“Scout” – science fiction art by Simon

"Scout" by Simon Cattlin is an atmospheric painting that explores the potential consequences of

scientific discovery. A humanoid figure walks through a desolate landscape as the sun sets

behind them in the painting. The artist's use of color and contrast in the piece creates a sense of

mystery and foreboding. This is emphasized even more by the stark contrast between the bright

sunset and the dark shadows cast in the foreground. Greg Rutkowski's short story of the same

name inspired the painting.

The plot revolves around a young scientist who discovers a remote planet inhabited by an

advanced alien race known as the "Fermis." The Fermis are able to travel faster than the speed of

light across the universe thanks to technology that makes use of natural forces such as electricity,

magnetism, and gravity. "I wanted to take something that's scientifically possible and make it

feel a little more real," the artist said of the painting. "However, when examined on a purely

scientific level, that sense of realism quickly crumbles," writes Simon Cattlin. Because scientists

have ruled out time travel, any civilization that could harness faster-than-light travel would have

to be infinitely more advanced than our own. Nonetheless, science can provide answers to our

metaphysical questions. We want to know if there are other people in the universe; we want to

know what life is all about; and we want to be immortal. This desire to explain the unknown has

been a recurring theme throughout history, and it is here that science fiction finds its power.

Simon Cattlin attempts to capture the sense of wonder and imagination inherent in science in

"Scout." "Scout" also delves into the role science fiction plays in shaping our perceptions of

science. "You can't hope to improve someone's understanding of science without showing them

how bizarre and wonderful. He also admitted that most students think of scientists as "aloof
intellectuals in lab coats," but he wants to show them that they have a sense of humor. Finally, it

is our sense of wonder that drives us to learn more about the world around us and to seek a

deeper understanding of ourselves. "Scout" is a Project Zero thinking-made-visible routine that

encourages students to think about the world around them by using stories and art as a starting

point. These creative routines help us think critically about the world we live in by constraining

our imagination and encouraging us to question our beliefs. Artist Simon Cattlin and Project

Zero's Adam Robinson collaborated on "Scout." It shows an astronaut on a planet orbiting a

distant star. The astronaut appears to be looking back at Earth from the planet, as if to say, "it's a

long way out there."

This explorer is hundreds of light years away from Earth, which is hidden in a spiral arm

somewhere in the plane of the galaxy. The loneliness of a single human presence alone in such a

panorama at the edge of the galaxy is captured in this painting. Humans are a social species. To

survive and thrive in the natural world, we evolved as social animals. As we progressed from

hunter-gatherers to agriculturalists to industrial societies, our social interactions became more

concentrated within communities. According to Cacioppo's evolutionary theory of loneliness, the

loss of social connection causes biological changes that increase the risk of premature death.

According to Cacioppo's evolutionary theory of loneliness, feelings of loneliness trigger a

biological response that increases the risk of premature death. Loneliness causes a cascade of

behavioral and biological changes that increase the risk of dying young. The study of biological

mechanisms associated with loneliness is progressing toward a systematic examination of these

processes across generations. Losing a sense of community and connection changes how one

sees the world, according to Cacioppo. A biological defense mechanism is triggered in a

chronically lonely person because they feel threatened and distrustful of other people. The
evolutionary theory of loneliness postulates that loneliness will automatically set off a number of

related behavioral and biological processes that contribute to the link between loneliness and

early death in people of all ages.

Credit: Simon Cattlin Fine Art Gallery
 Works cited:

Cattlin, Simon. “Simon Cattlin Fine Art, Science Fiction Art. Astronomical Art. Scout - A
Survey Mission. Oil Painting & Fine Art Prints..” Simon Cattlin Fine Art,
https://www.simoncattlin.com/gallery/scout.

Ekelund, Robert B., and Mark Thornton. “GALILEO, SMITH AND THE PARADOX OF
VALUE: THE ‘CONNECTION’ OF ART AND SCIENCE.” History of Economic Ideas, vol.
19, no. 1, 2011, pp. 85–101. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23723560. Accessed 12 Nov.
2022.