We were asked to identify a film that did something positive for
science. I was not able to come up with anything, not being
much of a film aficionado. So I asked one of my contacts for
ideas.
My contact suggested the film,
href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118884/">Contact,
with Jodie
Foster, based on a book by
href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0755981/" rel="tag">Carl
Sagan.
Ms. Foster portrayed a scientist, Dr. Ellie Arroway. She
comes across as a regular scientist, not a token female; she is a
scientist who happens to be a woman. Plus, it deals with the
old science vs. religion theme, something that ScienceBloggers have
been known to take an interest in.
From the IMDb:
The film of course centers around the science vs.
religion theme, the oldest and most frightening of all school debates.
I suppose now that I have posted this, I will have to see the movie...
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You will likely be disappointed.
I don't know what Carl Sagan may have been trying to say, but the movie said very little to me about anything particularly important.
It wasn't very science-y. It was an okay movie, but on the science side... I don't remember it getting into being pro-science.
Shitty movie. Good book. Just read the book.
2001 anyone? Everything in it was pretty much doable in principle when it was made. Just never happened. (HAL is taking a little longer than expected, but is the nearest to realization so far). Contact needed exotic tech just to get off the ground. 2001 just needed it at the end.
I think GATTACA was pretty good, if you accept the premise that only body flotsam the size of an eyelash or nail clipping contains enough DNA to identify an individual.