A Blog Around The Clock

Why Study Science? (1955)

Posted by Coturnix on March 18, 2009
(3)
More »

Thanks to reader Paul for this tip – what an amazing piece of history: an instructional movie from the Sputnik Era, explaining why one should study science. Many of the arguments have not changed since then, though the details of sciences and technologies used in the film are very different. The role of women is, well, so 1950s….

Found on Prelinger Archives (more information in the comments) and A/V Geeks:

Family on last night of vacation speaks of stars & then of how study of science can help son & daughter make intelligent decisions on problems confronting them in world. Narrator specifies many of opportunities science presents in professions.

We can write dozens of blog posts just analyzing this movie or using it as a starting point ;-)

(3)
More »

Comments

  1. #1 Greg Laden
    March 18, 2009

    At first I thought that was an early home movie of Fredo.

    Then it became the Lucile Ball Show.

    Then it was Father Knows Best, or as I thought of it as a kid, Father’s Nose is Best

    Then it became one of those apocalyptic post-bomb 1950s films.

    Then for a little while it was The Treasure of the Sierra Madre for a little while.

    Then suddenly I was reading Zuska’s blog for a while.

    But that passed and I was watching Mr. Smith goes to Washington (about 7 minutes in). Which segued into The Day the Earth Stood Still for a moment.

    Then the weird guy in the sky started talking to Jack and Betty and they promised us two weeks in Paris.

    And then, I was totally on board with science. Ah, Paris!!!!

    (Archeology/paleo at 10:49)

    The End

  2. #2 Betul
    March 18, 2009

    No wonder the old faculty gives young women faculty hard time. Look at the basis of their foundations! Gender difference in this video trembled me. On the other hand I am happy to see so much improvement in 50 years (or is there, really?)