I went to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness this weekend. (There are no spoilers ahead.) This was only my third trip to an indoor movie in 2 years. Part of my calculus was the fact that I'd be going to see my daughter in her first school musical later that evening. I obviously wasn't going to miss that. At the same time, if I were to get sick later, I wouldn't want that to retroactively cloud my memories of my daughter's performance. But with multiple activities in the same weekend, I add plausible … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Magical Multiverse Thinking
movies
Science Corner: The Time Stone Heals All Wounds?
This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame; it is difficult to discuss the film's themes in any depth without spoiling at least some elements. For all the secrecy surrounding Avengers: Endgame, many of the film's best moments feel inevitable, the fulfillment of promises made in earlier installments. So I especially enjoyed the genuine surprise of seeing the word "Five" appear on the screen, then a very knowing pause, then "Years Later." The film initially meets expectations by picking up right where Avengers: … [Read more...] about Science Corner: The Time Stone Heals All Wounds?
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