Table of Contents

Preface: A Personal Note Introduction 1. Looking for Science in the Movies? Check Out Science Fiction Films First Part I. Dangers from Nature 2. Alien Encounters 3. Devastating Collisions 4. Our Violent Planet Part II. Dangers from Ourselves 5. Atoms Unleashed 6. Genes and Germs Gone Bad 7. The Computers Take Over Part III. The Good, the Bad, and the Real 8. Scientists as Heroes, Nerds, and Villains 9. Solid Science and Quantum Loopiness: Golden Eagles and Golden Turkeys 10. Hollywood Science vs. Real Science Afterword: Finding Real Science in the Movies and Beyond Appendix: Alongside Hollywood Science, There's Popcorn Science Further Reading and Viewing Filmography Acknowledgments Index

Promotional Information

In this book, a scientist and dedicated film enthusiast discusses the portrayal of science in more than one hundred films, including science fiction, scientific biographies, and documentaries. Beginning with early films like Voyage to the Moon and Metropolis and concluding with more recent offerings like The Matrix, War of the Worlds, A Beautiful Mind, and An Inconvenient Truth, Sidney Perkowitz questions how much faith we can put into Hollywood's depiction of scientists and their work, how accurately these films capture scientific fact and theory, whether cataclysms like our collision with a comet can actually happen, and to what extent these films influence public opinion about science and the future. Bringing together history, scientific theory, and humorous observation, Hollywood Science features dozens of film stills and a list of the all-time best and worst science-fiction movies.

About the Author

Educated as a physicist, Sidney Perkowitz has produced dozens of research papers and books, along with four popular science books, works for stage and screen, and numerous magazine articles. Hollywood Science combines his science background with his love of movies. Born in New York, he lives in Atlanta and is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University. He's happy to hear from readers at www.sidneyperkowitz.net.

Reviews

An entertaining, maybe indispensable guide for film buffs everywhere. Booklist "A grand roundup of technical movie masterpieces... praising scientific accuracy (A Beautiful Mind) and exposing turkeys (Volcano). Los Angeles Magazine An engaging and fun read. -- Claude Lalumiere Locus Hollywood Science is great fun... I give it two thumbs up! -- David Schneider American Scientist A fascinating read that will have you heading to your local DVD store. Physics World This is a terrific book... Essential. CHOICE Hollywood Science is a treat for anyone who looks from their television set to the Moon. -- John Findura Fortean Times An exceptionally accessible book, Hollywood Science provides a very good catalog of the ways Hollywood has used and abused science. -- Neil Easterbrook SFRA Review