The intersection of science and art has always yielded fascinating insights. As much as filmmaking is an art that requires a carefully trained eye and excellent talent to pull off, scientific studies often find surprising and actionable evidence of how we process and respond to images. That might take some of the artistry out of […]
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Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gets James Cameron to fix a scientific inaccuracy for the 3D version of Titanic
SlashFilm recently posted a great article about how Neil deGrasse Tyson noticed that the sky in the scene were Rose (Kate Winslet) is floating on a plank and gazing at the sky. According to Neil deGrasse Tyson, the sky is completely inaccurate for the time of night on that particular date (April 15, 1912 at […]
Continue readingScience in Society Film and Discussion Thursday, Oct 27, 7-10 p.m., Wechsler Theater
Science in Society Film and DiscussionThursday, October 27, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Wechsler TheaterJoin SOC professor Matthew Nisbet and University of Manchester (UK) scholar David Kirby as they discuss the role of scientists as Hollywood consultants on blockbuster movies ranging from Jurassic Park to A Beautiful Mind. Following the hour-long discussion with Kirby, there will […]
Continue readingBerkeley scientists create visual pictures from brain waves
University of California, Berkeley, scientists have managed to create a close approximation of what our thoughts look like. First they mapped brain wave response to 18 million seconds of random YouTube videos. Then, patients viewed a series of videos, and those brain waves were matched with the correlating visuals from the first test. The result […]
Continue readingIt’s Shark Week!!
As you probably already know, this is Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. In case you don’t have the Discovery Channel at home, here are a few Home Use titles that may help you get your shark fix. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D – HU DVD 5499Endless Summer Revisited – HU DVD 179Finding Nemo […]
Continue readingWatch full length episodes of the PBS series, “P.O.V.” for free.
“POV (a cinema term for “point of view”) is television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 275 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable […]
Continue readingWatch episodes of NOW, now.
“Hosted by veteran journalist David Brancaccio, NOW on PBS goes beyond the noisy churn of the news cycle to probe the most important issues facing democracy and give viewers the context to explore their relationship with the larger world.” –PBS website. First started by Bill Moyers back in 2002, this news program gave issues more […]
Continue readingMind Online: Streaming video of lectures at the University of Chicago
Errol Morris is among the few Film Studies lecturers in this rich electronic archive of video and audio recordings. In their words, this is “a collection of thought-provoking samples from the University’s intellectual life, both past and present.” link
Continue readingMIT World – on-demand video of significant public events at MIT
An extensive set of lectures, events, readings – heavy on the science topics but there’s probably something here for everyone. Things that caught my eye included readings by Margaret Atwood, Russell Banks, Robert Pinsky, Maurice Sendak, and Seamus Heaney. Lectures by Noam Chomsky, Eric Foner, Thomas Friedman, Frank Gehry, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, Dean Kamen, […]
Continue readingMust-see film: Powers of Ten now viewable online
This is a really cool film that illustrates the size of the universe in powers of ten – starting with a couple having a picnic in Chicago zooming out to 100 million lightyears away – and then all the way back in to the man’s hand and on down to a single proton, .000001 angstroms. […]
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