"Hollywood" has released over and over the best full length movies in the world. Even when the movie industry has been criticized for some new feature release, the movie is better than most. This is also true for the TV series released by some of these companies. "Hollywood" does in fact entertain the TV and Movie fans throughout the world. Yet, I hate what "Hollywood" has or is doing to "Science Fiction" in our Movies and in our TV shows today. Read the reviews from fans around the world as to what they are saying about SGU and their comparisons of others. Don't they know the definition of sci-fi? Who makes these decisions as to claim that their film or TV series have the stamp as a sci-fi genre? What is science fiction? What makes science fiction "good"? To define this strange genre of fiction, lets define the main ingredients that make a truly "good" fiction science. In a nutshell, science is what scientists do. That is it, simple and pure. What makes the plot science when it comes to what scientists do? Easy - they solve problems through the scientific method. Imagine how the scientific method may be used in a plot. It is the discovery of answers that makes sci-fi entertaining. It is what makes science fiction so "good", the learning process we use to search for truth, a truth that can be tested, a truth we must accept. We as the human race want truth and we disregard the dogma or the results that do not live up to the test. Finally, the reciprocal nature of the scientific method: if "it" cannot be tested, "it" is not science. It is most often forgotten and as a reminder, some communities claim to be scientific but in fact they're dogmatic.

So these are the four main ingredients to a "good" science fiction:

(1) any real or fictional branch of science,

(2) any scientist(s) alone or part of an orderly team that works together to solve problems, and

(3) the plot comes about by applying the scientific method to a problem (or question) which may be real or fictional but brings out the intelligence and the logic that the scientists do to resolve the problem (or question) which may save the world from alien destruction.

(4) If "it" cannot be tested, "it" is not science.

I call this the tetrahedron of knowledge, the basic building block of nature and so are the four main ingredients in discovering the truth.

Anyone can be a scientist as long as the four rules are applied. The magic of a child discovering his hands for the first time and uses them to reach for his bottle or a character who has certain scientific knowledge that he alone possesses that he alone can solve the question of a science fiction story.

Question: Why does the military and science go so well together?

It is a common aspect in our society, organization, secrecy, control, safety, we know what to expect from the military and we know that scientist look for answers, when something goes wrong we do not need to be told because we know it is not the common thing to happen among these disciplines, etc....

The most misunderstood word in science fiction, technology. Science excludes man but technology is what man invents from the knowledge obtained from science. This is the answer,  "Why does the military and science go so well together." Technology and science is at the heart at the most pressing dilemma of our times. Protecting ourselves from our neighbors. Science fiction reduces this stressful aspect of our daily lives by showing that our military and scientists can solve what ever comes around to haunt us. This is where dogma should come in to play. To discuss the moral implications of man's inventions and how he plans to use his technology. Science teaches us about nature, but it is man that exploits nature for his greedy needs. These are all the secondary ingredients that make science fiction even better. It mixes reality and fiction together. This is why I love science fiction, it has the possibility to open our eyes and see ourselves the way we are and the way we want to become as a human race. We have great potential.

Therefore, any sci-fi fan may use this sci-fi litmus test as a way to determine a positive test for the four main ingredients. There are many "Hollywood" movies and TV series claiming to be a genre of science fiction but after testing the ingredients in a fictional story as wether it is a "good" science fiction, the litmus test indicates that it lacks at least one of the main ingredients in the story. On the other end, if the litmus test is positive, other ingredients may be added for flavor: drama, comedy, action, adventure, fantasy, horror, mystery, humor, "dark", etc. Unfortunately, if one of the ingredients is weak or almost non-existent like a character with a PHD degree in applied math in computer science but "Hollywood" decides to place complete focus on the character's personality for example, then the litmus test should conclude a negative test because the scientist is not "doing" science. Try this test on your favorite sci-fi show and see if it is truly a "good" sci-fi. Applying the rules of science to "Hollywood". Enjoy!