SSP-100 (012) Hollywood’s Portrayal of Science

Kyle Nichols, Assistant Professor of Geosciences

Can glaciers advance to New York City in just a few weeks? Can a car drive over molten lava? Is a magnitude 10.5 earthquake possible? Can we really travel to the center of the earth? Hollywood would lead you to believe that the answers are yes; however scientists would most likely respond with “Are you serious?” Sometimes the portrayal of science in Hollywood is accurate, while other times science is trumped by poetic and artistic license. In this seminar, we will watch some of Hollywood’s most successful “science-based” movies, identify the fiction therein, learn the real science behind these stories, and discuss Hollywood’s role in science education, shaping how the public perceives science, and portraying non-traditional scientists. For additional perspective, we will watch documentaries and other visual media that are thought to portray science accurately. Through these investigations, we will explore the role of visual media in science communication or miscommunication.