Science in Fiction (#24): Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Welcome to this month's Science in Fiction feature! Science in Fiction is a meme I created to showcase the wonderful aspects of science in Young Adult fiction novels. For more information and previous feature, check out the "Science in Fiction" tag!

This month, I'm featuring Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth!

My review of Carve the Mark

Carve the Mark is the first of a two-book series by bestselling author Veronica Roth. Amidst its problematic content and brutal world, this book is a very intriguing science fiction story. One aspect of this book is the idea of a "currentgift" - supernatural abilities that people obtain when they are blessed by the "current", a type of space energy. 

Today, I'm going to explore the idea of space energy!

I was curious to know where Roth got her inspiration for the "current", which is the source of the abilities ("currentgifts") of most characters in Carve the Mark. Akos can interrupt the current, Cyra can transmit pain, Eijeh can see the future, Cisi can influence and persuade others. Where does the current come from (besides the vague answer of "space")? Is there a scientific basis to Roth's fictional creation? A lot of things are attributed to the current, in this book.

I could not find more information as to what her inspiration was, for the current. But there is a scientific basis for space energy, which is what the current most closely resembles.

Scientists have come up with the term "dark energy" to consider the energy in empty space. There isn't much known about dark energy, but it is theorized that it makes up more than three fourths of the universe (Space.com). Dark energy is odd because every form of energy has a source - radiation, or matter - and we don't know about the source of dark energy.

Supposedly, this dark energy is what is causing the universe to expand. As more of the universe appears (because of its expansion), more dark energy appears, which causes the universe to keep expanding. It's a positive feedback loop!

Schematic of the expanding universe. Source: NASA

Dark energy is still somewhat of a new concept in the physics world, and it's possible that it might not even exist. One of my first thoughts, upon looking further into this topic, was if humans could possibly harness dark energy. But given how little we know and understand, it would be incredibly unlikely. How would we harness energy that is fueling the expansion of the universe? I imagine this would come some sort of destabilization of some sort. We wouldn't even begin to understand and predict the consequences - good or bad - of harnessing dark energy. If it exists (it probably does).

Which leads me to conclude that, while dark energy could be Roth's inspiration for the current in Carve the Mark, the two have very little in common. Dark energy has no (known) influence on human abilities or life on Earth in general. The current seems to be more fictional than scientific, which one would expect. But it would be interesting to know if Roth did indeed base the current on some sort of space energy (perhaps besides dark energy - some other type of energy that I haven't considered). 


What do YOU think of dark energy? If you found out that you would manifest a certain "currentgift" around the time of puberty, what ability would you want? 

(If anyone ever finds out or asks Roth about her inspiration for the current, please let me know! I'm trying to find out myself and would love to know.)