Scientific accuracy

Umgowa

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I have a scene where technical dialog takes place about certain evidence. It involves Parts Per Million absorption in fabric for a specific element in the air . . . A subject virtually no readers would know much about. The numbers I came up with sound great to the ear of all who have read the scene. Can I leave the dialog as it is or do I need to go find a scientist and get totally realistic numbers?
 

pdichellis

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For me, believable is more important than decimal-point accurate. (Some have described fiction as "believable make-believe" and "fiction, not a field manual.") So if it were my story, I'd only conduct enough follow-up research to make sure the number isn't nuts (i.e., a ppm concentration that's impossibly strong or weak).

Alternatively, I might not write any specific ppm, just the conclusion the investigator reached, i.e., based on the concentration of x in the fabric, the victim . . . whatever.

Good luck!
 

veinglory

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I bet you could find a beta reader here with the relevant expertise if you posted that scene in "share your work".
 

Woollybear

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Technically, I wouldn't ever personally talk about 'elements' in the air, I'd talk about atmospheric compounds, atmospheric makeup, and that sort of thing. If you are referring, for example, to carbon dioxide as an 'element,' that's technically incorrect. If you talked about it as a molecule in the air you are closer but still probably not quite right within your context. It is a molecular compound that exists in a gaseous state in the air, currently at about 410 ppm (and pre-industrial was more like 320 ppm). But that varies by time of day and season and locale.

There are similar conceptual issues with oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2) and methane (CH4). Etc.

Whether your treatment of it is a problem or not will depend on the reader.
 
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ironmikezero

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For me, believable is more important than decimal-point accurate. (Some have described fiction as "believable make-believe" and "fiction, not a field manual.") So if it were my story, I'd only conduct enough follow-up research to make sure the number isn't nuts (i.e., a ppm concentration that's impossibly strong or weak).

Alternatively, I might not write any specific ppm, just the conclusion the investigator reached, i.e., based on the concentration of x in the fabric, the victim . . . whatever.

Good luck!

+1 - very good advice. Don't run the risk of confusing or burying your readers in overly-detailed minutiae--unless, of course, such detail(s) will be relevant in an upcoming plot twist
 

cbenoi1

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Explain it like you would to a five-year old. Alternatively, pick an example from another domain. For example, voltage, resistance and current are often explained using the watermill paradigm.

-cb
 

blacbird

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I don't think you need to get specific about the amount of whatever was absorbed by the fabric. If it was sufficient to provide evidence relevant to the story, that should be all you need to mention.

caw
 

veinglory

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When an author badly flubs some detail that I happen to have specialist knowledge of, I must admit it bugs me. Its not that hard to get it fact checked by some one online.
 

Feidb

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I'd say keep it vague to keep yourself out of trouble. Trying to dazzle the reader with technical details that just might get you in trouble with that "one" reader aren't necessarily worth it. Besides, that's a whole lot of effort for a minute detail that most readers will glaze over anyway. Save it for the big stuff that a LOT of readers will cry bull over, like getting locations wrong, or the names of things or something like that.