Now, I was under the impression that many poor SF-writers have very good science. Are all those writers former scientists? It just strikes me as odd that Hollywood couldn’t afford a specialist or fifteen when poor SF-writers seem to get hold of them quite easily. But then I am not in the business, and I guess the SF-writers might actually have time to figure it out for themselves. But doesn’t most SF-writers need to have day jobs to survive?

I am willing to wager that as long as the majority of entertainment consumers watch solely to shut off their brain for a while the entertainment industry will make films that let them do just that, or risk loss of revenue. Besides, why teach people to think when it is so much easier to make movies that don’t require you to think? And as added bonus for the industry I bet that people who don’t like to think that much spend more time with escapism and that they thus rather not be part of changing peoples thinking habits for the better. Not to mention that thinking people demand more diversity. They wouldn’t be able to sell movies made from templates anymore.

Well don’t leave us pleebs hanging…

Had Sagan not been there (at least as much as he could be), I dread to think what Contact might have turned into. At least it was better than most genre films. Too bad it had to come out right around the same time the first Men in Black did.

The Big Bang Theory portrays science geeks and their relationships (if you can call it that) with beautiful women quite accurately – the geeks just won’t admit it.

Jodie Foster might want to meet you too, but it will be on a strictly platonic level, rest assure. I always thought she was quite tomboyish for a reason in her younger days. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

Final Shocker – Most Hollywood types don’t know and don’t care about science, so don’t expect any changes any time soon, if ever. Even Nova is getting watered down these days.

I think this just goes to show that drama will always win out over scientific accuracy, at least in big-budget productions. Too many people unfortunately have inherited the idea that science is just what it was in that boring introductory physics class, and miss out on the joy and excitement of research. So the producers/director/writers have to “sex it up”.

I do second the recommendation of Primer as a great example of how science in movies really ought to be done. It’s a fantastic movie, and you really ought to see it.

These would all be furthered by having science and scientists portrayed accurately in the media. If we want our kids to become scientists, or even to enjoy science, we need to put a human face on it with which they can identify. Jodie Foster rocks!