why didn't I pay attention in high school?

I'm not a scientist, and I don't bluff well, but somehow I write science fiction. I write the characters and the problem first, and place them in the world where they'll be most interesting. Currently, it's science fiction. Somehow I have to evolve the science of my story into a merge of actual science and dawn-science. It's not easy but I do enjoy a challenge every now and again.