Science fiction films are huge moneymakers for Hollywood and a powerful cultural force. They reach millions as they (correctly or incorrectly) depict scientific ideas, contemporary issues of science and society, and scientists. Most practicing scientists feel that science is badly distorted on screen, but this is not always so. Drawing on my book Hollywood Science and using film clips, I’ll show good and bad screen treatments of science and scientists, and discuss how to improve science on screen and how to use even bad movie science to convey real science.

About Our Speaker
Sidney Perkowitz was born in Brooklyn, NY, and earned his Ph. D. in physics at the University of Pennsylvania. As Charles Howard Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University, his research has produced over 100 scientific papers and books, and he has consulted for industry and governments. He also writes and lectures about science and technology, with appearances at the Microsoft Corporation, the Smithsonian Institution, CNN, National Public Radio, and the BBC, among many others. His popular writings include the books Empire of Light, Universal Foam, Digital People, and Hollywood Science, along with numerous articles and essays, stage plays, and a screenplay.

Sidney continues to pursue writing about science and film as a contributer to the X-Change Files blog, featured on the Science and Entertainment Exchange website of the National Academy of Sciences. In addition, he appeared recently as a guest on NPR's Science Friday as part of a discussion of Summer Science Movies (June 26, 2009).

For further information, please visit Sidney's website or email him at [masked].