[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“A Scientific Plunge into Ocean Movies,”** a marine biologist’s fact-check of *Jaws* and other films set in the sea, with Chris Parsons, associate professor in the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter University and former director of the environmental science program at George Mason University.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-ocean-movies](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/dc-ocean-movies) .]

The underwater environment has long been a setting in science-fiction and fantasy movies as well as thrillers like *Jaws.* But how well do the premises underlying such films fare when subjected to deep scientific scrutiny?

Join Chris Parsons, a science podcaster and marine-life expert who has given excellent Profs and Pints talks based on his research, for an informative and often-amusing look at how well various ocean movies hold up when we peer beneath their surface at what’s known about water and aquatic life. He’ll look at where they got the science right as well as where they got it very, very wrong, and how what they portray compares to the actual observations and experiences of people who have worked (and even lived) underwater.

If you have ever contemplated how fast Aquaman actually might be able to swim or wondered how many humpback whales could fit into a Klingon spaceship, this talk is for you.

We’ll go back 150 years to look at Jules Verne’s science-fiction classic *Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas* as well as the 1954 Disney film based on it. You’ll learn how Verne took care to base much of his novel on fact and proved somewhat prescient in his predictions related to ocean science, but also made assertions that don’t hold water.

From there we’ll dive into movies such as *Aquaman*, *The Abyss*, *Underwater*, *Avatar 2,* and *The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou*, harpooning their scientific fallacies while giving them credit for scientific truth where it’s due. We’ll talk about the actual size of prehistoric Megalodons like the one depicted in *The Meg* and whether huge sharks possibly could lurk in the Mariana Trench.

Interested in learning about all of the scientific flaws in *Jaws*, now 50 years old? Chief Brody would say, “We’re going to need a bigger beer.” (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image: From a poster advertising the 1907 silent film *Under the Seas*, a Georges Méliès parody of Jules Verne’s classic novel.

Profs and Pints

Profs and Pints Meetup-Metro DC

Science & Education

Lectures

Intellectual Discussions

College Life

Current Events

Art History

Archaeology

History

Folklore

Philosophy

Politics

Science

Literature

Psychology

Happy Hour

Joshua Biatch

Claudia

Toya

N Denny

Rich

Elizabeth Scott

Lauren G.

Profs & Pints DC: A Scientific Plunge into Ocean Movies

Film

Science Fiction

Marine Ecology

Ocean Lovers

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

Share

Profs and Pints Meetup-Metro DC

Profs & Pints DC: A Scientific Plunge into Ocean Movies

Profs and Pints Meetup-Metro DC

Details

Members are also interested in