Science fiction often is based on the writer’s vision of what will happen in the future. In some cases, those predictions prove to be disturbingly accurate.

That’s why it’s interesting to hear more about what a Kansas University professor who has spent his career immersed in science fiction envisions for KU and Lawrence.

In a recent interview with the Journal-World, James Gunn, who has been associated with KU since 1955, shared his thoughts about change and its role in politics. “The idea of people wanting to resist change has grown as the country has become more conservative,” he said. That trend, he said, often puts politicians at odds with universities and university communities, which are in the business of anticipating, exploring and accommodating change.

“One of the things that makes the university a bastion of liberal thought is that people here are constantly engaged in the process of changing their minds,” he explained.

The more people know about just about anything, the less black and white that subject becomes. The academic community is comfortable with that situation, but others often are not. “The rest of the state is trying to save what it has rather than place bets on what it is going to have in the future,” Gunn said.

Learning to “recognize the validity of each others’ viewpoints” would benefit both liberals and conservatives, he said, “But that suggests something that is sort of anathema in today’s political environment — compromise.”

Gunn’s analysis of the link between politics and change is food for thought. So is the assertion that the future of Lawrence and KU is closely tied to its ability to work with, rather than separate itself from, the rest of the state.

Lawrence prides itself on being different and embraces KU’s role as a leader and an agent of change. As the state’s flagship university, KU should play a leadership role in Kansas, but it’s hard to be a leader if you can’t convince your followers you’re heading in the right direction.

Bridging that gap between Lawrence/KU and the rest of the state will require an effort from both ends of the political spectrum, as well as from top leadership of the university. The prospects for a successful meeting of the minds may seem like something from science fiction now, but who knows what the future will bring?