Science... Fiction

In January, as we were reading through this year's batch of Sloan submissions, the year-end round-ups of science and technology stories were hitting the web. It seemed as if science stories were popping up everywhere, which led me to wonder -- why aren’t more of them on screen? And no, what we’re talking about here isn’t science fiction. While sci-fi movies abound, there's a noticeable dearth of films focusing upon credible science, technology and math.

Is it that these stories are hard to come by? A quick scan Wired, Science Friday and the Leonard Lopate Show, to name just a few, suggests otherwise. Whether it’s robot skin or a new species of giant spider, the potential for inspiration is limitless.

Is it that "science stories" are inaccessible? They certainly don’t have to be! From white sharks to the Space Race, past projects we’ve awarded have shown time and again how relatable and diverse the stories can be. And this year’s recently awarded grantees continue that trend, ranging from a comedy about teen birders to a creature feature about researchers who happen upon a swarm of Humboldt squid.

If perusing scientific journals sounds about as appealing to you as reenacting 127 Hours, fear not! There are plenty of sources -- from Seed to Wired and from the New York Times to Scientific American -- that offer iterations of the latest science and technology news in language fit for public consumption. Just this week, DNA typing has been a global issue with the death of Osama bin Laden, at the same moment that Hollywood scrambles to develop the story for the screen.

Perhaps filmmakers simply believe it’s too difficult to drum up support for these films. Movies like A Beautiful Mind (which we celebrated on Saturday), Gorillas in the Mist, Kinsey and Good Will Hunting prove that these stories have robust audiences. In fact, last October saw a technology-themed film, The Social Network (a movie some doubted would resonate with audiences) reach laudable critical and box office success.

Circling back to those year-end lists, not only did The Social Network top the most 2010 critic’s lists according to Metacritic, it also tops the Facebook trends list in Time's "The Top 10 Everything of 2010." Coincidentally, this last list includes a story about contagious cancer that doesn’t even make their top 10 science stories -- a list that even includes one about the ultimate magician's cape. What I’m getting at is that there’s tons of inspiration here, folks.

Finally, getting financial and creative support for films about these topics is obtainable. From Sloan-supported programs like ours and those at Film Independent, the Hamptons Film Festival, and the Sundance Institute to initiatives from The Wellcome Trust, there are organizations out there with interest in these topics. If documentaries are more your speed, The Economist recently launched a new Film Project initiative for docs about subjects found in its pages. Companies like National Geographic Films and Animal Planet support movies with related themes, and there are countless independent producers with interests in these topics, as a visit to imdb reveals. Once you've identified your story and need to make sure that the science is just right, the National Academy's Science and Entertainment Exchange can link you up with an expert.

So, filmmakers, I challenge you to peruse the science section next time you're reading the paper. Perhaps there's a story lurking in there just waiting to be reimagined on screen.

[Photo: The Social Network, Columbia Pictures, 2010]