The Evolution of Human Science
”The Evolution of Human Science” (also known as "Catching Crumbs from the Table") is a science fiction short story by American writer Ted Chiang, published in June 2000 in Nature.[2][3] The story was also included in the collection Stories of Your Life and Others (2002).
| "The Evolution of Human Science" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Ted Chiang | |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Nature[1] |
| Publication type | Magazine |
| Publication date | June 2000 |
Plot summary
The story does not have any characters. The progress in the future has split humanity into two classes: ordinary people and so-called metahumans, who are genetically modified and have a much more powerful intelligence than do ordinary people. The development of the metahumans' science becomes so advanced that it forces the ordinary scientists to switch to interpreting and decoding the metahumans' achievements, because common people are no longer able to create anything fundamentally new.[2][3] The science then becomes the means of seeking and establishing communication with the super-intelligent metahumans.
Awards
The short story was nominated for the 2001 Locus Poll Award.[4]
See also
- "The Colonel" by Peter Watts
- Superintelligence
- Technological singularity
- Transhumanism
References
- Chiang, Ted (June 2000). "Catching crumbs from the table". Nature. 405 (6786): 517. doi:10.1038/35014679. PMID 10850694. S2CID 205006786.
- Shenoy, Gautham (14 October 2016). "Why you should be excited about Ted Chiang's Arrival into mainstream pop culture". FactorDaily. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- McKee, Gabriel (2 January 2007). The Gospel according to Science Fiction: From the Twilight Zone to the Final Frontier. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-61164-426-5. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- "sfadb: Locus Awards 2001". sfadb.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
External links
- The Evolution of Human Science title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database