Science news reports that scientists are trying to teach the public
about bad science by using the science found in popular movies.
The American public is notoriously ill-informed about science and
medicine. Why not use their love affair with the movies to try and
educate them? That is exactly what some scientists are trying to do,
using popular movies as a vehicle to illustrate what science can and
cannot do, what is good science and what is bad. While most of the
examples in the article are about physics and geology, bioethical
issues are commonly portrayed on television and the in cinema, and
movies can sometimes be the best vehicle for raising discussion — as
Jurrasic Park did for genetic engineering of endangered and extinct
species.
Labels: bad science, education, media and bioethics, movies