Tag Archives: science fiction

Book Smart

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It’s hard sometimes to tell the full story about your research – its implications and impact, its repercussions and significance – in a single manuscript.

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You may have lots more to say about your discipline or field, too. Why not write a book? It isn’t easy, but it is rewarding to tell your story to a broader audience than manuscript editors and journal subscribers. And while you’re not likely to get rich from your book, you may find that it presents you with new opportunities – to raise your profile, to collaborate, to develop a novel project. Continue reading →

Jon Spaihts: Hollywood’s go-to science fiction screenwriter on the importance of science in filmmaking

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Jon Spaihts

Hollywood’s go-to science fiction writer.

Jon Spaihts is the screenwriter of The Darkest Hour, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and the upcoming Passengers and The Mummy. The one-time physics student and science writer has become one of the go-to writers for hard science fiction and space epics in Hollywood. He is currently working on a remake of Disney’s classic, The Black Hole and is writing Marvel’s forthcoming movie Doctor Strange.

Jon also features in today’s OSAM blog: Behind the Science of Hollywood

Here Jon speaks to Alex Jackson on collaborative work with scientists on film, the importance of science in filmmaking and finding the right balance between scientific practice, current knowledge and future developments with the demands of fine storytelling.

What experiences of working with scientists in the screenwriting process, do you have?

Much of the collaboration I’ve done with scientists is related to projects still in development – so there’s only so much I’m allowed to talk about them.

For example, I’m currently working on a remake of Disney’s classic, The Black Hole. It raises critical questions about robotics, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, singularities, quantum mechanics, and string theory. Quite a to-do list! We’ve convened a panel of remarkable scientists to help us think through the scientific issues.

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Behind the Science of Hollywood

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MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld (right) enlightens Jerry Zucker (left) during a Science & Entertainment Exchange Salon at the Zucker's home.

MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld (right) enlightens Jerry Zucker (left) during a Science & Entertainment Exchange Salon at the Zucker’s home.

There is a moment in the deservedly lauded Breaking Bad when Walt must convince Gus that he and Jesse are indispensable, dramatically asserting “Without us you have nothing.” It is a scene of great suspense and emotion. But not only that, it is a fine example of where good science is used to the narrator’s advantage.

The high-level scientific dialogue sees Walt tout his superior chemical knowledge of protic vs aprotic catalytic hydrogenation and stereospecific reactions yielding enantiomerically pure products. “The dialogue had to be perfect in order to be powerful instead of laughable, and Bryan Cranston’s magnificent delivery was convincing,” explains the show’s scientific advisor, Dr Donna Nelson.

“To a scientist, seeing incorrect science in movies or on TV is like fingernails on a blackboard,” asserts Dr Nelson, who worked on all five series of the hit AMC show. “At best, it breaks one’s focus on the scene and plot. At worst, it spoils the entire show.”

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Nature Futures Competition: The Winners Revealed

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At the start of this year, Futures ran a competition challenging readers to write a science-fiction story in just 200 characters. After a difficult judging session, we’re pleased to award first prize to Catherine Rastovski, who wins a year’s subscription to Nature plus a gift voucher for the Futures 1 eBook. Five runners up — Adam Flanders, Arran Frood, Judith Reeves-Stevens, Anssi Sajama and Chaim Schramm— also receive gift vouchers for Futures 1.

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