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Metallic element with variable properties; or in sci-fi, a substance or process invented to circumvent explanation or impossibility. Or any unspecified substance: "if not oil then beryllium, and if not beryllium then bolognium", [ 19 ] "don't worry about whether it is mercury or lead or cadmium or 'bolognium'."
Materials science in science fiction is the study of how materials science is portrayed in works of science fiction.The accuracy of the materials science portrayed spans a wide range – sometimes it is an extrapolation of existing technology, sometimes it is a physically realistic portrayal of a far-out technology, and sometimes it is simply a plot device that looks scientific, but has no ...
A definition of "matter" based on its physical and chemical structure is: matter is made up of atoms. [17] Such atomic matter is also sometimes termed ordinary matter. As an example, deoxyribonucleic acid molecules (DNA) are matter under this definition because they are made of atoms.
Science in science fiction is the study or of how science is portrayed in works of science fiction, including novels, stories, and films. It covers a large range of topics. Hard science fiction is based on engineering or the "hard" sciences (for example, physics, astronomy, or chemistry).
In natural language and physical science, a physical object or material object (or simply an object or body) is a contiguous collection of matter, within a defined boundary (or surface), that exists in space and time. Usually contrasted with abstract objects and mental objects. [1] [2]
A physical property is any property of a physical system that is measurable. [1] The changes in the physical properties of a system can be used to describe its changes between momentary states. A quantifiable physical property is called physical quantity. Measurable physical quantities are often referred to as observables.
In this state, the distinction between liquid and gas disappears. A supercritical fluid has the physical properties of a gas, but its high density confers solvent properties in some cases, which leads to useful applications. For example, supercritical carbon dioxide is used to extract caffeine in the manufacture of decaffeinated coffee. [3]
American science fiction author and editor Lester del Rey wrote, "Even the devoted aficionado or fan—has a hard time trying to explain what science fiction is," and the lack of a "full satisfactory definition" is because "there are no easily delineated limits to science fiction." [3] Another definition comes from The Literature Book by DK and ...