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"...being predictive, being right about the future, is not the point of any given story or novel. The point is about exploring as wide a range of possibilities as possible."
- Peter Watts
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| Sapience | ||
| The ability of a species to think, to reason with discernment and wisdom. |
As far as I know, the first instance of this term in science fiction.
| In the meanwhile, on earth, unknown to Gaillard and his fellow-exiles, who had made no effort to communicate with the abandoned world, an amazing thing had occurred; a final proof of the virtual omnipotence and all-inclusive sapience of the Martian. |
| Technovelgy from The Planet Entity,
by E.M. Johnson (w/C.A. Smith). Published by Wonder Stories Quarterly in 1931 Additional resources -
|
The word has been in use since the 1400's, so it's not a unique construction. It is used in science fiction to show that an alien is the equal of humans, or homo sapiens (the same root word), in their capacity for thought, wisdom and discernment.
For science fiction fans, a pivotal use is found in the 1962 novel Little Fuzzy, a likable (and Hugo award-nominated) tale by H. Beam Piper. In the story, the legal question of whether or not a corporation effectively owns a planet is decided by whether or not the planet has an indigenous species that shows sapience. If the planet has a sapient species, then they "own" the planet.
“What the hell do they want for proof of sapience?” Gerd demanded. “Nuclear energy and contragravity and hyperdrive?”
“They will have a nice, neat, pedantic definition of sapience, tailored especially to exclude the Fuzzies, and they will present it in court and try to get it accepted, and it’s up to us to guess in advance what that will be, and have a refutation of it ready, and also a definition of our own.”
"...They’ll quibble about statements of fact and statements of opinion. And what they can’t exclude or attack, they’ll accept, and then deny that it’s proof of sapience."
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and Technology from The Planet Entity
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'Our planes are going to start bringing in bales of discarded plastics...'
'... completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gaut...'
'So, Ender, we will now begin your education.'
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!'
'Forget the head atop it, the legs below, feet, arms, hands. It compels erasure.'
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair or to perch on a flagpole in imitation of a giant bird, even in the windy city of Chicago.'
'The thirty-odd miles of The Factory’s circumference...'
'Wandering mines, you took them out on the edge of the desert, set them down and activated them.'
