• Question: Would you ever consider working on the sets of sci-fi films, in order to ensure scientific accuracy within the plot?

    Asked by chloehicks to Amy, Grant, Martin, Shawn, Usman on 12 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Martin Archer

      Martin Archer answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Totally! A lot of films and TV series have scientific advisors to help make things more plausible or look more realistic/accurate. You have to allow for a bit of inaccuracy to make the movie entertaining, but I think it’s cool that the writers, directors and producers think that talking to scientists is a good idea. I’ve loved sci fi from an early age, so working on one and coming up with crazy new inventions, even if they didn’t work in reality, would be really cool!

    • Photo: Shawn Domagal-Goldman

      Shawn Domagal-Goldman answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      You bet! I agree with Martin here – sometimes inaccuracies are necessary. They let you have bigger explosions and stuff, which makes the movies more fun. But it’s important that movies get the principles right. That’s what people remember. I’d love to help them do that! If you’re interested, there’s a group trying to build these bridges between science and entertainment: http://www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org/

    • Photo: Amy Tyndall

      Amy Tyndall answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      That would be an awesome job! It would be funny to be the one who comes up with all the ‘techno-babble’ they use in TV series like Star Trek, where even the actors don’t really understand what they’re saying!

      That was one of the funny things about going into science as a career, actually – re-watching all these old sci-fi shows, and suddenly realising that you just understood most of what was said!!

    • Photo: Usman Kayani

      Usman Kayani answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      It would be cool to work on film likes Star Trek to ensure that it doesn’t violate scientific principles but in some films those elements are what make the film more enjoyable and it isn’t possible all the time to ensure accuracy. There have been instances in the past where sci-fi has actually inspired scientific thought; some include the idea of space-time which combines space and time in a single entity which had its origins in sci-fi and today it is present everywhere in modern physics from explaining tiny atoms to giant blackholes.

      So maybe ensure some accuracy within the plot where it is needed but included apparent inaccuracies which may inspire some young scientist one day in the future to think outside the box and use it to discover something new.

    • Photo: Grant Kennedy

      Grant Kennedy answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      I agree with the others on this, making something entertaining is as important is making it physically plausible. I’d do it though, just to be involved!

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