.
Professor ImSince we are the ones posing the questions, I believe we can still hold the center for now. AI is remarkably good at recombining existing data, but creating new questions remains beyond its reach. This holds true in astronomy. The task of compiling cosmic data and asking questions based thereon remains the preserve of humans. In this respect, a day may come when AI observes the sky out of curiosity, but not anytime soon.
Professor YiI see this from a different angle. Have humans ever been at the center? I think we have kept sidelining other beings in our struggle to stand at the center, a process perceived as violent and discriminatory in the history of human civilization. In fact, in the absence of other beings like animals, we wouldn’t be “humans” in the first place, underscoring that the center and the periphery always come as a pair. Put differently, only when diverse beings are intertwined like a spider web can each expand its reach. If one side with greater intelligence pushes the other out, both are bound to perish. The same applies in the AI era. What matters now is finding a path to mutual survival, not arguing over who occupies the center.
Professor ImHerd mentality is widely observed in Korea, where fields that drive technological advancement outshine disciplines that, like astronomy, don’t lead to immediate financial gain. However, there are countless cases of game-changing laws or principles discovered over long periods of research. Nor is it unusual for overlooked areas to become mainstream overnight. The faster the world changes, the more we must embrace diversity, appreciating the value of each academic discipline. Of course, scholars like us have to put in far more effort.
Professor YiAbove all, literature should prompt us to ask “why.” These days, the answers to most questions boil down to one or two options. When asked why they have chosen their major or profession, most people cite economic reasons as the primary driver. When asked why they purchased a new cell phone, people share some common answers such as “because it’s the latest version” or “because a new color option is available.” But is that really the case? I believe the role of literature and scholarship, in a broader sense, is to encourage people—both in their academic research and in their daily lives—to think twice and produce carefully considered answers.
Professor Im Myung Shin, described as someone who observes beyond 5 billion light-years, researches and teaches observational astronomy and extragalactic studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He pioneered the field of multi-messenger astronomy and contributed to solving the mystery of gold’s origin through his research on neutron-star mergers. He has authored more than 200 papers, including the one reporting the discovery of quasars in the early universe. He received the Scientist of the Year Award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2017, the Academic Award of the Korean Astronomical Society in 2019, and the Seoul National University Academic Research and Education Award (Research Division) in 2020.
Professor Yi Dong Shin, described as someone who interrogates the boundary between the human and non-human, researches and teaches posthumanism, the modern American novel, and SF literature in the Department of English Language and Literature. While undertaking projects on human–animal relations, Professor Yi wanders the frontiers where theories meet literary criticism. He has published books such as The Three Flows of Posthumanism and SF, Becoming the Zeitgeist, and rendered Galatea 2.2 into Korean. Professor Yi has also authored a series of papers that seriously approach contemporary concerns through the lens of SF, including “Out of Zombie-to-Human Conflicts: The Limitation of Zombie Narrative and the Ethics of Infection” and “Broken Head: Artificial Intelligence and Ethics.”
