This post discusses the film Tolkien. I don't think there is anything in this film to spoil, given that it depicts events from a century ago, but consider yourself advised. Tolkien, a biographical film about author and philologist J. R. R. Tolkien, is admittedly a stretch from my usual science-themed fare. But when I realized the advertising of the film underplayed its focus on the early days of Tolkien's scholarly career, I figured I should bring it to the attention of this community. Consider it the inverse of … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Portrait of an Emerging Scholar
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Science Corner: To Infinitesimal and Beyond!
This reflection on the themes of Ant-Man and the Wasp tries to avoid spoilers, but as always feel free to wait until you've seen the movie if you want to know nothing about it when watching. I know I've already covered several movies recently, but I hope you'll indulge me one more time this summer for the film I've been most looking forward to this year: Ant-Man and the Wasp. I love the dynamic and inventive visuals of size-changing in action. I'm intrigued by the Quantum Realm. Most of all, the idea of a superhero … [Read more...] about Science Corner: To Infinitesimal and Beyond!
Science Corner: Ashes to Ashes, But What of Synthetic Dinosaurs?
This reflection on the themes of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom avoids spoilers, but as always feel free to wait until you've seen the movie if you want to know nothing about it when watching. It is widely reported that an asteroid strike 65 million years ago caused dinosaurs to go extinct, although a variety of hypotheses including widespread volcanic eruptions remain plausible as alternatives. In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, there is no doubt that a single volcano could wipe out the small cluster of de-extinct … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Ashes to Ashes, But What of Synthetic Dinosaurs?
Science in Review: A Droid in Every Garage
This week's discussion covers some specific, spoiler-y details from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Proceed accordingly. Last week we took a look at how Solo: A Star Wars Story interrogates the role of spaceships and interstellar travel in the Galactic Empire. The abstract concept of transportation (as opposed to specific transportation technology) is not an obvious theme for science fiction, but artificially intelligent robots are. What it does with ships, Solo also does for droids, taking a ubiquitous feature of the … [Read more...] about Science in Review: A Droid in Every Garage
Science in Review: Just Gotta Get Right Outta Here
This reflection on the themes of Solo: A Star Wars Story tries to avoid spoilers, but as always feel free to wait until you've seen the movie if you want to know nothing about it when watching. "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" "It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs." With those lines, Han Solo and ultimately George Lucas stirred up a controversy still brewing 40 years later. Han's boast sounds impressive, but when you find out a parsec is a unit of distance, not … [Read more...] about Science in Review: Just Gotta Get Right Outta Here