Why Should We Imagine Solar Flares Taking Down International Space Stations?

More than just entertainment, science fiction informs the ways we think about how technology and science play out in real life. So what happens when a catastrophic solar flare paralyzes global space agencies and throws the world order into chaos?

This very scenario drives the plot of Deji Olukotun’s After the Flare, the compelling sequel to Nigerians in Space. The result is an introspective look at timely questions of technology and international ambition. 

On November 8, Future Tense brought together Olukotun, an internet rights advocate and author, and Lucianne Walkowicz, astrophysicist and multimedia artist, to discuss the science behind solar flares and what we can learn about global tech policy through science fiction. 

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University. 

Featured speakers include Deji Olukotun, Author, After the Flare and Nigerians in Space and Fellow, Future Tense and Lucianne Walkowicz, Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Library of Congress  and Astronomer, Adler Planetarium. Moderated by Kevin Bankston, Director, Open Technology Institute at New America.