Fringe Science

Fact or Fiction?

Fringe cast of the show posing in a park

Fringe science is a branch of science that departs from established scientific theories.

What Is Fringe Science?

Unlike pseudo-science, it still uses the scientific method, but is highly speculative.

Fringe science has its basis in established science, but explores and studies areas at the very boundaries, and is often poorly funded and under-resourced.

Whilst fringe science usually leads upon a road to nowhere, occasionally, a branch blossoms into a fully established field, and may even bring about a paradigm shift.

Fringe scientists are usually starved of funding, so researchers have the image of the 'eccentric scientist' working away in his shed.

Mythology of Fringe Department

fringe department The Fringe Team

TV Show

fringe cast

Chaos theory operated at the fringe of accepted physics, using computers and technology begged, borrowed or stolen from other departments. The young scientists who worked upon it were told that they would have trouble finding funding, that other physicists would refuse to review their work, and that they would never move upwards.

Fortunately, they persevered and arrived at a theory, which is widely accepted as having some basis. This is due, in part, to its interdisciplinary nature, which allowed the new science to blossom.

Whilst most scientists regard colleagues working around the fringes of the established order as mavericks, or sometimes a little crazy, it has been argued that they are the force behind scientific change.

With his theory of Continetal Drift, Wegener was subjected to some vituperative attacks, but his theory eventually became a new paradigm. (explorable.com/fringe-science)

Example Modal Title

bashful asking "me?"

What Did We Learn?

Quick Check

Who was the lead in Fringe?

Olivia Dunham

Awesome job!

Peter Bishop

Peter is a big character, but not the lead

Check Answer

Definitions

Federal Bureau of
Investigation: The FBI is an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement priorities.

Fringe Science:

A branch of science that departs from the established scientific theories.

Multiverse:

A hypothetical group of multiple universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describe them.